Review : Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Summary (from Goodreads) Title : Vengeance Road
Author : Erin Bowman
Publication Date : September 1st 2015
Publisher : HMH Kids
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When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.
In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.
Personal Thoughts
A gorgeous cover isn't the only thing that Vengeance Road has going for itself. No. It also has an epic story line, a badass main character and a vivid setting that will transport you to the Wild West, and will gut you with an onslaught of emotions, leaving you on the edge of your seat. Without any doubt, Vengeance Road is one of 2015's strongest YA books.
Revenge story lines are always fascinating, but they also need to be executed well or else they come across as unbelievable. The plot in Vengeance Road, thankfully, was pulled off with perfection. From start to finish, this was a bloody and brutal book. Vengeance Road opened up with Kate finding her father's dead body hanging from a tree, murdered by the infamous Rose Riders gang. That event set the entire tone of the story; dark, rough and emotionally draining. With a Wild West setting, this sort of ruthlessness was expected, but that doesn't mean that I was completely prepared for the overwhelming feelings of fear I felt for the main characters. I was nervous about how Kate would go about fighting to gain revenge for her father's death and this fear made for an even more intense and engaging reading experience for me.
I was immersed in the story line, hook, line and sinker and that there in itself, is a sign of Erin Bowman's writing abilities and talent. Her mastery with the dialect, her ease of story telling and her vivid writing that made me feel like I was part of the book were further proof of that. Vengeance Road was also the kind of book that made me want to sing praises of the author, and simultaneously yell at her for torturing her readers. Being that engrossed in a book is one of my favorite feelings. Vengeance Road wouldn't be an epic Wild West adventure without the chase for gold and lots and lots of guns being fired. The entire story was based on this and watching as characters risked the lives of others, killed off obstacles in their pathway to find gold because of their greed was terrifying and fascinating. Also, kudos to Erin Bowman for making me gasp out loud multiple times during Vengeance Road with her twists.
This dangerous and adventurous book wouldn't have been a success without its protagonist, Kate, however. Kate was the best kind of heroine for this sort of story line. She was tough, badass and driven, with a touch of vulnerability that made her so much authentic. As a main character, it wasn't very difficult to admire and root for her and her prosperity. Throughout the book, she learned secrets about her family that leave her feeling betrayed, but she stomached it all and fought for what she believed was right. I loved watching Kate blossom into an even stronger character, not afraid of what life had in store for her.
On her journey for revenge, she met two brothers, Jesse and Will, who easily warmed their ways into my heart. Those two added a touch of humor into this otherwise dark book. It was entertaining watching them deal with Kate, believing that she was a boy and then afterwards hilariously dealing with the fact that she was a girl. One of the brother's and Kate develop feelings for each other and while the romance was slow, had an antagonistic feel to it and very much secondary to the plot, it still managed to capture an emotional intensity to it that had me sighing in happiness and shipping the couple like nobody's business. Both the characters went through hell and more in Vengeance Road so I was glad that they had each others support and love to hold on to. Besides great main characters, the villains were also interesting, particularly, Waylan Rose, who I loved to hate and who made a sadistic side of me come out because I wanted to see him die a slow and painful death by the end of the book because of all the pain and suffering he brought to the characters. All in all, these were all characters that spoke to me on so many levels.
Are you seeking a fresh and unique story in YA? Then look no further because Vengeance Road is that book. Erin Bowman's standalone was a thrilling book and when you pick it up, be prepared to lose sleep and brain space because you're going to think of nothing but this book for a long time.
Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5
Thank you to HMH Kids for the ARC of Vengeance Road.
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