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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Song/s the book brought to mind: Wild Horses by Garth Brooks - It doesn't really have anything to do with the book but the fact that the titles are so close together has had this song stuck in my head for days.
There are some books that you love so much it makes them hard to review, and that is where I am at with [b:Dark Horses|50892208|Dark Horses|Susan Mihalic|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595770748l/50892208._SY75_.jpg|75786857] by [a:Susan Mihalic|17555686|Susan Mihalic|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1614322828p2/17555686.jpg]. This debut novel completely blew me away and I listened to the entire book in one day because there was no way I was going to put it down. It is dark and a heavy-hitter, but I also saw so much strength in Roan. I also loved learning more about competitive riding and seeing how horses were such a big part of her life. She felt much older than fifteen to me, and I guess you have to be when you go through the things she was going through. This was a different take on an abusive relationship that I haven't read before and while it was heartbreaking and hard to read, I was also rooting for Roan the entire time and really hoping for something to save her from her dad. Her mom was a piece of work as well, and between her family and the horses, I was a puddle by the end.
The audiobook was fantastic and is narrated by Alex Allwine. I am so glad I went this route and found a new narrator I like. I haven't listened to her before, but I did notice she has narrated a few books which I am happy to see, and I will definitely be checking them out since they are almost all books I want to read. She was an excellent choice for voicing Dark Horses and I thought every single thing about her narration was spot on. I was drawn in by Mihalic's writing and am just floored that this is a debut novel. It's hard to say too much about this book without giving anything away, but if you want a great psychological fiction novel and don't mind triggers, this is an excellent choice. Like a lot of readers, I would suggest making sure you know what the triggers are before going into it, so you know what you are getting yourself into. I didn't do this, but I also won't not read something due to triggers so take from that what you will. I loved Dark Horses so much and I really hope to see more books from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There are some books that you love so much it makes them hard to review, and that is where I am at with [b:Dark Horses|50892208|Dark Horses|Susan Mihalic|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595770748l/50892208._SY75_.jpg|75786857] by [a:Susan Mihalic|17555686|Susan Mihalic|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1614322828p2/17555686.jpg]. This debut novel completely blew me away and I listened to the entire book in one day because there was no way I was going to put it down. It is dark and a heavy-hitter, but I also saw so much strength in Roan. I also loved learning more about competitive riding and seeing how horses were such a big part of her life. She felt much older than fifteen to me, and I guess you have to be when you go through the things she was going through. This was a different take on an abusive relationship that I haven't read before and while it was heartbreaking and hard to read, I was also rooting for Roan the entire time and really hoping for something to save her from her dad. Her mom was a piece of work as well, and between her family and the horses, I was a puddle by the end.
The audiobook was fantastic and is narrated by Alex Allwine. I am so glad I went this route and found a new narrator I like. I haven't listened to her before, but I did notice she has narrated a few books which I am happy to see, and I will definitely be checking them out since they are almost all books I want to read. She was an excellent choice for voicing Dark Horses and I thought every single thing about her narration was spot on. I was drawn in by Mihalic's writing and am just floored that this is a debut novel. It's hard to say too much about this book without giving anything away, but if you want a great psychological fiction novel and don't mind triggers, this is an excellent choice. Like a lot of readers, I would suggest making sure you know what the triggers are before going into it, so you know what you are getting yourself into. I didn't do this, but I also won't not read something due to triggers so take from that what you will. I loved Dark Horses so much and I really hope to see more books from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I don’t know how to rate this book. The writing was great. I wanted to see what happened to the characters, and I was so satisfied with the ending. So many feelings.
But my gosh, this was so hard to read. So so hard. Trigger warnings all over the place. This book is very dark.
But my gosh, this was so hard to read. So so hard. Trigger warnings all over the place. This book is very dark.
3.25 stars
I had read some early buzz for Susan Mihalic’s debut novel, so I was very excited that I was able to get my hands on an early copy. If you’re familiar with PUTNEY or MY DARK VANESSA, you’ll already be familiar with the premise. This book continues the conversation of child sexual rape and abuse, but the difference is, Roan is abused by her father.
I initially started the book intending to only read a chapter or two. Next thing I knew, I was 100 pages in. I became so invested in Roan and I found this hard to put down. But upon finishing, I had some very conflicting feelings.
I have zero comment on Roan’s reaction to the abuse and to her abuser. I have read a few negative reviews, and some have stated that her reactions were not realistic. I wholly believe that everyone, especially children, processes trauma and abuse differently, and it becomes a slippery slope when people try to peg victims into a certain slot. Roan had some very powerful moments that I loved. Instead my issues come with the ending. For purely personal reasons, I didn’t like it.
DARK HORSES was extremely graphic and can be very triggering, so keep that in mind. Some reviews have stated that this book was very melodramatic. At first I didn’t see it, but I could understand where they were coming from by the end. The best way I can describe it is like this: different networks may develop a show on the same topic. HBO, USA, FX, Lifetime, etc. This book would be on Lifetime. By no means is that a negative, it’s just what it is.
