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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loved this.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is so much to unpack here. While the horse at the center of the narrative serves as the thread that weaves the stories together, it ultimately feels like a red herring. What Brooks is really doing is showing the stark juxtaposition between Jarrett’s life as a Black man in the mid-19th century—enslaved, then navigating tenuous freedom around the Civil War—and Theo’s life as a Black man in the 21st century, still battling both overt racism and the subtle sting of microaggressions.
The parallels are devastating, culminating in an ending that is both shocking and, sadly, not surprising at all. Alongside these stories, Brooks exposes the blindness, ignorance, and casual cruelty of privileged whites—Thomas Scott, Jess, Catherine, Mary Barr—across both centuries. I especially loved the way she highlighted how the elite white classes projected themselves into their prized racehorses, as if ownership of greatness bestowed it upon them.
There’s also an unexpected layer in Theo’s assumptions about his neighbor—a kind of “reverse prejudice,” perhaps—that he tragically never gets the chance to see corrected. That thread, left unresolved, was one of the most quietly heartbreaking touches of all.
This is such an incredible, important book. Quiet, layered, and devastating in the best way.
The parallels are devastating, culminating in an ending that is both shocking and, sadly, not surprising at all. Alongside these stories, Brooks exposes the blindness, ignorance, and casual cruelty of privileged whites—Thomas Scott, Jess, Catherine, Mary Barr—across both centuries. I especially loved the way she highlighted how the elite white classes projected themselves into their prized racehorses, as if ownership of greatness bestowed it upon them.
There’s also an unexpected layer in Theo’s assumptions about his neighbor—a kind of “reverse prejudice,” perhaps—that he tragically never gets the chance to see corrected. That thread, left unresolved, was one of the most quietly heartbreaking touches of all.
This is such an incredible, important book. Quiet, layered, and devastating in the best way.
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Historical fiction about racehorses and race. Had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book but it had so much depth and helped educate me on things I had no idea about
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
slow-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, War