chasingpages1's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Murder, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Torture, Racism, Stalking, War, Cursing, Gore, Body horror, Police brutality, Colonisation, Genocide, and Medical content
czoltak's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Ableism, and Incest
laura_keoski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Murder, Grief, Gaslighting, Body horror, Blood, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Colonisation, Alcohol, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Gaslighting, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Emotional abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
carriepond's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Although there were a lot of things I really liked about this book, in the end, it didn't quite come together for me. Pros: I loved how Wurth used Indigenous spirituality and culture to add depth to the typical ghost story. I also loved Wurth's description of Denver and all the places Kari went-- I felt like I was there and it made me want to visit Denver immediately. I also loved how the world Kari inhabits is imbued with native culture without Wurth overexplaining or hand-holding readers who might not be familiar-- it is what it is, and it feels authentic and complete as a result. I also love the way Wurth explores trauma, both individual and collective, and how those traumas ripple down and reverberate through generations. Cons: I found the plot to be pretty predictable and a little all over the place at times, and Wurth spent a lot of time on subplots that I found uninteresting and a little annoying (Debby and her husband, for example), which distracted me from the elements of the novel that were really interesting and compelling.
Although this didn't quite live up to my expectations, I would still recommend it to fans of horror that subverts norms and explores big ideas while still being spooky. There were a lot of great elements here, and I would check out a future novel from Wurth.
Graphic: Murder and Gun violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident
yuyuv's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Medical content, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Cursing, Addiction, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Car accident
bambooboy's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Pedophilia, Murder, Grief, Alcohol, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Gun violence, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Medical content, Classism, Racism, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Colonisation
teatimewtrisha's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Suicide attempt, Grief, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Racism, Drug use, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
sarahrose_a's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Car accident, Alcohol, Murder, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
wai's review
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Alcohol, Gore, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Incest, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Pedophilia
Minor: Medical content and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
savvyrosereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Kari James has a difficult past, and when her cousin Debby brings her an old bracelet belonging to Kari’s long-vanished mother, that past might just come back to haunt her…in more ways than one.
White Horse is a captivating blend of literary fiction and horror, with a sometimes frustrating, but ultimately charming, protagonist, and a fascinating mythology centered on Native American lore and history. The chapters are short, and the book was a quick read overall, though I sometimes wished the plot had a bit more action.
The reviews and blurbs made me think this one would be gritty and gory, and while it definitely had its creepy moments, I wasn’t particularly scared. But I loved the mystery elements, all of the characters were well-developed and interesting, and in the end I am always a sucker for a good ghost story.
If you love horror, and particularly diverse voices and perspectives in horror, you’ll enjoy this book!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: literary horror; ghosts; Native American mythology
CW: Murder/blood; mentions of pedophilia; alcoholism/drug abuse/overdose; suicide attempt.
Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Abandonment, Blood, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, and Murder
Minor: Car accident