A review by emleemay
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

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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