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bandysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
White Horse is a spooky horror novel about a Native American woman trying to find out why her mother went missing many years ago. It's set in Colorado and seamlessly merges Indigenous culture, horror, death metal, and Stephen King references with a suspenseful dark story that will have you at the edge of your seat.
Kari, the main character, has been sort of operating in the shadows, doing her best to never really stand out. She works as a bartender and spends evenings drinking at her favorite dive, The White Horse. Though she's talked about buying it, she's never actually applied for a loan. Outside of her handicapped father and her cousin, she doesn't have much of a social life and she mostly ignores the disappearance of her mother when she was a child. She is at once likeable and frustrating. You simultaneously want her to live up to her potential and also understand the fears and anxieties that are holding her back.
There is a sort of magical realism element to this story that involves Kari having visions upon handling some of her mother's old jewelry. I really liked how this was incorporated and thought it was a bit more unique than just the typical haunting. My only critique of this aspect is that I wish it was tied a bit more into the ending.
All in all, I really enjoyed this story. The creepy vibe increases at a nice pace and the who dunnit kept me engaged with the story. I also really enjoyed the focus on Indigenous culture and the overall development of the character.
Kari, the main character, has been sort of operating in the shadows, doing her best to never really stand out. She works as a bartender and spends evenings drinking at her favorite dive, The White Horse. Though she's talked about buying it, she's never actually applied for a loan. Outside of her handicapped father and her cousin, she doesn't have much of a social life and she mostly ignores the disappearance of her mother when she was a child. She is at once likeable and frustrating. You simultaneously want her to live up to her potential and also understand the fears and anxieties that are holding her back.
There is a sort of magical realism element to this story that involves Kari having visions upon handling some of her mother's old jewelry. I really liked how this was incorporated and thought it was a bit more unique than just the typical haunting. My only critique of this aspect is that I wish it was tied a bit more into the ending.
All in all, I really enjoyed this story. The creepy vibe increases at a nice pace and the who dunnit kept me engaged with the story. I also really enjoyed the focus on Indigenous culture and the overall development of the character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Chronic illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, and Death of parent
teatimewtrisha's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Suicide attempt, Grief, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Racism, Drug use, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
sarahrose_a's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Car accident, Alcohol, Murder, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
adriso's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book as a decompressing read, from lore and the mysterious atmosphere to the characters. Kari James is my favorite and an iconic resemblance of a woman I aspire to grow into. The puzzles and trials she goes through to uncover what happened to her mother while facing her past are inspirational and tense though watching her heal along the way is extremely rewarding.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, and Drug use
Moderate: Body horror, Car accident, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Toxic relationship and Suicidal thoughts
apworden's review
challenging
dark
funny
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Grief, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Gun violence, Child abuse, War, Racism, Cursing, and Emotional abuse
sylvestra's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Addiction, Grief, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, and Pedophilia
Minor: Toxic relationship
ericarobyn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth is a tale of secrets that refuse to stay buried…
Kari is an urban indigenous woman that wears black ripped jeans and band t-shirts, loves listening to metal, and always has a horror book on hand. Kari grew up filled with hatred toward her mother as she believed her mother had left her when she was just two days old. Filling the empty space with drugs and alcohol, Kari’s life isn’t on a great trajectory. But when her cousin brings her an old bracelet that has been in the family for a very long time, all of Kari’s core beliefs are shaken and it forces her on a new path.
Suddenly haunted by visions and the ghost of her mother, a fire is ignited in Kari. From there, it’s a rocky journey to find answers. Along the way, she’s forced to face her inner demons.
A slow-burn of a novel, this story takes it’s time winding around each of the story elements just like a car traveling up the Colorado mountain roadways. The paranormal focus was light, but it was sprinkled in just enough to keep catching me off guard!
I will admit, there were times I wanted to scream at Kari for how shortsighted and selfish she was being. She was totally wrapped up in her own things, and couldn’t see two inches in front of her to realize how her actions were affecting others. Of course, that lack of support for others finally explodes, leaving her adrift to solve her problems on her own. I was so excited that she had finally learned to think of others rather than wallowing in her own self-pity and grief. After that turning point, I couldn’t put the book down!
One quick element that I wanted to comment on before moving on is that while I’m not from the area, I have visited! On a work trip, I made it a point to visit the Tattered Cover. I was so excited to see a mention of being in Tattered Cover in one of Kari’s dreams, and then to see her visit the location as well! That is such a cool bookstore. If you’re ever in the area, make sure to stop by!
My Favorite Passages from White Horse
Daddy was brittle. His mind was like a boat lost at sea. Sometimes it came close to the shore, only to push back. I didn’t want to make it so it never made anchor again.
There was something sad and small and yet, almost otherworldly about Idaho Springs, like there were secrets in the cold, rocky ground that might spring up at any time. And take you down with them into the dark.
God, that tapping like a skeletal hand on a mirror.
