Like Dimaline’s last novel, I found this one difficult to get into. It wasn’t until the halfway point that I really started to get into the story. The halfway mark coincided with the moment we began to learn about the ghost, Phil’s, backstory. It was fascinating and tragic and I felt it really gives readers a window into the crisis of MMIWG.

I also really loved how Dimaline wove in Métis knowledge. I loved the relationship between Winnifred and her Auntie. That was a beautiful and supportive relationship.

So, if readers can make it past the first half, I think they will love the payoff of this tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC in exchange for the honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a queer Indigenous reader and reviewer, this book excited me. In some aspects it delivered and in others I was a bit disappointed. Starting with the writing, if that was what my rating was solely based on, I would have gave this book 5 stars. Cherie Dimaline can tell a story that is vivid and imaginative. The sentences are beautifully constructed and have a simple beauty to them. They aren't super flowery but each line builds a clear image in your head. Having this book set primarily in a cemetery gave it an atmospheric edge. In terms of Indigenous literature, this is a stand out novel. This meshed Indigenous culture seamlessly into a wider story. That allowed for it to be present and relevant to the story without it being the sole focal point. Which, once more, speaks volumes for this book and the way the author constructs stories.

For the plot, I thought it was quite solid. Through Winifred's eyes we see a wider story, focusing beyond the main plot of a lonely girl being in a cemetery and befriending Phil, a ghost who she sees as badass and cool. That remains a central part of the story but there are layers, like grief and neglect, and what that does to people. And what is even more exciting about this story is the way Phil tells us stories of her life within the actual story. And from her eyes we see even more of a plot, like the struggles of finding your place in the world when you're different from others, and how others may interact with you because of those differences. I could feel the connection between Winifred and Phil but wish we could have seen them do more stuff together. Having them work together on a common goal would have tied it all together in a perfect package. Instead it did feel at times like they were working alongside the plot rather than in line with it.

Overall my feelings about the story itself are positive, but there are aspects in the book that I found troubling and dampened my experience, as well as overall thoughts on it. There is tons of fat shaming in this book which made me uncomfortable. It took the pride and joy I felt as a queer Indigenous reader and had me wondering if the author would even tolerate someone like me who is fat. At first it was aimed primarily at Winifred's obese chihuahua. Although uncomfortable, and some thoughts can be drawn if those feelings would be reflected onto people, I could look past a lot of it because of how I was enjoying the story. However, there came a point where Winifred was thinking back on a teacher she had who is described as big and her best friend Jack ended up drawing that teacher as a "fat pig" that the class laughed at. It was the moment that started up their friendship. Even if it is set from the perspective of a kid, and kids can be cruel, it just felt unnecessary. There was also a moment where the same teacher was likened to Hitler, which felt out of place in this book and a bit insensitive to any Jewish readers who might pick it up.

I'm not someone who thinks characters can't be flawed and have arcs, but it makes hesitate on reading again from this author. Who I absolutely still want to read from as a fan of their writing. If that was not in here this book would easily be a 4 star read for me.

Overall, a good book that could use some tweaking and reconsideration for the readers.

It took me a couple of days after reading this narrow down exactly why I didn’t like it. On the surface, everything was fine. The characters are fun to read, the plot is compelling, and the stakes are high. Then I realized it almost feels like it should be an adult book, but the author made it YA by just aging down the characters and dumping in pop culture references.

The story is incredibly slow for YA, and there is way too much inner monologue. I think perhaps some advanced older readers might appreciate this, but even then, I’d probably hand them something that has more substance. I do appreciate the attempt to bring more literariness to YA, that has been lacking for a while. But the audience is still younger readers, and the themes and concepts still have to be presented in a way that readers will not only understand them, but be excited enough to keep reading. That is where Funeral Songs for Dying Girls ultimately failed.

Somewhere out there, an angsty teenager will pick this up and think to themselves "is that what adults think we sound like?"

I am a little bit surprised at this book by the likes of Dimaline who wrote one of my favorite novels "The Marrow Thieves". I did not enjoy the prose at all and it felt like it was trying extremely hard to be edgy. I love that they used traditional Indigenous pieces and added in the ghost factor but the writing was very juvenile, even for its intended age range. The pop culture references were a bit stale even by todays standards and I personally won't be spending anymore time with this book.

Was it a nail biter? No, I think this needs to be reworked.

Thank you to the publishers for providing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline. I am a HUGE fan of The Marrow Thieves (I've also read Hunting By Stars) ... but unfortunately this book fell a bit short for me. There were some inconsistencies in the plot (not sure if this will be taken care of in the final stage of editing) and the main theme/plot line was just ... not something I could totally get behind. That's all I can really say without spoiling the book. I'm planning to check out some of Cherie's older works as well as VenCo, when it comes out.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I loved the idea of this book: Winifred, mosunderstood, literally living in a cemetary. Throw in some ghostw for good measure.

However, gad a hard time caring about the plot or what was going to unfold next.

This was everything! This was a coming of life for a sweet weird girl. She was dealing with loss, her sexuality, insecurity with her home, and a friendship that has gotten very toxic, or at least embarrassing.
It reminded me of me and my best guy friend in my teens. I loved that weird kid and then we grew up and two people have never been more different.
All of her issues are normal until she befriends a ghost. It was lovely.
I loved the ending too.

Had I read this book when I was a teen, I would have been obsessed with it for a long time. Another great YA by Charlie Dimaline (with ghosts!)

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

2.75/5 stars. Let me start off by saying there are several redeeming qualities of this book. The cover is gorgeous and the idea for the story is fun, quirky, and exciting. The problem is that the book is none of those things. If the author had taken a more comical tone with it or a much more serious/thriller vibe with it, the story could have worked. As it was, the story had a good setup and no delivery. The storyline just didn't seem to go anywhere and I found myself struggling to finish it. With a tone shift, I think the book could be great.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I kept waiting for something to happen in this book and it just didn't. We have a teenage girl, Winifred, who lives in the cemetery with her dad (he runs the crematory). This sets her up as the school pariah and earns her the nickname Wednesday Addams. No one wants to be friends with the weird kid from the cemetery. And of course, the kid with no friends ends up meeting a ghost in the cemetery. Not my cup of tea.

A girl who lives above a cemetery befriends a ghost and along the way explores her Indigenous identity. Winifred is called Wednesday Addams by her classmates, she lives above a cemetery and works in the crematorium with her dad... close to her mother’s grave. Win just wanted to relax for the summer as her sixteenth birthday is just a few days away but then she inadvertently causes rumors to spread that the Winterson Cemetery is haunted... except for the one issue that Win has actually seen and met a ghost. This new rumor also helps her father’s job since he is on the verge of foreclosure and with the ghost tours starting Win could save his job and keep the only home she’s ever known close to her mother’s grave. Throw in a con artist cousin. an actual ghost girl, and Win has her hands full of not only discovering who she is but what the future holds for her.

*Thanks Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*