trippyotter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I didn't even know spaghetti westerns were a thing! Of course, I've seen the old movies, but I had no clue it existed in books too!
And OMG, Kate! I adore her, and I loved Bowman for staying true to dialog because it makes the story everything and so much more!
And OMG, Kate! I adore her, and I loved Bowman for staying true to dialog because it makes the story everything and so much more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit and Grief
roguephoenix7's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm not usually a fan of Westerns but I couldn't put this book down. Right away, I was surprised that the narrator tells the story in a Western/cowboy dialect but it grew on me quickly and helped set the scene. There were several times the book managed to surprise me and keep me guessing which I appreciated. I also found myself liking most of the main characters and cared about what happened to them. The romance is also present but doesn't overtake the story and it's a nice slow buildup rather than instant love which I'm not fond of. I couldn't put this book down and I'd definitely recommend it even if you're not a big fan of historical fiction or Westerns.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Gun violence, and Death
raelin's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I did not enjoy this. The general plot of “girls dad is killed and she seeks vengeance against the band of raiders that came after him” was fine, but the devices that were used to execute that plot were terrible.
The way the Apache are depicted was awful. Liluye and the terrible life forced upon her and her tribe was dismissed and brushed aside. Kate would not even call her by her name after being instructed to do so time and again. There are too many examples of the poor and thoughtless way these people were treated in the book to list. One example:
Jesse was not intriguing as a character, let alone a romantic interest. He was a terrible person turned monster at the prospect of gold. Add to that super racist and just yuck.
Just a flat predictable book, other than a semi surprising moment when I do not recommend reading on any level. I hate finished it, and am disappointed I didn’t just give up halfway through when Liluye was introduced and dismissed all at the same time.
The way the Apache are depicted was awful. Liluye and the terrible life forced upon her and her tribe was dismissed and brushed aside. Kate would not even call her by her name after being instructed to do so time and again. There are too many examples of the poor and thoughtless way these people were treated in the book to list. One example:
Spoiler
The way her request to leave the gold alone is just dismissed, after time and again she helped Kate against her instincts was sickening. Then Kate PASSED ON THE JOURNAL SO SOMEONE ELSE COULD RAPE SACRED LAND. Gross. At the *very least* Kate could have destroyed the journal. At medium she should have returned the gold to the earth, and destroyed the journal.Jesse was not intriguing as a character, let alone a romantic interest. He was a terrible person turned monster at the prospect of gold. Add to that super racist and just yuck.
Just a flat predictable book, other than a semi surprising moment when
Spoiler
Maria is outed as a terrible person, and a depiction of a worthless Mexican to add to the racism of this book, but we knew there was a ghost shooter so it really wasn’t much of a reveal, and that she had teamed up with Rose was not at all surprising.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Racism, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Physical abuse
phantomgecko's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I reckon I'll share this review the way the book were written (to the best of my ability). Ain't never read a book written like it. Every word come straight outta the main character's mouth exactly as she'd've said it out loud. Makes for a novel you can't help but read in a Western accent. So if you ain't for reading an entire dang novel written just so, you can go and give this a pass.
Okay, actually, I'll just talk normally now. I picked this book for a reading challenge, where I picked something not in one of my usual genres but with my usual "moods." So here we have a mysterious, adventurous and dark Western. My library had it under YA, but tbh, it's just a novel. It was fun to read, didn't take long at all, a good little one-shot. I don't normally read/watch Westerns, but it unfolded exactly the way I imagined a Western would. I'm not saying it was cliche or too predictable. I just think it stays true to the genre.
Okay, actually, I'll just talk normally now. I picked this book for a reading challenge, where I picked something not in one of my usual genres but with my usual "moods." So here we have a mysterious, adventurous and dark Western. My library had it under YA, but tbh, it's just a novel. It was fun to read, didn't take long at all, a good little one-shot. I don't normally read/watch Westerns, but it unfolded exactly the way I imagined a Western would. I'm not saying it was cliche or too predictable. I just think it stays true to the genre.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Cursing
Minor: Racism
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