Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - White Horse

While I was expecting more of a strictly horror novel this book was more like a thriller with ghosts. However it was a really good thriller! Kari tries to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance when she was only 2 days old and the journey leads her not only to the answer but also to a new outlook on her own past, grief, identity, and family. It was a wonderful mix of metal, horror, and Indigenous life and culture. Overall a story of hope and healing. I really enjoyed this one! 7/10

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cait_henry56's review

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After researching the author and finding out that the ethnic background they claim and have profited off for years is dubious at best, I could not keep reading- not that there was anything worth sticking around for. Stereotypical edgy teen who is actually in her 30s, MC Kari is exhausting as a narrator, jumping time and telling more than showing (seriously the name dropping of locations, bands, hell even Netflix and good Ole Bud Light got old immediately.) The softening of spousal abuse was also not pleasant to read, like I get that it's realistic but Wurth seemed too into defending abusive husbands. I didn't make it to the twist that seems to include CSA, which cheapens the writing even more than what it is now. Thank God I got this on clearance, and I cannot wait to donate it.

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minimicropup's review

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Reckless, detached, scathing.

Our MC is a recovering addict trying to manage adulting while caring for a parent with a brain injury and dealing with their anger and grief over their mother going missing when they were just a baby.

🇺🇸 Set in Denver and Idaho Springs, Colorado, USA

🐺🐕Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags:
🤨 Kari was such a frustrating character. I think she was supposed to be rough-around-the-edges, assertive, take-no-bull, but all I was getting was a 30-something going on 13 trying to convince others she's non-conformist, and super edgy. She is offended by EVERYTHING and so obtuse and stubborn. She wants (demands) answers but doesn't listen to what anyone says or rolls her eyes at their perspectives then whines about no one helping her.

🙄 I don't mind unlikeable/annoying narrators but so much of the story was wrapped up in Kari's repetitive angsty, martyr complex monologues and dialogues. If someone advised her to use the bridge because the path is flooded, she would use the path and complain for pages about how everyone is out to get her because she almost drowned (even if all that really happened was her feet got wet). Okay, that doesn't literally happen in the story, but it's an example of what to expect throughout and it comes at the expense of the character and plot development. For about the first third of the novel it's also ALL we get.

😐 The writing style was almost point form or something. I had to keep rereading sentences, it didn't flow well. That's fine for a good story but...it wasn't a good story (or rather was, but was told poorly). For example, Kari would be observing that there are multiple men in a room and then note that "he lit a cigarette and said _____"...with no defining of WHICH man in the room did it.

😴 Tell vs show imbalanced. We get lots of telling of how invested Kari is in solving what happened to her mother, but the actions don't back anything up. We get lots of show (often plopped in the middle of action or clues) about how she's doing things, like how she lights a cigarette, how she moves, arranges her face, gazes etc.

🫠 Not a horror. The horror is a B-plot at best, more like C-plot. I define horror as anything that could be horrific, including IRL happenings, but it's barely touched on even though so much could have been done to give voice to the indigenous experience and perspective of grief, trauma, and family.

🫥 Zero world building. She walk into a building. Is it a house? trailer? apartment? store? We know a LOT about the door she knocked on but nothing else. Real-life location name-dropping too. Sometimes we get a description but most of the time we are told lists of places she is visiting in these towns with nothing more, as if all us non-Colorado readers somehow know like, "yeah that place IS gnarly!"

😬 I can't speak at all to the accuracy or authenticity of the Indigenous rep in this book. Compared to other novels I've read, I thought this read as what non-indigenous people imagine the native experience to be. Lots of repetitive "what tribe are you?" but no progression beyond. Even if this was supposed to be a cathartic read for some, it felt off. It read more like 23-and-me + identifying other indigenous people because they say spiritual stuff or are one with nature. A lot of the characters were giving "Indian princess syndrome" where they romanticized white people but mentioned their "nativeness" when useful for getting away with things. I hope that makes sense, it's hard for me to know and I may be missing something really deep, cathartic, or symbolic. Would love to hear more from a variety of Indigenous readers and background for how they felt about this story and what it has to say.

Mood Reading Match Up:

Character-based narrative about values, outlooks, opinions, and actions of a main character
Off-the-rails self-sabotage and who-to-trust drama
Murder victim paranormal/spiritual dream scenes, hallucinations, and seeing the past through their eyes
Gritty, noir style stories

Content Heads-Up: Alcohol and drug use (intentional, self-medicating, partying, overdose, addiction). Brain injury disability. Parental abandonment (missing). Indigenous experience in US (not sure about accuracy, realism, commentary, or health). Sexual content (consenting, intoxicated). Controlling spouse. Blood.

Format: Hardcover

Content Warnings