Parents' Guide to

The Marrow Thieves

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Powerful sci-fi tale of Natives hunted for bone marrow.

Book Cherie Dimaline Science Fiction 2017
The Marrow Thieves Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Pam R.
Pam R. Parent of 18-year-old
March 11, 2023
age 13+
Love the book. Great to see indigenous people portrayed in a positive light. There are a smattering of swear words. One scene mentions that a character was raped but doesn’t go into details

This title has:

Great role models
LalaMoon
LalaMoon Adult
December 7, 2021
age 12+

Great novel to challenge teens and pre-teens to think outside of their own comfort zone.

I love this book and so did my 13 year old son. It has some difficult content and a few swears but nothing too bad compared with a lot of stuff out there. The lessons in this book are awesome. Themes of community strength, indigenous identity, residential schools, the value of language, and the importance of diversity. It has adventure, love, and loss. I highly recommend this book.

This title has:

Educational value
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

As THE MARROW THIEVES begins, in a future where most people have lost the ability to dream, 15-year-old Frenchie and his brother Mitch are cornered by Recruiters, and Mitch allows himself to be captured. Heartbroken but determined to survive without being dragged off to a "school," Frenchie allies himself with a group of refugees heading north through a climate-changed Canada. As they travel, the group faces tragedy and learns the secrets of the hunters who capture Native people and rob them of their bone marrow in order to stop from going insane.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (8):

Climate change promises to be a topic of vital importance to teen readers, and this near-future dystopian makes the subject compelling without succumbing to melodrama. The quest for safety undertaken by Frenchie and his companions is fraught with danger and tragedy, but their indomitable spirit allows them to survive. Each character is drawn with precision, but Frenchie commands attention with his struggle to be responsible while wanting to seek his own way. Author Cherie Dimaline crafts scenes brimming with dramatic intensity but also excels at creating quiet scenes for her characters. Smart, urgent, and moving, The Marrow Thieves is likely to appeal to a wide range of teen readers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Marrow Thieves presents a dystopian future affected by climate change. How are people in your community working to mitigate threats from warming?

  • How does Frenchie's story reflect the history of Indigenous peoples? What does it have to say about the cost of colonialism?

  • Why is storytelling important? Can stories sometimes be more powerful than the facts?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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