Donna asked:

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7 years ago
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Kiley

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Patricia The problem is not only the shooting scene but with the structure of the book--too many flawed characters who don't seem all that different from each other. Reading the reviews first builds expectations that aren't, and perhaps, can't be met by any author.

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Ben

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[It seemed like the plan was Tony would do the actual robbing as he was dressed in regalia and would likely blend in better with the crowd or maybe people would think he was simply the winner of the contest allowing them all to escape. However he seems to get cold feet last minute.

So Octavio gets the money from Edwin and Blue before being betrayed by Charlos in a classic den of thieves backstabbing twist. He tosses the money at Charles and starts shooting before getting shot in the back by Carlos. Seeing this Daniel crashes his drone into Carlos who is then shot by Tony. Charles shoots Tony but Tony manages to rush Charles, take his gun, and shoot him.

Calvin, Orvil, Bill, Thomas, and Edwin are all hit the crossfire. It’s intentionally kept vague as to who outright dies and who might survive though it seems like Bill and Thomas are most likely dead, Tony might still be alive by sheer force of will, or his spirit is at least refusing to leave. And Edwin and Orvil get to the hospital but we don’t know if either survive.

It was a chaotic climax to a fantastic, slow building, book and I think that’s intentional. You’re supposed to be confused and off balance as it’s suppose to represent the culmination of all the experiences we’ve read about. All the suffering these characters have endured. While also reflecting the many chaotic meaningless massacres of native people through time, often exacerbated by technology.

I was able to suspend my disbelief about the 3D printed guns being so effective as we don’t necessarily know if this book is today or in the near future and these things are constantly improving. It’s only a matter of time before something like this is possible and potentially happens. Moreover the use of modern technology to disrupt native spaces was clearly symbolic.

Edit: quickly reviewing the final chapters I can’t figure out if Calvin actually shoots anyone. In Dene’s last chapter he says he sees him firing at someone, likely Carlos, on the ground with Tony and someone else, probably Charles, shooting in the background. But in Calvin’s chapter he does no such thing, only Tony does. Perhaps he’s mistaking Calvin for his brother? Or it could be a commentary on unreliable narration. Or just an error. (hide spoiler)]

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Greg I haven't the vaguest. But I'm reminded of an old joke: If you don't know how to end your book, just have everyone run over by a truck. So that's how Orange does it. Kills off half the characters and then doesn't tell us anything about the rest of the people.

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Anthony Armagh It was never meant to go right. Who or what was the target of the shooting? What's the significance of the gun being a 3D printed weapon, white in color? Was it representative of the mass shootings we experience as a nation so frequently? What of the drone? Along with the drone, technology is symbolic of modern society that eludes urban native Americans even though they use its tools?

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Carrolet When Tony decided not to go through with the plan, the other guys seemed to go into panic mode. They needed the money to pay off a drug debt (right?) and were desperate for the plan to work. It was a devastating scene for sure. I knew it would end badly. Need to know if Orvile and Edwin live.

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Kate W

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Caitlin

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Terry Delgado Finished the book last night, want to read more about everyone, still taking it all in

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Morgan Flake Charles and Carlos decided to cut Octavio out of it and shot him. I hadn't thought about the number of bullets, though, and now that I am reading this it is bothering me that the end of the book comes with such a gap in logic!

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