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heckyeahbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. I've always wanted to find a good novel like this one and it really shocked me how much I liked it. I am so glad I finally picked it up!
yesrachishere's review against another edition
3.0
Kate's Pa was killed by a gang because he had a secret. A secret that Kate never knew. He kept a journal with the whereabouts of a gold mine and the Rose Riders gang wanted it for themselves. So now Kate is on a mission to avenge her father. Along the way, she meets Jesse and Will and they join her on her quest but they think they are joining Nate, who is Kate dressed as boy. She cut her hair and wore boy clothes because she didn't think she would be taken seriously as a woman.
This is the first western that I have ever read. I really didn't know what to expect from it. I enjoyed the story for the majority of it but I found myself bored at times. I think that Kate is a good character but with lots of flaws. I really hated to see her risk the lives of Jessie and Will while she is on this conquest to avenge her father, when clearly she started this mission on her own and didn't want them tagging along. The Rose Riders are a very dangerous gang who kill people for no reason and most of the towns that Kate traveled into, were aware of who they were and wanted nothing to do with them. Nonetheless, they are a feared gang. I really loved the character of Jesse. He has been through so much trauma in his life but doesn't really seem to show it. Whereas, Kate, having just lost her father, is very angry and ready to take action. Will was a character that I wasn't that interested in the beginning but as the story went along, he was quite humorous. I still think that the character development for him and Jesse could have been better. The setting of the story was probably the best part. There was lots of description of the cactus and the saloons and the heat and it just read like I could feel and see all of those things. The dialog was hard to get into because of the western accent but after a few chapters, I hardly even noticed it.
Overall, for my first western, it wasn't terrible, but it could have been better. My expectations are low for any future westerns though, which is terrible but it is what it is.
This is the first western that I have ever read. I really didn't know what to expect from it. I enjoyed the story for the majority of it but I found myself bored at times. I think that Kate is a good character but with lots of flaws. I really hated to see her risk the lives of Jessie and Will while she is on this conquest to avenge her father, when clearly she started this mission on her own and didn't want them tagging along. The Rose Riders are a very dangerous gang who kill people for no reason and most of the towns that Kate traveled into, were aware of who they were and wanted nothing to do with them. Nonetheless, they are a feared gang. I really loved the character of Jesse. He has been through so much trauma in his life but doesn't really seem to show it. Whereas, Kate, having just lost her father, is very angry and ready to take action. Will was a character that I wasn't that interested in the beginning but as the story went along, he was quite humorous. I still think that the character development for him and Jesse could have been better. The setting of the story was probably the best part. There was lots of description of the cactus and the saloons and the heat and it just read like I could feel and see all of those things. The dialog was hard to get into because of the western accent but after a few chapters, I hardly even noticed it.
Overall, for my first western, it wasn't terrible, but it could have been better. My expectations are low for any future westerns though, which is terrible but it is what it is.
astarions_bhaal_babe's review against another edition
DNFing this.
Not a bad book, but it's not my thing anymore.
The writing was really good tho, I'm just not interested.
Not a bad book, but it's not my thing anymore.
The writing was really good tho, I'm just not interested.
clairemdrake17's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars- not too sure about the Native American representation. Otherwise loved the action and the characters. Love a YA western.
ca23's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
amyhungerford's review against another edition
5.0
Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
Well, well, well...
I didn't have much of an opinion going into this. It was literally just a book I've heard of and it happened to be available from the library.
AND IT WAS FANTASTIC! I'm so glad I rolled the dice on this one!
Well, well, well...
I didn't have much of an opinion going into this. It was literally just a book I've heard of and it happened to be available from the library.
AND IT WAS FANTASTIC! I'm so glad I rolled the dice on this one!
emleemay's review against another edition
4.0
"That sounds real nice, boy," he says. "Now for the love of God, lower that damn pistol."
"All right," I says.
And I do.
Right after I shoot him through the skull.
This book is nasty. When I heard that Erin Bowman had written a Western where the protagonist is a girl posing as a cowboy and ends up finding love in this wild, rugged landscape, I thought one thing - I bet this is the politest, cutest Western ever.
How wrong I was.
If you don't like the Western genre and are thinking about reading this because you believe a modern YA Western will be diluted and more romantic - don't bother. Bowman has stayed true to the old western style, filling this book with bloody revenge, shoot outs, saloons and cowboys (and girls) who shoot first and ask questions later. She even writes in the cowboy dialect. Lucky for me, though, it was right up my alley!
[b:Vengeance Road|23719270|Vengeance Road|Erin Bowman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422925649s/23719270.jpg|41187933] is a thrill ride for lovers of badass revenge novels. When Kate Thompson (A.K.A. Nate Thompson) discovers her father tortured and left hanging from a tree, she buries his body, dries her eyes, and starts off after her father's killers - a band of notorious cowboys called the Rose Riders. Along the way she gains new allies, discovers the real reason these Rose Riders targeted her father, and gets swept up in a quest for gold.
Honestly, I loved it. Kate is such a rare character and, unlike some other YA characters who supposedly want revenge, her lust for vengeance feels real. She tracks them down without remorse:
"See you in hell, mister."
And that's where I'm going, sure as the sun will rise, 'cus I feel nothing. No remorse. No guilt. Not even a sliver of doubt. He deserved it, and I'd do it again.
I loved the unapologetic vengeance. I cheered for Kate. I loved the poker, the journey across this dusty landscape, and the language.
Love does creep in, as promised in the blurb, but it is gradual and welcome. Starting off as reluctant companions, building to humorous banter, and then becoming something more. Thankfully, it didn't detract any nastiness from the story either.
If you like nasty stories with morally questionable characters and an author who is just evil enough to make you genuinely scared for all their lives, then [b:Vengeance Road|23719270|Vengeance Road|Erin Bowman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422925649s/23719270.jpg|41187933] is a natural choice. Super entertaining and very different to what's out there in YA right now.
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tyson_and_rainbow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
almazantana's review against another edition
2.0
I'd been wanting to read this for a few months before starting and I can't help feeling a little disappointed. I thought this would be right up my alley, even though I'm not a big fan of the whole western genre, I do I work at a ranch and I'm not one to say no to a good action scene or a revenge themed book. Also, that cover is gorgeous.
But this book was slow. They were traveling for the most part and those scenes quickly became repetitive. About half way in I started skim reading because I was losing interest in both the story and the characters.
Still, I enjoyed parts of it and I do want to read the sequel.
But this book was slow. They were traveling for the most part and those scenes quickly became repetitive. About half way in I started skim reading because I was losing interest in both the story and the characters.
Still, I enjoyed parts of it and I do want to read the sequel.