platinumwarlock's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kasiabrenna's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, and the writing was quite good, but I found it very frustrating. The characters could have used more development, especially the tertiary characters Jake and Julia, who I found more interesting than the protagonist. And the ending! I totally wanted to reach into the book and shake Margaritte by the time the book was over.
ms_aprilvincent's review against another edition
4.0
Wurth really gets into the hopelessness of poverty, thinking you’re gonna be the one to get out, and then getting dragged down by all the things you’re trying to get away from.
lizmart88's review against another edition
3.0
Profound book exploring the lives of four young urban Indians living in Denver. The book is centered on the life of Margaritte, who lives with her mother, drunk and abusive father, and her young twin sisters. As she enters her junior year, she meets Mike and they begin to date.
The book explores issues of identity around Native Americans, though it doesn't revolve around that issue. It focuses on how young people grapple with big issues without being preachy or a morality tale.
Good read.
The book explores issues of identity around Native Americans, though it doesn't revolve around that issue. It focuses on how young people grapple with big issues without being preachy or a morality tale.
Good read.
sophia_she1's review against another edition
4.0
very gritty but captivating
not enough native american ya books
title still doesnt make sense, maybe a little more expanding on who crazy horse is
not enough native american ya books
title still doesnt make sense, maybe a little more expanding on who crazy horse is
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
This is a tough read. It's a gritty look at life in an impoverished small town in Colorado, with 16-year-old Margaritte figuring out who she is, who it is she wants to be, and how to make a life better than the one her parents made for her.
The writing and the pacing are imperfect here, though those are secondary to the bigger story. It's rare to see a Native main character in a YA novel and even rarer to see one who is dealing with a lot of challenges -- drugs, pregnancy, alcoholism, an abusive/alcoholic parent -- and figuring out how to "make best" with them in a way that doesn't disrespect her culture or background.
The ending was a little too neat for my own tastes, especially after such a tough go of things, but I suspect others may find it satisfying to have some of those bows tied.
The writing and the pacing are imperfect here, though those are secondary to the bigger story. It's rare to see a Native main character in a YA novel and even rarer to see one who is dealing with a lot of challenges -- drugs, pregnancy, alcoholism, an abusive/alcoholic parent -- and figuring out how to "make best" with them in a way that doesn't disrespect her culture or background.
The ending was a little too neat for my own tastes, especially after such a tough go of things, but I suspect others may find it satisfying to have some of those bows tied.
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
An intense, compelling book about harsh, harsh realities that doesn't shy away from that but also not from hope and heart. Margaritte is a 16-year-old mixed race Apache, Chickasaw, and Cherokee young woman living in Idaho Springs, Colorado. She's a drug dealer working with her cousin, both her parents are physically abusive, her white dad's an alcoholic, and her apparently nice new boyfriend turns out to be a lying cokehead. Halfway through the book she gets pregnant. This sounds like a straightforward, hard story of misery, but it's never that simple. Wurth continually resists the narrative of Margaritte being a victim and imbues her with smarts and self-determination. No one here is a stereotype, everyone defies expectations, and no one is only one thing, even if they're an abuser or an asshole. This gave me lots to think about issues like adoption, teen pregnancy, poverty, colonization, queer native identity, and more. It's a book that refuses to be easy, to provide easy answers, but is ready to show you other, unexpected options.
allygriggles's review against another edition
3.0
"Crazy Horses's Girlfriend" was definitely worth the read. Margaritte read a lot like a modern-day, female, Native American Holden Caulfield to me, and there was something very refreshing about that. I struggled a bit with her naiveté, mainly because she is a teenager making bad decisions and being not a teenager, that can be annoying. But the writing and the storyline kept me going. However, I still think the book was just okay. It felt a lot like the first novel by an author, particularly the wrap-up of the story and characters at the end. I think I'd be willing to try out Wurth's next book to see if her storytelling improves.
kevinhendricks's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, tough and bleak, this is the story of a drug dealing Native American teenager who yearns to escape her abusive, alcoholic (white) father and her dead end town.
mdbow22's review against another edition
3.0
It was good, but there were quite a few typos: missing words, wrong words used, and one instance where the sentence lacked meaning. It was something like, "in the summer, a warm, windy day in January" and that seems like something that should've been caught by an editor. Wurth's storytelling was excellent, and the novel was a good read, but the editorial errors were distracting.