Laine CunninghamCritiques

I've been on holiday, but I was stuck in a caravan for three days reading this book!
What an excellent read it was too. A fast-paced, intriguing, exciting, disturbing psychological crime thriller which is in the James Patterson mould, but with an extra adult twist in the language used at times as well as the nature of crimes committed.
Our hero is a female FBI agent with more than her fair share of baggage. The product of a violent gang rape, Priya must battle her own demons as well as the local law enforcement prejudice/inexpertise to track down and apprehend not one but two very different serial killers. This she does with the help of a local sheriff who adds a love interest to this multidimensional novel.
The story is filled with twists and turns and the suspense is palpable. It is very well done. Laine Cunningham's style pulls no punches however. At times her narrative is brutal, shocking, but that all adds to the feel of this gritty tale and in a curious sort of way the language was not out of place at all. As you read on you can't help but identify and empathise with Priya and the other characters. You loathe some, and root for/love others. If you like crime thrillers, do yourself a favour and give this a try, for all in all this is a very entertaining read. Be warned, it's for adults only though.
I will certainly be reading more from this supremely talented author.

Read this. If you’re a reader, read this. If you’re an author, new or old, who is female or black or gay (or minority or LGBT or even a plain ol’ white guy – there’s stuff in there for you too), then you need to read this.

This book will take you on a journey that is so rip-roariously funny, so hilariously true, that you might only realize afterwards just how depressingly it is. You will laugh until you cry (whether of laughter or sadness, it may be difficult to distinguish). Your heart will ache for the state of the publishing industry, for the state of the world.

As an author, I really appreciate Cunningham’s perspective. Her truths are my own, though I don’t have nearly the experience she has. The struggle is real, and Cunningham puts it all out there – raw and real and with a heaping helping of sarcasm to make it all go down a little easier.

But she doesn’t leave the reader on the floor. No, she encourages writers to write what they want. Pandering to narrow-minded publishers won’t change the scenery. Only when the collective voices of the readers is loud enough, and the outcry against stereotypes strong enough can we hope to start to shift the dynamic.

Perhaps one day the tides will turn and perception will start to reflect reality – the reality that the world is diverse, but underneath it all, we are human. It is story that connects us. It allows us to walk in another’s skin for a brief time, unhindered by our own unrealized biases. I, for one, will write, and maybe one day my stories will add to the voices that change the world.

In Reparation, the story follows Aiden Little Boy and Gidgee Manitou, two people drawn into a spiritual battle as much as a physical one. Gidgee Manitou is the cult leader of the Four Quarters church, whose plans to cleanse the land of past atrocities tap into the dark side. Aiden Little Boy becomes his Hunka brother – a bond that gives Aiden time to dig into the workings of the ranch and the insight to see what Gidgee Manitou is planning, though the revelation comes slowly.

At risk is all of the women in Aiden’s life – his mother, comatose and cancer-ridden for years, his sister, who’s open heart leaves her vulnerable to Manitou’s manipulation, and Rayna, the beautiful reservation herbalist who catches his eye.

I love the Native American setting, and the struggles it portrays. Ms. Cunningham doesn’t shy away from the atrocities of America’s past. The spirit elements are compelling, and bring a supernatural/fantasy element that I so enjoy.

I also wanted to mention the Heyoka – a kind of spiritual figure/clown that does everything backwards. He was an odd character in the story, but his fate made me laugh.

The writing and imagery are beautiful, and I would definitely recommend the book to adults looking for a smooth, thrilling read.

I really enjoyed this book. It is an interesting mixture of fiction, fable, spirituality, and gender studies. I would recommend it to anyone interested in any of these genres. I'm glad I was chosen to read this book because I might not have chosen it on my own, so thank you to Library Thing. I don't want to give away the premises of the Seven Sisters, so you'll need to be intrigued enough to read it on your own!

Sigh, I tried to read this one a couple times, but the super dramatic story just kept taking me out of the story and in the end I was just reading a book, not enjoying a world. Early reviewers have out up a few duds recently and I just can't get my head around this one either.

Cunningham's work Seven Sisters is a collection of oral tales of life lessons from the Dreamtime of the Aboriginal Australians. The stories are told and then the author gives the reader her take on it in "The Message". The author also tries to tie the tales into modern world affairs and the affairs of the United States as well. Most have to do with relations between men and women and the endless story of life and becoming women and men as told through these tales. Just as in many Native American tales of how humans came into being and the lessons learned over countless generations about how to deal with the events in a person's life experiences. Cunningham gives some statistics on current conditions and how that relates back to the tale. As you read the work you get a better understanding about the culture and folk history of the Aboriginal Australians. Read the book while watching Crocodile Dundee part one and two. The author did a six month walkabout to learn and experience the tales and to get tuned into her spirit self. It appears her intent was to write this work as a self help style book. Personally, I had hoped for more on the tales and less explanation from the author. The tales are good and could stand alone and let the reader take the lessons within each tale and learn from those life experiences from their prospective. The author seems to keep coming back to a central theme of that women are not treated as well as men in the world and here in the United States. This work could be used in a women's study class or a history of Australia class. Have to say make your own choice after reading it. That why it only gets three stars from me.

Reparation is a very good native American supernatural cult story with a solid plot and excellent writing. The characters are well developed with Manitou and Aiden very solid characters. A fascinating read that was hard to put down. Highly recommended for adult readers.

I chose to read this title because it was written with a modern day Native American perspective. This was my first encounter with Native American fiction - add on the paranormal and I couldn't pass it up. The plot was solid and the writing skilled. The cancer plot line was hard to read because a similar situation was still too fresh. I did appreciate the humanity the author put into these scenes and not just medical details. I would read another book by this author.