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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I grew up reading and watching Westerns; one of my first loves was Little Joe from Bonanza. I know the genre, and its faults (*waves at representations of Indigenous people and women*) pretty well, and I have both a healthy dose of nostalgia and skepticism for media that starts playing with the West.
Which is part of why, I think, Silver on the Road was such a pleasant surprise! It has solid prose, it treats Indigenous people as distinct cultural groups (though I'm still uncomfortable with the devil/etc acting as a colonizing figure), and the growth of the characters and relationships managed to avoid being caricatures/tropes while still falling into patterns. This is the first 16yo in ages that I didn't grow tired of, and including Gabriel as a PoV character created a nice balance.
I liked the pacing, the episodic feeling that the plot and travelling created. The (somewhat predictable) plot - young girl with a lot of responsibility has to grow into her powers - also reminded me of my favourite novels from when I was younger, like The Blue Sword (which also featured a lot of riding, dry territory, etc).
Which is part of why, I think, Silver on the Road was such a pleasant surprise! It has solid prose, it treats Indigenous people as distinct cultural groups (though I'm still uncomfortable with the devil/etc acting as a colonizing figure), and the growth of the characters and relationships managed to avoid being caricatures/tropes while still falling into patterns. This is the first 16yo in ages that I didn't grow tired of, and including Gabriel as a PoV character created a nice balance.
I liked the pacing, the episodic feeling that the plot and travelling created. The (somewhat predictable) plot - young girl with a lot of responsibility has to grow into her powers - also reminded me of my favourite novels from when I was younger, like The Blue Sword (which also featured a lot of riding, dry territory, etc).
This started pretty slow and in the beginning, the protagonist was hella annoying. But she grew, the plot picked up and the world building is some of the best I've seen in a long time. I think I'll pick up the sequel.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this book a lot; I found the setting and characters interesting.
My full review is available at: https://cannonballread.com/2019/01/how-to-suppress-womens-writing-and-silver-on-the-road-sistercoyote/ (Combined with my review of Joanna Russ' How To Suppress Women's Writing)
My full review is available at: https://cannonballread.com/2019/01/how-to-suppress-womens-writing-and-silver-on-the-road-sistercoyote/ (Combined with my review of Joanna Russ' How To Suppress Women's Writing)
While the premise of the story was interesting and wanting to know what happened to the characters kept me reading, the pace was so mind numbingly slow that I struggled to finish it. I also got incredibly sick of being told how unprepared Izzy felt for everything. Yes she was. We get it. It is fine to have some doubts but then MOVE THE STORY ALONG so stuff happens and she can grow into her position. While this kind of happens it was only in the last 10%, making the first 90% feel like a waste of time. Whilst I am mildly interested in what happens to Izzy & Gabriel next (and in finding out more about the mystery of Gabriel's past) I wont be reading on in this series as the slow, slow pace and lack of anything major in the way of action is just not a style of story that I favor.
Magic in the Wild West is one of my favorite scenarios, and it doesn't come around all that often. I've been a longtime Gilman fan, and I love what she's done here -- excellent setting and story, with main characters full of fire and mystery. Super excited to continue the series, only wish I'd found it sooner.
This book was strange to read mainly because it defied my expectations. Given the initial premise and structure of the book, it could quite easily have become a conventional coming of age story about a young woman venturing out of her home in the company of a mentor to find herself. And in a way it is that story. But in many other ways, it isn't.
On one hand this book is a very practical look at life on the road, while also dwelling on the romantic beauty of the unspoiled American prairie. At the same time, it is also a meditation on what it means to have power and to act with that power - what is a responsible and proper use, and what isn't? Because actions have consequences.
I liked this book when I was halfway through it, but I loved it by the time I was done with it, especially the ending, which was fiercely loyal to the theme of the book.
On one hand this book is a very practical look at life on the road, while also dwelling on the romantic beauty of the unspoiled American prairie. At the same time, it is also a meditation on what it means to have power and to act with that power - what is a responsible and proper use, and what isn't? Because actions have consequences.
I liked this book when I was halfway through it, but I loved it by the time I was done with it, especially the ending, which was fiercely loyal to the theme of the book.
adventurous
mysterious
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