Some books you hear about and think, that book sounds so up my alley I know I’ll love it. Half of the time this works out in your favor, and half of the time you end up hating the book. Vengeance Road was totally one of those books, and good news guys, I thought it was fantastic.
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on January 1st 1970
Genres: Historical Fiction
Narrator: Amy Rubinate
Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
Format: Audiobook
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Goodreads
Revenge is worth its weight in gold.
When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.
What I liked:
- This book actually contributed something to the young adult genre. The characters were refreshing (especially our main gal), the plot was exciting, and the setting was fun and different.
- Erin Bowman’s writing was perfect for this novel. It was atmospheric and aided in vividly evoking the Wild West. Her metaphors blended seamlessly with the world she was writing about, and her descriptions of the world weren’t disruptive. You didn’t come up to a scene-setting paragraph and feel like the plot came to a screeching halt. You know what I mean?
- I loved Kate, our main character. She wasn’t your typical female in a young adult novel (in other words, she was completely kick-ass).
- The plot is refreshingly simple, and Bowman manages to create an exciting and adventurous story with it.
- THE COVER IS AMAZE-BALLS OMG. It gets an automatic extra star for cover perfection.
What I didn’t like:
……………..well, nothing I guess?
Why not 5 stars? Well, the young adult genre (almost) always lacks a complexity I wish was there. But in the YA realm, this book is fantastic. If you enjoy young adult, READ THIS. Even if you think you aren’t a big fan of Westerns.
A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.
Lize
Thanks for this review! Haven’t heard of this
book before, but it sounds great 🙂
Ali
It is great! I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy YA reads (:
matxi_books
Only for that cover I already planned on buying this book!!hahaha And I am not much of a western fan when it comes to movies…
Ali
I’m not a Western person either with movies, and I had never read a Western book before – this one was a pleasant surprise!
Bec (@booktineus)
How good is this book!!! It’s basically the book that made me realise how awesome YA Western could be and gave me an incredible need for more. I’m so glad the cover is just as gorgeous as the inside. Cannot wait for Retribution Rails!!
Also, I want that horse skull. Because reasons haha
Ali
YAS I am so excited for Retribution Rails!! Hahaha, I acquired my horse skull in vet school, so maybe you can get one, too XD I also have some cervical vertebrae from a horse and a cat skull decorating my living room. They make for fun conversation 😀
Resh Susan @ The Book Satchel
Great review. I agree. The cover is so pretty. I noticed you did not have anything that you hated or disliked in the book. So glad to know that.
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