A review by czoltak
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“The harsh, cruel sounds of metal that satisfied the pain, the parts of us that would never completely recover.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this one. However, I can easily see why this book won’t be for everyone. Firstly, the book is marketed as horror, and while it certainly has some horror elements, the overall story is much more of a mystery than anything else. Also, Kari, our main character is someone I’m sure many will find unlikeable. She’s outspoken, coarse, and doesn’t put up with anything that she doesn’t want to. Personally, I loved Kari as a main character; I thought her tenacity and boldness made her incredibly interesting to read from. We follow Kari as she reluctantly goes on a journey to figure out what really happened to her mother after she mysteriously disappeared only 2 days after Kari was born. The sections of trying to figure out what happened were my favorites as we got to learn more about Kari’s past and why she is so guarded and hard now, those who knew her mother best, and some previously unspoken family secrets. However, once we got the final resolution, I was a bit disappointed; the story took a direction I wasn’t expecting and didn’t necessarily love. Also, the final act felt incredibly rushed for some reason. On the other hand, another aspect I did not see coming, but absolutely loved were all the homages to ‘The Shining’. I enjoyed Kari’s love of metal music and horror books, and I loved it even more that she continuously read and referenced ‘The Shining’. My absolute favorite part of the book is when she actually goes to the Stanley Hotel. The mood and tone of this book already reminded me a bit of King’s works, but the direct references made the story that much better. Overall, I know this won’t be for everyone, but I do hope it makes it to the niche audience who will truly love it for what it is. 🎠🍻🏜️🚬🪬💀👀👊🪓⏳
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