Though I loved everything by King, I’d always found this particular book to be spellbinding. I remembered finding it in the library one day, after wandering the shelves, my fingers brushing the spines, trying to convince myself to check something more realistic out, something more patently educational, and failing and moving, like I was haunted, toward the horror aisle. For some reason, I hadn’t seen this book before, and finding it, a King I’d never read, felt like uncovering a magic key, one with infinite potential. One that opened doors that acted as portals to other worlds.
I feel strong by the end of that year, I am healed. But I don’t realize that healing requires scars, and I am still rough beneath them, I still have pain locked behind that ropy skin. And there is weakness there, there is vulnerability, a thing I have always been terrified of.
My Final Thoughts on White Horse
I highly recommend this story to fans of slow-burning tales that make you switch back and forth between loving and hating the main character, before settling in on how you feel about them right at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, and Suicide attempt
archaicrobin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
White Horse is a creepy mystery with indigenous folklore, family secrets, and some drama. I really enjoyed the unique voice in this novel and the supernatural elements were truly eerie. However, there were several subplots in this one that felt unnecessary and forced, like they were thrown in to meet page count or something. This is made the second half of the novel a slog for me to get through and I felt like the twist was very obvious.
If you’re a horror fan or want to read more indigenous fiction I would definitely recommend White Horse, but if you’re looking for something ground breaking or truly terrifying look elsewhere.
If you’re a horror fan or want to read more indigenous fiction I would definitely recommend White Horse, but if you’re looking for something ground breaking or truly terrifying look elsewhere.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Incest, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Grief, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Violence, Alcohol, and Blood
sampetsdogs's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Urban Indian Kari James has had a hard life, and it gets even harder after her cousin Debby unearths an old family bracelet that belonged to Kari's mother. When Kari touches the heirloom, it unlocks something within her and she begins having visions of her mother's ghost and a monster from Chickasaw lore. To put her mother's spirit to rest and defeat the monster, Kari embarks on a journey to discover what happened to her mother all those years ago.
I have conflicted feelings about this book. I was hesitant to pick it up because it was advertised as horror, but after finishing it I would say it's more of a magical realism mystery. I did find the first half of the book to be mildly creepy with Cecilia's ghost and the Lofa monster. There was a creep factor in the second half of the book as well, but only because of the way that Debby's abusive husband and the appearance of a child molester are handled...this part really gave me the ick. Disclaimer -- these issues weren't technically handled improperly, but I just don't vibe with that whole "be the bigger person" and "the victim can't grow and move on without forgiving their abuser" tripe. Some people don't deserve second and third and fourth and millionth chances. Some people don't deserve forgiveness. Some people should have to live with the awful things they've done without being exonerated. But I'm getting personal, let's get back to the review.
I stuck with it because the mystery of Kari's mom was very compelling. While this storyline overall was satisfying, the resolution felt very rushed and tied together a little too neatly. I also really liked Kari herself, although she was mildly irritating at times. Without warning, she would have a flashback to her childhood and her best friend who died young, and it messed with the pacing of a story that, quite frankly, already has pacing issues.
Even with the issues, I enjoyed Wurth's writing and would be willing to try her next novel.
I have conflicted feelings about this book. I was hesitant to pick it up because it was advertised as horror, but after finishing it I would say it's more of a magical realism mystery. I did find the first half of the book to be mildly creepy with Cecilia's ghost and the Lofa monster. There was a creep factor in the second half of the book as well, but only because of the way that Debby's abusive husband and the appearance of a child molester are handled...this part really gave me the ick. Disclaimer -- these issues weren't technically handled improperly, but I just don't vibe with that whole "be the bigger person" and "the victim can't grow and move on without forgiving their abuser" tripe. Some people don't deserve second and third and fourth and millionth chances. Some people don't deserve forgiveness. Some people should have to live with the awful things they've done without being exonerated. But I'm getting personal, let's get back to the review.
I stuck with it because the mystery of Kari's mom was very compelling. While this storyline overall was satisfying, the resolution felt very rushed and tied together a little too neatly. I also really liked Kari herself, although she was mildly irritating at times. Without warning, she would have a flashback to her childhood and her best friend who died young, and it messed with the pacing of a story that, quite frankly, already has pacing issues.
Even with the issues, I enjoyed Wurth's writing and would be willing to try her next novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Incest, Murder, and Rape
magneto's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-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? Yes
3.5
This was a tough one to rate. There were elements of this story I really enjoyed which made for a quick, engrossing read however there were other aspects that were so frustrating to sit through. The constant complaining denial of the supernatural, mentions of Metallica and David Mustaine, her cousin's controlling husband - these happened so often it was tedious to read, you could start taking shots when they're mentioned and pass out drunk before finishing the book. However, the story itself was interesting and made me keep reading in the span of a couple sittings to find out the key to the mystery. Unfortunately, this wrapped up rather quickly and the epilogue put a neat bow on everything in a rushed manner. I'll never begrudge a character a happy ending but the pacing made it feel off. This also barely felt like a horror novel, more a dark supernatural mystery centering a theme of grief and discovery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Gun violence and Sexual content
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