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jessicamcculloch's review against another edition
3.0
Strong language, but powerful. Great read for my American Writers class...
caleb_tankersley's review against another edition
4.0
Check out my review of this book up on the online magazine Necessary Fiction:
http://necessaryfiction.com/reviews/CrazyHorsesGirlfriendbyErikaTWurth
http://necessaryfiction.com/reviews/CrazyHorsesGirlfriendbyErikaTWurth
kecasey's review
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Addiction, Abortion, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Drug use
ccallan's review against another edition
4.0
Idaho Springs is a small town that everyone in Colorado drives through on the way to somewhere else, since it straddles the main East-West highway in the state. Sometimes I'll stop for a bite to eat or a peek in the tourist shops, but that's about it. This book brings to life the people who live there, who are not passing through, but are fighting to live a better life and avoid the traps of addiction, early pregnancy, and hopelessness.
Yes, this is a difficult story, but not a difficult book. While a working class version of the perils of Pauline befall our 16 year old narrator, throughout there is a sense of grit and resilience that hints that through all the darkness she will prevail. Not in a Pollyanna way, but one that rings true to our current society where upward mobility has become among the lowest in the industrialized world. (Yup, look it up.)
And the addition of another Native American voice to our evolving canon (can I use that word to describe the new voices finding their way into print, even from small presses?) is a breath of fresh air, for which I'm grateful.
Surprisingly, this is the second book I've read about young Native American women in Idaho Springs. The other was Perma Red, (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237077.Perma_Red) by Debra Magpie Earling, which I also highly recommend. I don't what's in the water there that produces such magnificent female Indigenous writers, but whatever it is I hope it keeps on flowing.
Yes, this is a difficult story, but not a difficult book. While a working class version of the perils of Pauline befall our 16 year old narrator, throughout there is a sense of grit and resilience that hints that through all the darkness she will prevail. Not in a Pollyanna way, but one that rings true to our current society where upward mobility has become among the lowest in the industrialized world. (Yup, look it up.)
And the addition of another Native American voice to our evolving canon (can I use that word to describe the new voices finding their way into print, even from small presses?) is a breath of fresh air, for which I'm grateful.
Surprisingly, this is the second book I've read about young Native American women in Idaho Springs. The other was Perma Red, (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237077.Perma_Red) by Debra Magpie Earling, which I also highly recommend. I don't what's in the water there that produces such magnificent female Indigenous writers, but whatever it is I hope it keeps on flowing.
cami19's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
thebradking's review against another edition
3.0
[a:Erika T Wurth|8150118|Erika T Wurth|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s novel [b:Crazy Horse's Girlfriend|21535634|Crazy Horse's Girlfriend|Erika T. Wurth|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398195362s/21535634.jpg|40864584] is a dark, gritty look at the life of a young teenage girl who does not go gently into that good night. The daughter of a working class Native America, she fights back against a world that is determined to push her deeper into the box of poor, minority woman.
Here's what good about the book: Margaritte's story feels authentic. Wurth doesn't take any easy outs with her main character. In truth, there are no real happy endings for anyone involved, and the ones who do sneak out with some hope do so because they just refuse to stop moving forward.
What makes the story so good is also what leads to one of the great ironies of the book. In many ways, Wurth has written the great Republican American dream. The story of a young woman who faces long odds and refuses to let anything - or anyone - keep her from moving forward. Not race, not class, and not gender. She refuses to be looked down upon, and pushes forward no matter what.
Yet Margaritte is forced to do all of that while living in a world in which people use drugs and drink without consequences (sometimes), sex is regular part of the teenage life (sometimes for love, sometimes for escape), and parents are sometimes the cause of strife and destruction.
Navigating that dichotomy is where Wurth's voice is most authentic and strong. In those scenes and moments where the two worlds crash together, Margaritte explodes off the pages.
That isn't to say that the book isn't without its flaws. The pacing isn't always smooth, and there are moments when the side narratives were a bit too diversionary. We would leave the story and enter her life, and I always wanted to get back to Margaritte. It was her voice and her story that drove the book.
Still, the voices of Margaritte (and Wurth) make getting over those humps worth the investment.
Here's what good about the book: Margaritte's story feels authentic. Wurth doesn't take any easy outs with her main character. In truth, there are no real happy endings for anyone involved, and the ones who do sneak out with some hope do so because they just refuse to stop moving forward.
What makes the story so good is also what leads to one of the great ironies of the book. In many ways, Wurth has written the great Republican American dream. The story of a young woman who faces long odds and refuses to let anything - or anyone - keep her from moving forward. Not race, not class, and not gender. She refuses to be looked down upon, and pushes forward no matter what.
Yet Margaritte is forced to do all of that while living in a world in which people use drugs and drink without consequences (sometimes), sex is regular part of the teenage life (sometimes for love, sometimes for escape), and parents are sometimes the cause of strife and destruction.
Navigating that dichotomy is where Wurth's voice is most authentic and strong. In those scenes and moments where the two worlds crash together, Margaritte explodes off the pages.
That isn't to say that the book isn't without its flaws. The pacing isn't always smooth, and there are moments when the side narratives were a bit too diversionary. We would leave the story and enter her life, and I always wanted to get back to Margaritte. It was her voice and her story that drove the book.
Still, the voices of Margaritte (and Wurth) make getting over those humps worth the investment.
rachel_reads_regularly's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.5
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.