Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

This is important, award-winning literature that teens should read—but it's not for everyone, and that's okay.

Dimaline has created a speculative world that's both thrilling adventure and devastating commentary on Indigenous genocide. The premise alone (only Indigenous people can still dream, so they're hunted for their bone marrow) is worth the price of admission. It's original, it's powerful, and it centers Indigenous voices in a genre that desperately needs more of them.

But let's be clear: this is heavy. Sexual assault, death, systematic violence, and a bleakness that doesn't let up. It's not gratuitous—Dimaline writes with restraint and purpose—but it's real and it hurts. If your teen is emotionally ready for that level of trauma (and many 13-15 year olds are, especially if they're already reading dystopian YA), this is essential reading that will build empathy and historical consciousness.

If they're not ready, wait. This book will still be here, and it deserves to be read when they can fully engage with what it's saying.

Age Fit

Best for mature teens 13+ who can handle serious trauma, violence, and references to sexual assault. The publisher recommends grades 9-12, which feels right—this is high school English class material, not middle school. Sophisticated readers who've tackled books like The Hate U Give or The Handmaid's Tale will be ready.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

72

Models resilience, community, and Indigenous cultural pride in the face of genocide. The found-family dynamic and themes of survival through cooperation are emotionally grounding. However, the dystopian setting includes references to sexual violence, trauma, and systematic oppression that, while handled with care, create a heavy emotional landscape. Not chaotic or gratuitous, but definitely emotionally demanding.

Imaginative

88

Brilliant speculative premise: a future where only Indigenous people can dream, making them targets for marrow harvesting. Dimaline creates a chilling dystopia that inverts colonial power dynamics and forces readers to reimagine North America through an Indigenous lens. The journey north to 'the old lands' is both literal survival and metaphorical reclamation. Original, thought-provoking, and deeply rooted in Indigenous storytelling traditions.

Safe

58

This is a book about genocide, forced assimilation, and systematic violence against Indigenous people. Contains references to rape (including a traumatic backstory involving sexual assault), death of family members, violence, smoking, and the constant threat of being hunted. One review specifically mentions 'one recollection of rape.' While not gratuitous, these are serious trigger warnings that make this inappropriate for younger readers to encounter unexpectedly. Amazon lists it as 13-17, grades 9-12.

Enriching

91

Winner of multiple major awards including the Governor General's Literary Award and Kirkus Prize. This is essential reading for understanding Indigenous perspectives, climate dystopia, and cultural resilience. Tackles colonialism, environmental destruction, identity, and survival with nuance and power. Builds empathy and historical consciousness while delivering a gripping narrative. The metaphor of dreams being stolen is a powerful parallel to actual cultural genocide. Significant literary and educational value.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Award-winning (Governor General's, Kirkus Prize) speculative fiction that centers Indigenous voices and perspectives in a way YA desperately needs
The premise is genuinely brilliant: a future where dreams have been lost to everyone except Indigenous people, who are then hunted for their bone marrow—it's both sci-fi and a searing metaphor for cultural genocide
Found-family dynamics and themes of resilience, cultural pride, and survival through community offer emotional anchors in a dark world
Tackles climate disaster, colonialism, identity, and what it means to preserve culture under systematic oppression—heavy stuff, but handled with literary skill
Short enough (under 250 pages) to be accessible while packing serious emotional and intellectual punch

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What to Watch For

This is not light reading—contains references to sexual assault (including one character's traumatic backstory), death of family members, violence, and the constant threat of being hunted and harvested
The dystopian setting is bleak: think residential schools meets climate apocalypse meets The Handmaid's Tale, all filtered through Indigenous trauma
Some smoking and survival-level violence throughout
Best for teens who are emotionally ready to process genocide, systematic oppression, and heavy trauma themes—not for sensitive or younger readers

Conversation Starters

"The book uses 'losing the ability to dream' as a metaphor—what do you think dreams represent here? Connection to culture? Hope? Something else?"
"How does this dystopia connect to real history, like residential schools and forced assimilation of Indigenous people?"
"Frenchie and his group are constantly deciding between staying hidden and fighting back. What would you do in their situation?"
"The 'marrow thieves' literally harvest Indigenous people for what makes them special. How is that similar to or different from cultural appropriation today?"
"What does it mean that the story is about going 'north to the old lands'—why is reclaiming ancestral territory important to the characters?"

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