Finding Izzy

by Sheryl Doherty

A teen wakes up in a hospital with no memory. There is nothing to indicate who she might be—no identification and no distinguishing marks on her body, not even a freckle. She is brought to a foster home where she wades through relationships all the while trying to figure out her identity. Her skin colour and features indicate she is Indigenous, possibly Cree. But how did she arrive alone and naked in a Vancouver metro station? As she begins to piece together the puzzle with the help of two new friends, she discovers she is no ordinary girl—and her life has no ordinary purpose.

Genres: Canada, Fiction, Indigenous

242 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Toby Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dense book, almost 300 pages with a small font. But that is a great thing for the readers - it gives the author enough space to flush out an engrossing story that pulls you in from page one.

Speaking of page one, that is where the action begins. In the opening scene, the main character, Izzy, wakes up in a hospital with no idea who she is. She sees a news story on TV about missing Indigenous women and is convinced she is one of them. She shares her theory with the two police officers who are trying to figure out who she is; they aren’t convinced she’s right. Once discharged from the hospital, Izzy is taken to a temporary emergency home in North Vancouver as Family Services believes she is under 18. From there the story takes off as police try to identify her through dental implants, fingerprints, and distinguishing marks.

Although this is a work of fiction, it is fascinating to ride along with the main character on her journey with amnesia. Doherty does a superb job of dropping us into the mental gymnastics required when you don’t have a clue who the heck you are. As the story progresses, we go on to deal with other issues common to teens - young love, drug use, teenage angst, friendships, and many others. We also touch on Indigenous related subjects.

Finding Izzy is timely with Canada’s current climate surrounding Indigenous people. The main character is Indigenous and we surmise that she has a background steeped in history. It’s no surprise that the subject matter is handled with tact, finesse, and compassion as the author is Indigenous herself. Doherty is Cree and Irish and is part of the Sixties Scoop, a generation of Indigenous children who were adopted out to non-Indigenous people in an attempt at assimilation. She has a captivating story of her own.

Unlike so many books these days that aim for the shock and awe factor, Finding Izzy is a slow burn. After the powerful beginning that draws you in immediately, the story unfolds in its own meandering pace. Yet it continues to hold your attention as the days pass and Izzy struggles to figure out how she was discovered in a Vancouver metro station with no memory of who she is. The conclusion to Izzy’s story manages to wrap things up while simultaneously leaving enough left open for you to fill in your own gaps. I love that!

I was not surprised to learn that Finding Izzy has been shortlisted for several book awards as it is a solid read. The writing is tight, the editing is spot on, and the story itself is powerful. The beautiful cover art ties the package together. This book has it all!

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

[Trista · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off great! I was completely drawn in by the mystery surrounding this girl who was found naked, with no memory of who she is. After the initial grab the story started to fall off. The pacing ground to a halt, relationships were forced, storylines were introduced and then dropped, and suddenly you find yourself in a supernatural book, and not a very interesting one at that. The book was also riddled with errors, which really bugs me as a reader, and the writing itself was not great. While I can appreciate the connections to the land and water that were explored by the Indigenous characters, overall I was not impressed with this book. The cover art is beautiful, though!

[Jeanne A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book went out on some platforms in galley (with some typos) in error. If you received the earlier edition where there were typos, contact wooddragonbooks@gmail.com and the publisher will send you an updated digital copy. Since its release, this book has been shortlisted for several book awards!

[Abiry · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Um…what? What was that ending 😭 (there really isn’t one).This book man. It’s funny in a not good way?! Kind of loved that it kept me on my toes tho? -.5 bc of spelling errors. This is a standalone? 🤨

Edit: forgot to mention that the cover art for this book is what convinced me to read it-its beautiful.

[Angeline Hochban · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story of Izzy discovering who she is and exploring her heritage and purpose with her! It left me hungry for more. I did find the descriptions of physical things to be very formal, lifeless lists.

I was also a bit disappointed by the number of typos I found in this book.

[Krista Holthaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good storyline, and it kept me going, but a lot of typos and left off on a cliffhanger. I can't find if there will be any more books.