The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Cover of "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Recommended Age: 13 & up

Citation: Dimaline, C. (2017). The marrow thieves. Dancing cat books. 


Content Warning: Genocide, death, racism, violence against children, sexual assault, rape.

Fans of the dystopia genre will appreciate this thrilling novel set in a not-so-distant future where Indigenous peoples are hunted for their ability to dream. Hunted for his dream-conducive bone-marrow, Frenchie flees ‘Recruiters’ and begins a dangerous life on the run. Along the way, Frenchie finds love and community in a world that has been charred by climate destruction – his story revolves around, at once, survival in a world without hope and faith in a better world. 

By evoking the likes of Maze Runner (Dashner, 2009-2011) and The Hunger Games (Collins, 2008-2010), Dimaline brings attention to the lived dystopic experiences of Indigenous peoples that continue to occur today. It should be noted that the action of The Marrow Thieves unfolds more slowly, taking time to explain its world more deliberately than its genre counterparts. 


Check out our review other review of The Marrow Thieves, or of the sequel, Hunting by Stars.