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marioosa517's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Racism, Police brutality, Slavery, Animal death, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Moderate: War, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, and Car accident
dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5/5 (rounded down to 3)
Horse has been a title I've been wanting to read for a while. Being a fan of generational sagas, such as Memphis, I thought this book would be interesting to read and would have enjoyed. However, I don't know if I'm in the demographics that Brooks writes towards.
Brooks does a thorough job with creating the intricacies necessary for telling the tale of Lexington and Jarret as well as its influences later on in society. Each section were particularly well-written and can be engaging for other readers, but there were a few critiques I have about the writing style and plot details.
One, while the book focuses on three different time periods, most of the book comprised of the parallels between Jarret's and Jess and Theo's perspective/timeline. The third one, art dealer Martha Jackson from the 1950s, had little to contribute to the whole of the plot. When I read the description, I thought that the three time periods were given equal pacing, but you don't even hear from Martha until almost halfway through the book. That being said, it made wondered if her chapters were really necessary and I wished Brooks spent more time with Martha.
Secondly, I thought that chapters focused on Jarret's life were very long. I don't know if I'm a big fan of Civil War-era historical fiction, but I had a hard time following along with the audiobook because of its length and having a hard time trying to understand what was going in each scene.
Nevertheless, there were parts that I liked from listening to Horse. This audiobook has a full cast reading for the various characters and each of the narrators bring their own distinct qualities and nuances when reading for the characters. I think that helped me with understanding the plot and following along. Additionally, I thought the Jess/Theo perspective was well-written and it was interesting to see them look back to see how Lexington's story has been remembered as well as long forgotten by the world. Furthermore, I liked how the plot played out near the end of the book and I thought Brooks' conclusion came full circle.
As a result, while I had mixed feelings towards Horse and I don't know if I would ever read it again, I think that if you like historical fiction set in the Civil War-era that has modern-day implications, I think you'll enjoy this book.
Horse has been a title I've been wanting to read for a while. Being a fan of generational sagas, such as Memphis, I thought this book would be interesting to read and would have enjoyed. However, I don't know if I'm in the demographics that Brooks writes towards.
Brooks does a thorough job with creating the intricacies necessary for telling the tale of Lexington and Jarret as well as its influences later on in society. Each section were particularly well-written and can be engaging for other readers, but there were a few critiques I have about the writing style and plot details.
One, while the book focuses on three different time periods, most of the book comprised of the parallels between Jarret's and Jess and Theo's perspective/timeline. The third one, art dealer Martha Jackson from the 1950s, had little to contribute to the whole of the plot. When I read the description, I thought that the three time periods were given equal pacing, but you don't even hear from Martha until almost halfway through the book. That being said, it made wondered if her chapters were really necessary and I wished Brooks spent more time with Martha.
Secondly, I thought that chapters focused on Jarret's life were very long. I don't know if I'm a big fan of Civil War-era historical fiction, but I had a hard time following along with the audiobook because of its length and having a hard time trying to understand what was going in each scene.
Nevertheless, there were parts that I liked from listening to Horse. This audiobook has a full cast reading for the various characters and each of the narrators bring their own distinct qualities and nuances when reading for the characters. I think that helped me with understanding the plot and following along. Additionally, I thought the Jess/Theo perspective was well-written and it was interesting to see them look back to see how Lexington's story has been remembered as well as long forgotten by the world. Furthermore, I liked how the plot played out near the end of the book and I thought Brooks' conclusion came full circle.
As a result, while I had mixed feelings towards Horse and I don't know if I would ever read it again, I think that if you like historical fiction set in the Civil War-era that has modern-day implications, I think you'll enjoy this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Police brutality and Alcoholism
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