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A review by happiestwhenreading
Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
I am not a sensitive reader and dark subject matter does not bother me. That's why it speaks volumes that this is a dnf for me, and honestly, I wish I wouldn't have ever picked it up at all!
I knew heading in that it dealt with incest (father/daughter relationship) and pedophilia. I felt like I could handle it. But the manner in which the author handles this inapporpriate relationship was a no-go for me. I felt like she was almost glorifying it. Making it seem like it's ok, even though it's not.
Instead of listening to my instincts, I kept going. When Roan begins to develop a sexual relationship with a peer, Mihalic implied that certain sexual acts were off-limits because then she wouldn't be 'daddy's girl' anymore. I think the point of this was to show how mentally difficult it is for a child to separate the acts with her father to the outside world, but it literally made me sick to my stomach. It didn't come across to me as a tragedy; it felt more like sympathy and that was when I realized this book is a total dealbreaker for me.
I'm disappointed in it's 3.99 Goodreads rating. I cannot understand the reviews that are saying it's a good book despite the content.
I would not recommend this for anyone.
I knew heading in that it dealt with incest (father/daughter relationship) and pedophilia. I felt like I could handle it. But the manner in which the author handles this inapporpriate relationship was a no-go for me. I felt like she was almost glorifying it. Making it seem like it's ok, even though it's not.
Instead of listening to my instincts, I kept going. When Roan begins to develop a sexual relationship with a peer, Mihalic implied that certain sexual acts were off-limits because then she wouldn't be 'daddy's girl' anymore. I think the point of this was to show how mentally difficult it is for a child to separate the acts with her father to the outside world, but it literally made me sick to my stomach. It didn't come across to me as a tragedy; it felt more like sympathy and that was when I realized this book is a total dealbreaker for me.
I'm disappointed in it's 3.99 Goodreads rating. I cannot understand the reviews that are saying it's a good book despite the content.
I would not recommend this for anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence