Reviewed by Cheryl

TITLE: Two Princes

SERIES: When We Were Young #1

AUTHOR: Maggie Blackbird

PUBLISHER: eXtasy

LENGTH: 203 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 19, 2020

BLURB:

Billy Redsky, a rebellious punk who loves art and nature, is saddled with a welfare-leeching, alcoholic mother and criminal older brother who are the joke of their Ojibway community. Sick and tired of being perceived as a loser, Billy deals drugs for his older brother to earn quick money. He hopes if he buys a dirt bike, he’ll finally impress the chief’s popular and aloof son, René Oshawee.

When the two are forced to serve detention together, a friendship begins to bloom, but much to Billy’s frustration, René keeps putting him on ice. To make his biggest dream come true if he finally wants to call René his own, Billy must make a huge decision that could cost him everything.

REVIEW:

The basis of the book is a fairly standard trope. Two boys from different sides of the tracks – one poor and rough, the other rich and refined. However, the book has a gritty realism that lifts it from being a mere trope to a beautifully crafted story of two very complex characters who are more than they seem at face value.

A great deal of added flavour came from the fact that both boys were members of the Oshawee tribe—one the chief’s son, the other from the poorest part of the reservation – and we were treated to a peek into lives very different than those most of us lead. The pinches of tribal custom, the way the members of the tribe are intertwined, the different mindset are all fascinating and are far more than detail but the thread that holds the story together.

Every single characters who appears in the story, whether major or minor, is lovingly crafted and leaps from the pages in full colour. In fact, it’s the people who really make the story come to life.

The book is not perfect. There are parts that feel forced, or awkward, and sometimes the story feels rushed, but these are well in the minority and on the whole the pacing is good. The structure of the story is very well done, with clear story arcs although there are things left unresolved which, given that this is the first book in a series, I hope are going to be carried over and dealt with at a later date.

There were laughs, there were tears. There was frustration and bleak honesty. And there was an overall spirit of hope, guiding the characters through their more difficult times.

I can absolutely recommend this book as a fascinating and well crafted Young Adult book, perfect for young people and adults alike.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

eXtasy

Amazon