A review by minimicropup
Lone Women by Victor LaValle

adventurous dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

Suspenseful, grim, sincere. 

We are following our MC on the run after an incident at their family homestead in California. They are planning to start fresh in Montana with nothing but the clothes on their back and a weighed down steamer trunk. We follow their adventures setting up, meeting the surrounding homesteaders, and developing new friendships. 
  • Set in 1915 Montana

🎧 Excellent narration. Immersive, expressive, and listenable at various speeds.

Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags πŸΊπŸ•: 
  • The beginning half of the story contains more supernatural suspense and the second half evolves with IRL horror elements. It's a smooth transition that unravels mysteries while building them.  
  • Near the end (60% +) I was getting some reader fatigue. This was likely because of the increased action adventure, fight-for-your life parts of the story that I generally struggle with in books. 
  • In the last third of the book we get less about what is going on with Adelaide and more about what is happening with other characters. It feels like dramatic literary fiction vibes replace the suspenseful mystery vibes for a bit, and I just wanted more of Adelaide.
  • Historical fiction is usually not for me, but I didn't have any problems keeping up here. The author gives historical context in a natural, show-not-tell way, so I was never lost (but also didn't feel like I was reading a textbook). I was also able to relate to the characters and their dilemmas. 
  • If you're here for the homesteading part of the plot, it may be disappointing. A surprising number of characters emerge once our MC arrives on their plot of land, so we don't read much of how she's prepping the land over the years. 

Cred Rating πŸ‘πŸ˜ˆ: Supernatural magical realism

Mood Reading Match Up: 
  • Starting over from scratch in a new land adventure plots
  • IRL horrors with symbolic supernatural elements
  • Mysterious historical fiction (early 1900s)
  • Action-adventure stories with a creature feature
  • Commentary/themes around disability, disfigurement, and rejection

Content Heads-Up: Transphobic, homophobic, ableist, and racist characters (also includes supportive characters and good rep). Home invasion and theft. Parental rejection.

Format: Library Audio via Libby
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