Prairie Edge by Conor Kerr: Book Review

Prairie Edge is Conor Kerr’s most recent release. Published by Penguin Random House Canada on April 16, 2024, it introduces readers to Grey and Ezzy, two 20-somethings trying to figure out who they are and where they belong in society.

I want to thank Penguin Random House Canada, Strange Light, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Prairie Edge. All opinions presented here are my own.

CW/TW: racism, drug abuse, sexism, gun violence

Synopsis from Goodreads

Meet Isidore “Ezzy” Desjarlais and Grey, two distant Métis cousins making the most of Grey’s uncle’s old trailer, passing their days playing endless games of cribbage and cracking cans of cheap beer in between. Grey, once a passionate advocate for change, has been hardened and turned cynical by an activist culture she thinks has turned performative and lazy.

One night, though, she has a revelation and enlists Ezzy, who is hopelessly devoted to her but eager to avoid the authorities after a life in and out of the group home system and jail, for a bold yet dangerous political capture a herd of bison from a national park and set them free in downtown Edmonton, disrupting the churn of settler routine. But as Grey becomes increasingly single-minded in her newfound calling, their act of protest puts the pair and those close to them in peril, with devastating and sometimes fatal consequences.

My Opinions

Prairie Edge was a novel that I added to my most anticipated Canadian releases at the beginning of 2024. I added this novel to the list because I am striving to learn more about Indigenous life here and to understand what it may be like elsewhere. And this book packs a big punch, considering it’s under 250 pages.

Grey is an activist who has started feeling jaded by the whole experience. Ezzy struggles to stay out of trouble after a lifetime of being bounced around the foster care system. They became friends when Ezzy started following Grey at various protests she had organized. From the outside, it appears to be a strange relationship, as the only thing they have in common is that they are Métis.

Overall, the cast of characters in the book is relatively small. Ezzy, Grey, and Auntie May are the main characters we see throughout the book. However, the story is only told through Ezzy and Grey’s point of view. And it’s easy to understand whose POV you’re getting, as it only switches with each chapter.

My biggest issue with the book is the length of the chapters. While the book is around 225 pages, there are only seven chapters. If you add the prologue and the epilogue, that brings the number to nine. That means the average chapter is 25 pages in length. That is the average, as the first chapter is much longer. There are breaks within the chapters to help with the length, but it’s hard to put the book down at the end of the chapter when it never seems to get there.

Could you read this in one sitting? Probably. Should you read it in one sitting? Not really. I found this is a story that you need to take your time with to digest everything that you’re reading.

Who would I recommend this book to? Someone looking for a glimpse at Indigenous life and how wounds cross from generation to generation. In other words, I feel everyone should read Prairie Edge!

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.