A review by jillmarlo
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 This book could have been a 5 out of 5, but there were some issues with the story, especially at the end. This book is labeled as a horror book, but I would honestly classify it more as a mystery/thriller type of book with some scary elements. The book follows the investigation into the mystery of the death of Kari’s mother, but it really focuses on tackling themes complex relationships, intergenerational trauma, racism and the general struggles of modern indigenous people and those themes would not be there if the side stories weren’t involved.  Without these additional layers it would just be a bland pseudo horror/thriller book with no substance. Which is part of the problem. The middle part of this book I thought was really great. The main character is annoying, but I think that’s on purpose especially because at the end she kind of realizes that she’s been pretty unreasonable for a lot of her life and there was a lot of character growth. Unfortunately it stumbles at the finish line because things start happening rapidly.The resolution to the story is very abrupt and kind of out of nowhere. the incorporation of the supernatural creatures with the real life investigation into the death's does not merge very well and it felt like the book couldn't fully commit to the supernatural aspects. There was an opportunity to play with the concept that the Lofa (the monster haunting the main character throughout the book) and evilness of man are the same thing or kind of go hand in hand, which I think was what the author tried to do, but at the end I was left unsure if the Lofa was a real thing and caused the bad things to occur of if the Lofa was a result of the tragic events. Unclear. But anyways it was an enjoyable book. Definitely don’t think I would call it much of a horror story though.