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aaliyah_bilky's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
carmluvs2read's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
I was invested in the outcome and future of the ladies. Liked the character development. Thought the setting was different. Would make a good mini series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
paoenvila's review against another edition
5.0
wow.
Que buen libro acabo de terminar. Me encantó todooo. El setting en lo que me imagino sería el Viejo Oeste, la travesía, la hermandad. Es un libro excelente que trata con temas muy actuales de una forma super interesante. Dawn, mi personaje fav, enfrenta muchos retos pero mi favorito es como cambia su amistad con Violet. El concepto de las ‘casas de bienvenida’ me da ganas de vomitar, sin embargo, dado los tiempos en los que vivimos, no me asombra tanto. Es una situación asquerosa que puede convertirse en realidad. Me encantó el protagonismo femenino, me encantó absolutamente todo. 5 estrellas.
Que buen libro acabo de terminar. Me encantó todooo. El setting en lo que me imagino sería el Viejo Oeste, la travesía, la hermandad. Es un libro excelente que trata con temas muy actuales de una forma super interesante. Dawn, mi personaje fav, enfrenta muchos retos pero mi favorito es como cambia su amistad con Violet. El concepto de las ‘casas de bienvenida’ me da ganas de vomitar, sin embargo, dado los tiempos en los que vivimos, no me asombra tanto. Es una situación asquerosa que puede convertirse en realidad. Me encantó el protagonismo femenino, me encantó absolutamente todo. 5 estrellas.
edys's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.5
kim_j_dare's review against another edition
4.0
I was swept right into this alternate Wild West world, where generations of class divide have resulted in a system of forced servitude for young girls whose families cannot afford to raise them. Sold to “welcome houses,” they are trained as Good Luck Girls, and from the time that they turn 16, their work begins after sundown. On Clementine’s 16th birthday, her inaugural customer gets so rough that she’s afraid he’s choking her, and in self-defense, she swings a lamp at him that sets off a fast-paced chain of events. Clementine, her sister Aster, and three other girls from the house are suddenly on the run, and given that the man she killed is the son of a powerful mining magnate, they quickly make it to the top of the Most Wanted lists.
Davis’s strength is in her world-building, and I enjoyed the gritty starkness of the Scab, the chases on horseback, and the subtle touches of dark magic. The pacing was good, although several of the group’s hair’s-breadth escapes strreeeetched credulity. Most of the focus was on Aster and Violet, and I hope that Tansy, Mallow, and Clementine are developed more fully in a sequel.
Even though the setting is reminiscent of the nineteenth-century Old West, Davis weaves in subtle commentary on many timely topics, including prejudice, racism, sexism, and human trafficking. The graphic (but not gratuitous) nature of some of the scenes makes this most appropriate for high school. An engaging and original fantasy/ adventure.
Davis’s strength is in her world-building, and I enjoyed the gritty starkness of the Scab, the chases on horseback, and the subtle touches of dark magic. The pacing was good, although several of the group’s hair’s-breadth escapes strreeeetched credulity. Most of the focus was on Aster and Violet, and I hope that Tansy, Mallow, and Clementine are developed more fully in a sequel.
Even though the setting is reminiscent of the nineteenth-century Old West, Davis weaves in subtle commentary on many timely topics, including prejudice, racism, sexism, and human trafficking. The graphic (but not gratuitous) nature of some of the scenes makes this most appropriate for high school. An engaging and original fantasy/ adventure.
honkinggoose's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
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? No
4.75
This was so good!! I read it via audiobook and I really enjoyed it. It was a real page-turner by the halfway mark, though just a little slow leading up to that point. It was a page-turner with an highly engaging plot, but it was also filled with deep exploration into the human experience and to systems of oppression. I appreciated the fact that the book touched on topics such as human trafficking and sexual assault, but did so in a way that I didn't find triggering to my own PTSD.
The characters were loveable and has satisfying character development, the twists weren't too predictable, and it had a strong empowering theme of community and found-family, all of which I really enjoyed. This is a book I want to purchase a physical copy of because I'll probably come back to read this one again.
The characters were loveable and has satisfying character development, the twists weren't too predictable, and it had a strong empowering theme of community and found-family, all of which I really enjoyed. This is a book I want to purchase a physical copy of because I'll probably come back to read this one again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Homophobia and Suicide
lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
I'd like to see more worldbuilding details and more distinctions between two of the supporting characters, but overall this is a rip-roaring YA fantasy western with a mainly female and POC cast. Five teen girls run away from the brothel where they are indentured servants, and their quest for freedom hits many classic genre tropes, from stagecoach robbery to train-hopping and more. The bloodthirsty spirits that prowl the land by night remind me of Brandon Sanderson's Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, and the action is exciting enough to paper over a few minor debut novel foibles. This feels like a complete story in its own right, but I'm definitely interested in coming back for the announced sequel.
[Content warning for racism, sexism, sex trafficking of minors, and implied rape, although nothing explicit appears on the page.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
[Content warning for racism, sexism, sex trafficking of minors, and implied rape, although nothing explicit appears on the page.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
middlekmissie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
msrae89's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
3.5