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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This book tackles a difficult subject, sexual abuse, in a direct and sensitive manner. It draws in all the complexities from the victim child’s perspective. The main character, Roan, is wonderful. Strong and vulnerable. And you just can’t stop flipping the pages to see what happens next. Part of this is also due to the fact that her life is fascinating, and to me, unfamiliar. She is a competitive horseback rider growing up in an extremely privileged yet specific world. The glimpse you receive into the world of “horse people” is compelling and the descriptions of her training, preparation, and competitions are riveting and will have you on the edge of your seat. This book really was unputdownable! It’s been a long time since a book has impacted me that way!
This was a difficult but engaging book about a teenager's riding career and her controlling abusive father and absent mother. The satisfactory ending was a little bit abrupt but it worked for me.
A compelling read that was hard to read at times (due to dark storyline). A Heartbreaking and uplifting book.
A teenage equestrian competes in various competitions while trying to sustain herself and her dreams, under the unyielding eye of her abusive father.
Firstly, I had to stop multiple times while reading this novel because it can honesty get a bit much emotionally at certain points.
That said, it was an extremely good portrayal of abuse, especially when it comes from family and Roan was a great character to explore it through. She is very strong and resilient on the surface, but only because she has had to sweep everything under the rug and it's her only form of survival. Her relationship with Will is also very well written, highlighting both of their intense vulnerabilities whilst still letting them be teenagers
I highly recommend this book!
Firstly, I had to stop multiple times while reading this novel because it can honesty get a bit much emotionally at certain points.
That said, it was an extremely good portrayal of abuse, especially when it comes from family and Roan was a great character to explore it through. She is very strong and resilient on the surface, but only because she has had to sweep everything under the rug and it's her only form of survival. Her relationship with Will is also very well written, highlighting both of their intense vulnerabilities whilst still letting them be teenagers
I highly recommend this book!
I had a really hard time giving a book with this dark of a subject matter 5 stars. Yet here I am. The book is graphic, so graphic that I was nauseous throughout and a part of me wanted to hate it so I would stop reading. I felt ill throughout, and I just wanted it to be over, however, I tore through this book. Books like this one are hard, because I don't ever see myself recommending it to someone, but I felt like it was a worthwhile read if you can handle the subject matter. I don't think it was a perfect book, the ending could have been better in that Roan definitely would need some professional help after everything that happened to her, I don't like that she just forgoes any sort of therapy or counseling. We as readers can see how manipulated and traumatized she is throughout the book, and overcoming that would take professional help but we don't ever get that sort of closure, just a simple "she's pretty much alright now, I guess".
This book is icky and makes me want to vomit, cry and take a shower but it was still worth the read and I don't regret that I read it at all. I do want to once again point out that this book is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a "fun" read, I really feel like I hated it but I think that's what you're supposed to feel. Readers are not supposed to walk away from this book feeling good, it's supposed to rip you a part and make you sick.
This book is icky and makes me want to vomit, cry and take a shower but it was still worth the read and I don't regret that I read it at all. I do want to once again point out that this book is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a "fun" read, I really feel like I hated it but I think that's what you're supposed to feel. Readers are not supposed to walk away from this book feeling good, it's supposed to rip you a part and make you sick.
yoooooooooo what the fuck?? i was hooked tho i can’t lie
Fellow horse girls, be warned: this book has some intense content of sexual assault and incest - know that before reading!
I literally could not stop reading it, however. The story was definitely compelling. I agree with some other reviews that it is really heavyhanded in telling the reader exactly how Roan feels and rationalizing everything that she's going through. While I found this realistic, I think it could have been much more powerful to leave some of that out.
Outside of that, I breezed through this book. I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I literally could not stop reading it, however. The story was definitely compelling. I agree with some other reviews that it is really heavyhanded in telling the reader exactly how Roan feels and rationalizing everything that she's going through. While I found this realistic, I think it could have been much more powerful to leave some of that out.
Outside of that, I breezed through this book. I just had to know what was going to happen next.
Roan Montgomery is an equestrian prodigy, and aiming for the Olympics. Greatness is in her blood, and her coach and father Monty was a champion rider who expects only the best of her. But their relationship is not as it seems. Monty exudes a professional, shiny persona, but behind closed doors he controls Roan’s every move and violates her in every way possible.
Susan Mihalic tackles very dark and disturbing topics in Dark Horses. It is difficult to read Roan’s account of her sexual abuse, juggling her feelings between her professional ambition and desire to live her own life. However, this novel is exceptionally written and urges the reader to consider the underlying duplicity of Monty’s dual personalities and Roan’s impossible battle to break free of his control. It is hard to believe that Roan is only fifteen, yet deals with such emotional distress with maturity and strength. I felt sympathy for her, yet wanted so badly for her to find someone to confide in that could help her escape her abuse. This novel is a triggering, yet impactful read.
Susan Mihalic tackles very dark and disturbing topics in Dark Horses. It is difficult to read Roan’s account of her sexual abuse, juggling her feelings between her professional ambition and desire to live her own life. However, this novel is exceptionally written and urges the reader to consider the underlying duplicity of Monty’s dual personalities and Roan’s impossible battle to break free of his control. It is hard to believe that Roan is only fifteen, yet deals with such emotional distress with maturity and strength. I felt sympathy for her, yet wanted so badly for her to find someone to confide in that could help her escape her abuse. This novel is a triggering, yet impactful read.
I was very torn on what to rate this so I decided to stick to the middle with 3-stars. On one hand, I could not put this book down. It was gripping and hard hitting. But on the other hand, it was the most disturbing, uncomfortable, and frankly disgusting book I’ve ever read. I appreciate books that deal with dark subject matters and I liked that this book explored the psychological and physical impacts/trauma of abuse. But I wasn’t actually a big fan of the other major part of the story, which is the equestrian stuff. The main character is an equestrian prodigy, trained by her Olympian father but the connection of the character with the sport wasn’t present for me. I was being told she loved it and was willing to risk anything for it, but didn’t actually feel it.