A review by bribreads
Outlawed by Anna North

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Before I get into anything, let me just say this: you need to buy this book. If you only read one book this year, let it be this. I've been looking forward to this release for months now, and I was far from disappointed. North essentially reinvents the Western with her fast-paced and heartfelt depiction of outcast women in the Wild West and the lengths they must go to in order to survive. The story is unlike any I've ever read- from the very beginning, I found myself sucked in and I couldn't put the book down until I knew what would become of Ada and the Hole in the Wall Gang. What really struck me about this novel was just how tenderly the author treated the women she wrote about: they were allowed to be fully human, to feel fear and joy and love all bundled together underneath a humming pulse of strength and determination. Each of the women in the gang is written with such a clear distinction that it becomes clear just how much thought the author put into cultivating their character. I'll spend days thinking of this story, of the way it navigates bodily autonomy and femininity and the will to survive. This book will make you want to discover an outlaw within yourself.