I had read some early buzz for Susan Mihalic’s debut novel, so I was very excited that I was able to get my hands on an early copy. If you’re familiar with PUTNEY or MY DARK VANESSA, you’ll already be familiar with the premise. This book continues the conversation of child sexual rape and abuse, but the difference is, Roan is abused by her father.
I initially started the book intending to only read a chapter or two. Next thing I knew, I was 100 pages in. I became so invested in Roan and I found this hard to put down. But upon finishing, I had some very conflicting feelings.
I have zero comment on Roan’s reaction to the abuse and to her abuser. I have read a few negative reviews, and some have stated that her reactions were not realistic. I wholly believe that everyone, especially children, processes trauma and abuse differently, and it becomes a slippery slope when people try to peg victims into a certain slot. Roan had some very powerful moments that I loved. Instead my issues come with the ending. For purely personal reasons, I didn’t like it.
DARK HORSES was extremely graphic and can be very triggering, so keep that in mind. Some reviews have stated that this book was very melodramatic. At first I didn’t see it, but I could understand where they were coming from by the end. The best way I can describe it is like this: different networks may develop a show on the same topic. HBO, USA, FX, Lifetime, etc. This book would be on Lifetime. By no means is that a negative, it’s just what it is.
This book gutted me. My whole heart hurt for the heroine in this book. I am not going to be too technical with my review like some other have been, but I will say that the way this author wrote this book makes you think about how abused people survive in the situations that they're in. This book is gut-wrenching in how it tells the story of abuse. You see it first hand through the eyes of the victim. You read her inner-monologues and feel her most tender feelings.
This book was so angsty, and some parts hurt to read because of the self-doubt that the heroine goes through. While she's supposed to be a young teenager experiencing love for the first time, she finds herself second guessing her worthiness.
The ending was hopeful, and yet it wasn't. There's some clear closure, and yet I was still wanting more finality for these characters.
This book was so angsty, and some parts hurt to read because of the self-doubt that the heroine goes through. While she's supposed to be a young teenager experiencing love for the first time, she finds herself second guessing her worthiness.
The ending was hopeful, and yet it wasn't. There's some clear closure, and yet I was still wanting more finality for these characters.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 Stars. Fifteen-year-old equestrian Roan Montgomery dreams of following in her father’s footsteps of becoming an Olympiad. However, Roan’s father is also her coach, and the power he holds over her forces Roan to hide incredibly dark and abusive aspects of her life.
This book is not for the faint of heart - it is emotionally disturbing, dark, upsetting, infuriating, and so much more. That being said, if you can handle it, the story is extremely powerful and well-written, but is very to hard to read at times. I would say this novel is somewhat comparable to My Dark Vanessa, which I read last year, but even more unsettling. I would advise readers to proceed with caution, and prepare yourself both mentally and emotionally prior to reading.
This book is not for the faint of heart - it is emotionally disturbing, dark, upsetting, infuriating, and so much more. That being said, if you can handle it, the story is extremely powerful and well-written, but is very to hard to read at times. I would say this novel is somewhat comparable to My Dark Vanessa, which I read last year, but even more unsettling. I would advise readers to proceed with caution, and prepare yourself both mentally and emotionally prior to reading.
Disturbing, powerful, and impossible to put down. Roan is a great protagonist in a horrifying situation, and your heart will hurt for her as she struggles against her controlling father’s abuse. She has so much heart and grit. I especially loved her passion for the sport of eventing, and I hated the way her father leveraged her horses and her career against her whenever she tried to break free. He is horrible and manipulative, but Roan is as determined and fierce as he is twisted. As a horse girl, I can also say that the equestrian aspects were accurate and well-done, and I can clearly tell that the author is an equestrian herself. The world of competitive eventing is intense and she captures that very well.
I definitely found the writing to be a little more juvenile than expected for a book with this type of content and themes, closer to YA than adult in style. Also I can’t quite decide how I feel about the ending. Somehow it was at once too satisfying and not satisfying enough, if that makes any sense. I've seen a lot of comparisons with My Dark Vanessa, which I also love, and I feel that the writing of Dark Horses does not quite compare. However I feel they both handle the difficult subject matter well, portraying the confusion and pain of a young girl being abused by an older man in a position of power.
Be warned, there are some scenes that are sickening to read. Do not read this book if you can’t handle graphic scenes of sexual abuse, physical assault, rape, incest, animal death, and substance abuse.
I definitely found the writing to be a little more juvenile than expected for a book with this type of content and themes, closer to YA than adult in style. Also I can’t quite decide how I feel about the ending. Somehow it was at once too satisfying and not satisfying enough, if that makes any sense. I've seen a lot of comparisons with My Dark Vanessa, which I also love, and I feel that the writing of Dark Horses does not quite compare. However I feel they both handle the difficult subject matter well, portraying the confusion and pain of a young girl being abused by an older man in a position of power.
Be warned, there are some scenes that are sickening to read. Do not read this book if you can’t handle graphic scenes of sexual abuse, physical assault, rape, incest, animal death, and substance abuse.