This debut graphic novel, pairing LaBoucane-Benson's words with Mellings's captivating art, take readers into the journey of a young aboriginal man from a life of violence and gangs to healing. The tragic toll Canada's colonial past has taken and still takes on young aboriginal people today is vividly brought to life when readers meet Pete. He's a thug collecting money for a drug dealer, but he is also taking care of his young brother Joey, with no father and a drug-addicted mother. When he comes home to find Joey sitting in an empty apartment, with all their belongings pawned for drug money, a violent confrontation with his mother's abusive boyfriend quickly ends with Pete's arrest, and Joey is placed in foster care. During Pete's incarceration, he is given a chance to transfer to an aboriginal healing centre and to be part of a program that teaches him about aboriginal history and culture. As he begins to find himself and develop an identity tied to a community, the story becomes one of hope, not only for Pete, but for all aboriginal people healing from the intergenerational wounds of Canadian colonialism. (June)

Gr 10 Up—Pete, an aboriginal teen from Canada, has had a hard life. His mother is a junkie, and his mother's boyfriend is abusive. Pete's girlfriend has just told him she's pregnant, and like his father before him, Pete abandons her and rejects his unborn child. Pete's part of a gang that takes advantage of his rage against the world: he's the muscle who makes sure customers pay their debts. In a confrontation with his mother's boyfriend, Pete lashes out, killing the man. He's arrested and sent to prison, where racial conflict still drives his life. Meanwhile, Pete's little brother is at the mercy of a group home where he faces his own challenges, and life in a gang appears to be the only way to survive. After an altercation in prison, Pete is offered an opportunity to be a part of an intensive historical-trauma rehabilitation program called In Search of Your Warrior. In this program, Pete has the opportunity to face his past and the wrongs done to his ancestors in order to heal and find his path. The artwork in this book adeptly conveys the contrast between wearing a mask of rage and finding one's true path. The illustrations are interspersed with historical details that explain the trauma to the aboriginal people in Canada, while the story outlines a pathway to healing. The authentic, rage-filled language is edited out with symbols, making it more accessible to slightly younger readers, but the emotionally challenging narrative is more appropriate for older readers. VERDICT A beautifully and powerfully told story.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO