Hawk

by Jennifer Dance

Hawk, a First Nations teen from northern Alberta, is a cross-country runner who aims to win gold in an upcoming competition between all the schools in Fort McMurray. But when Hawk discovers he has leukemia, his identity as a star athlete is stripped away, along with his muscles and energy. When he finds an osprey, “a fish hawk,” mired in a pond of toxic residue from the oil sands industry, he sees his life-or-death struggle echoed by the young bird.

Slipping in and out of consciousness, Hawk has visions of the osprey and other animals that shared his childhood home: woodland caribou, wolves, and wood buffalo. They are all helpless and vulnerable, their forest and muskeg habitat vanishing. Hawk sees in these tragedies parallels with his own fragile life, and wants to forge a new identity — one that involves standing up for the voiceless creatures that share his world. But he needs to survive long enough to do it.

Genres: Young Adult, Canada, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Indigenous, Middle Grade, Environment

248 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

ACCLAIMED NOVELIST and GILLER PRIZE-winner, JOSEPH BOYDEN, says;

"With Red Wolf, Jennifer Dance has come howling out of the wilderness...and I'm deeply impressed."

JENNIFER IS THRILLED TO HAVE JOSEPH BOYDEN'S SUPPORT.

Jennifer Dance is a Canadian author and playwright who is passionate about justice and equality for all people. She has experienced first-hand where racism can lead. Looking back, she sees that it made her more sensitive to the plight of others. It fueled her passion for equality and justice. It drove her creativity.

Jennifer was born in England, but spent her formative teenage years in Trinidad. After graduating from the University of the West Indies in 1970, she returned to England and married a Trinidadian. A racist attack by Skinheads motivated her and her husband to emigrate to Canada in 1979 where they hoped for a better life for their mixed-race children. RED WOLF is her first published novel.

RED WOLF will soon be followed by PAINT, the story of a mustang on North America's Great Plains. As in her first novel, Red Wolf, Dance brings the issue of unjust treatment of indigenous people into sharp focus. She couples her passion for racial equality, her zeal for environmental issues, and her background in agriculture, with a lifelong love of horses, giving her a wealth of experience to tell this story. From the slaughter of the buffalo and the threatened existence of the Plains Indians, to cattle ranching and pioneer homesteading, Dance takes a Lakota boy and a painted mustang horse down the path to environmental and human catastrophe.

Reviews

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

Adam, also know as Hawk, finds an osprey, a fish hawk, in a pond polluted by the oil industry which is ever present in Northern Alberta. When he's diagnosed with leukaemia, which may or may not be caused by the same oil industry, Hawk and the osprey link together in their battle to survive.

I find it difficult to really place this novel in the right age category. At times I was thinking YA, but mostly I would have said it was for the somewhat younger audience. There are a lot of problems discussed in this novel (it's funny this is the second book this month that deals with the problems of oil industry and indigenous inhabitants of Alaska/Northern Canada) but they were addressed in a way suitable for younger readers, I believe.

It took me some time to get used to the osprey chapters, but in the end I learned to appreciate them. It was an interesting read, not something I read a lot.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Katie N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a tough one to review. I feel like the topic is one that isn't discussed much. Anything that sheds light on the oil sands and what they are doing to our environment is very important. It is a good introduction to a topic that many might not know too much about.

There are moments in the book when the characters are discussing things and facts become more important than natural conversation. This gives the book stilted feel and takes the reader out of the story. The story did get smoother as the book went on.

While I wish Hawk felt a little less "teach-y" it was very informative and the information presented was manageable and not too overwhelming. There was some interesting character development that would have been nice to have fleshed out a bit more, specifically the relationship between Gramps and Frank.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a beautifully written story of self-discovery and awakening. A young Dene teen is diagnosed with Lukemia and has to learn how to survive while learning, at the same time, how the land is dying around him.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Adam, also known as Hawk, realizes that many things he has taken for granted, are not so, including his health and the truth about the harmful impact the oil industry is having on people and the environment. Adam fights a hard battle against leukemia, while a pair of fish hawks fight their own battle to breed and continue life.

Despite dealing with many extremely sensitive issues, Jennifer Dance's writing style keeps the novel accessible to a young audience. The environmental impact of the oil industry is at the forefront of Hawk, but issues of residential schools, family connections, government and industry disclosure, childhood illnesses, and friendship are also woven through the novel, as well as general teenage angst and maturation.

This novel would serve well as a starting place for discussions on many sensitive issues and help guide young readers to pose thoughtful questions about the world around them.

