Reviews

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

jonquilfleur's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

5.0

jrmarr's review against another edition

4.0

I’m a huge fan of Brooks’ writing, but I felt this one was just missing something. The way she drew the relationship between Jarrett and Lexington was beautiful, and the haunting legacy of slavery is ever-present. It is a good book- I just am not sure it’s among her greatest.

nichughes's review

5.0

Loved the mystery and story woven through all the characters. I had no knowledge of horse racing or equestrian art, so I learned a lot. Really liked how the author wove so much history into the story. Jarrett, Theo and Jess were fascinating characters to get to know… but my heart still hurts after finishing.

greenhej's review

4.0

Another well-researched and imaginative work by Brooks.

agrimes01's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? No

3.5

fjette's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

So good and so sad. Really captivating writing, fleshed out characters, and a thoughtful cast that made the story come to life. 

whipson's review

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

spoetting's review against another edition

informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

rrivers513's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.0

appaloosa05's review

I sometimes hesitate to read books about horses, as much as I love them, because it is usually blatantly obvious to me when authors have not done enough research. This is very well written, well-researched (as best that I can tell), and a good balance of tying together the historical fiction aspect as well as present day concerns with related themes. The characters’ stories are interwoven in a way that is semi-predictable, but still revealed slowly, in a very engaging way. The use of multiple narrators for the audiobook helped prevent me from getting confused. Although it deals with difficult themes and content, the descriptions are not overly grotesque, which is something I, as a highly-sensitive person, find off-putting. I also enjoyed the rich vocabulary.