[Aidan Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shows a really good example of things that occur with oil spills and the similarity’s between a hawk and a human

[Abiraami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally really liked this book. I felt as if the story wasn't too cheesy or cliche and that the ending keeps us wondering. Jennifer Dance also did an amazing job by raising awareness about the problems faced by Aboriginal people while still writing an interesting and exciting story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books that leave you thinking and to anyone who wants to learn about the problems that arise in nature because of humankind's decisions.

[Christina Wiebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely broke my heart. It was so profoundly impactful and earth shattering. The two main focuses in the story are big parts of my life and I felt like I myself was there, in the story, sometimes too.
This book will take some getting over.

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

takes a while to get into, but good story

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Maple nominee

[Aizah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hawk" is an eye-opening duel story of a First Nations teen who is diagnosed with leukemia paralleled to a pair of native fish hawks to who have trouble surviving in the urbanized wilderness of Alberta. The book which is formatted in a duel narration (Adam and the fish hawk) talks about several sensitive issues in society we often don't highlight such as the effects of the oil industry on the environment and the implications they had on First Nations.

As Adam (a.k.a. Hawk) comes in and out of treatments for his cancer his old ambition to become a cross country champion is replaced by the realization of how badly the oil sands industry in his community have damaged the natural world. The story shows the awakening of Adam and how his life and death situation allows him to see issues in the environment in a different light. While his dream of becoming a cross-country champion is diminished, he develops a newfound caring for the environmental issue which he feels connected to as the deterioration of the fragile ecosystem reminds him of his own fragile health.

The way the transformation of Adam's attitude and appreciation towards his heritage enables him to speak out against unmentioned injustices is truly uplifting. Additionally, the way Adam adapts to being less athletically able shows resilience and inspires you to never give on your dreams while the plot about the saddening tale of not only Adam and other cancer victims, but also the wildlife will take you on an emotional journey that will give you a transformation of your own. Overall, Hawk is a unique and excellently told story that will capture your heart and gives you insight into to another world of buried cultural and environmental issues.

[Mrs. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it was the author's back story a sad story of racism and prejudice that helped her champion the rights of those without a voice but I really really enjoyed this book. The author is not native and yet her passion for injustice against Native Americans makes you think she is. The book itself is a story of hope not just a rant of why we must change things. She weaves the human side to an argument of environmentalism and the effects our toxic lifestyles are having on ecology in general.

[Jenn P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gr. 8 teacher recommended this when I was on a class visit this week. A good depiction of the effects of our decisions on the environment and how this affects Canada's Indigenous Peoples' ability to live their traditional lifestyle.

[Isabelle Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Dance’s Hawk was an amazing and influential book to read. I enjoyed every aspect of the story, especially the storyline and how it connected the lives of both man and animal. It was also very sad and eye-opening, with the realization of how much worse the lives of the First Nations people living on Canada’s reserves are compared to the rest of us fortunate enough to be from a different ancestry, and the ridicule and hardships they have to face every single day. In addition to this, it also informed me about the great impact humans have on the environment, and because of our greed and selfishness, the ramifications will be given to the wildlife, other people, and future generations who will have to pay for it. We need to act now, before it's too late. I found the main character’s battle with leukemia terribly depressing, and also when the fish hawk chicks kept dying because of the poisoning of the mother hawk. If that species only eats fish, but the fish are all contaminated because of the water, how are both species going to persist?

In terms of the author’s writing style, I liked her use of descriptive words, similes, and metaphors when describing the landscape and animals. I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hawk is the dual story of Adam, a First Nations teen, and a pair of mating fish hawks named Three Talons and White Chest. Adam has been recently diagnosed with leukemia and is struggling with accepting the changes that it will bring to his life. Three Talons and White Chest are struggling to live in what is left of their mating area which is in the center of the oil sands in Alberta. Readers will see the effects of the mining on the land, on the animals and on people. Jennifer Dance's voice is very strong and her use of spirit animals to illustrated Adam's journey is poetic. Highly recommended for teachers to use a tool for discussion about the environment.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's in the top 3 of the 2018 red maple nominees. In addition to being a good story, it made me think about the bigger picture and the impact of my daily choices on Mother Earth as well as the injustices experienced by indigenous peoples.

[Phoenix_reader8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a great job of telling us of problems that has a large affect on our world today. The characters are also great and I love that Adam has a connection from his lukimia to all those largely affected by the oil sands industry. I also learned about the Fishhawk.

[Margaret Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great exploration on the effects that the oil sands industry has on First Nations and animals living along the Athabasca River.

[Jane Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulously real book for any age to read...heart rending in places but hope lives on for the boy and the fish Hawk. Truly uplifting.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sad but AWESOME story!!!!!!!!!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawk is a great book that brings awareness to problems the environment and living beings are facing in our modern lifestyle.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A controversial and important topic. I loved the journey of the Fish Hawks as they paralleled Adam/Hawk’s battle with cancer.

[K Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read that drew me in emotionally. Thank you, Jennifer, for the important stories you tell, and the accessible way you tell them.

[JustAnotherReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

No LGBT+ characters, the word 'damn' is used a couple of times, as is 'crap'. 'Eff' once, and the middle finger is raised. There is romance (keep reading)...

This was a really good book, in terms of the message the author was trying to send us readers. It did feel like she was writing about too many topics, but I loved the story. I loved reading about White Chest and Three Talons, and hearing about the indigenous nations from the perspective of an indigenous teen. I loved Hawk's struggle with cancer and his recovery. I loved learning about the oil industries and how they impact the enviornment; the writing was so good it was actually a fun read and didn't seem like someone was shoving a bunch of facts down my throat.

The only thing that ruined this book for me was the romance. It seemed unnecessary and personally I thought it was disgusting. This book was supposed to be about indigenous people, cancer, large oil industries... the romance just didn't fit in the plot.

Hawk is kissed by a friend who he doesn't like, making it weird between them for a while. He has a crush on a girl and frequently thinks of her. She kisses him one day, but later gets with another guy. Hawk and his friend Leon talk about girls too, and Leon points out that at the hospital they're surrounded by 'half-naked girls', which I found crude, especially when they went into details. Pair that with the fact that Hawk once sees his crush riding a bike and mentions her legs as long and 'touchable', and I'd recommend this book to older, mature children.

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam, called Hawk by his grandfather, fights leukemia. His story is paralleled by the struggles of two osprey as they try to hatch and raise chicks. The connection between the two stories is the poison that runs through each of their bodies. Poison caused by the oil industry in Northern Alberta.

I liked the emotional struggle that Hawk went through, but at times, I found the story line too cliche. There was the oh so predictable relationship with the girl Hawk found attractive. There was the struggle to discover a new purpose once his athletic career was over due to his cancer. Maybe I have read too many books within this genre and I need to see something new?

Don't get me wrong. Of this year's Red Maple nominees, this is my favourite, so far.

[Carol Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hawk by Jennifer Dance.

Adam, a First Nations teen, Adam has been recently diagnosed with leukemia and is struggling with accepting the changes that it will bring to his life. Having given up his ancestry for the finer things in life, Adam now must look back and find the answers he is looking for. There is a reason his grandfather always called him hawk.


A pair of mating fish hawks named Three Talons and White Chest. Three Talons and White Chest are struggling to live in what is left of their mating area which is in the center of the oil sands in Alberta.

Readers will see the effects of the mining on the land, on the animals and on people.

Highly recommended for teachers to use a tool for discussion about the environment.

@forestofreading

[Mrs. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being about a teen with cancer, family dysfunction, and irreversible environmental damage the book was surprisingly hopeful. Perhaps it's because I read the author's bio and saw how she drew on personal pain to create a story based on the truth of real life events that are troubling but the book left me hopeful not distraught. Many books cover difficult topics and either leave you feeling sad and depressed or with a cinderella ending that promotes unrealistic expectations. This book does not disguise what pain and suffering is, but shows how even good can come out of pain if you have the courage to use the experience you gained on the journey to help others.

[Christine J · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has an important topic...the Alberta oil sands and their effect on the environment, and on the people who live in that region. It follows a boy’s struggle with leukaemia, and how the oil sands probably contributed to his illness, but lectures continually about the problem. It’s less a narrative and more like a presentation. The preachiness needs to be smoothed out into more natural sounding conversations.

There are a lot of other i didn’t like, and I was glad when the book was done, so I’m not sure what my students will think.

[Myn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had potential but ended up feeling like a lecture loosely hidden in fiction. The author isn’t indigenous - which for me is problematic given the book is from an indigenous perspective. I’d prefer to read authentic voices. The lens she uses is one of reconciliation but it still feels a bit off. Like a lesson recited rather than a life experience shared.

[shae!! · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read and adored Red Wolf a couple years ago and I was excited to read more of this authors work! However, this book was really, really slow for me. I just couldn’t get hooked. Things were better in the last 100 pages or so, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the book’s overall blandness.

[Cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read, and I think the topic it deals with is something we should all be more aware of; the oil sands in Alberta. I loved that we also got the point of view of the hawk, white chest! Overall would recommend this book!