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Emily May's Reviews > Vengeance Road
Vengeance Road (Vengeance Road, #1)
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This book is nasty. When I heard that Erin Bowman had written a Western where the protagonist is a girl posing as a cowboy and ends up finding love in this wild, rugged landscape, I thought one thing - I bet this is the politest, cutest Western ever.
How wrong I was.
If you don't like the Western genre and are thinking about reading this because you believe a modern YA Western will be diluted and more romantic - don't bother. Bowman has stayed true to the old western style, filling this book with bloody revenge, shoot outs, saloons and cowboys (and girls) who shoot first and ask questions later. She even writes in the cowboy dialect. Lucky for me, though, it was right up my alley!
Vengeance Road is a thrill ride for lovers of badass revenge novels. When Kate Thompson (A.K.A. Nate Thompson) discovers her father tortured and left hanging from a tree, she buries his body, dries her eyes, and starts off after her father's killers - a band of notorious cowboys called the Rose Riders. Along the way she gains new allies, discovers the real reason these Rose Riders targeted her father, and gets swept up in a quest for gold.
Honestly, I loved it. Kate is such a rare character and, unlike some other YA characters who supposedly want revenge, her lust for vengeance feels real. She tracks them down without remorse:
I loved the unapologetic vengeance. I cheered for Kate. I loved the poker, the journey across this dusty landscape, and the language.
Love does creep in, as promised in the blurb, but it is gradual and welcome. Starting off as reluctant companions, building to humorous banter, and then becoming something more. Thankfully, it didn't detract any nastiness from the story either.
If you like nasty stories with morally questionable characters and an author who is just evil enough to make you genuinely scared for all their lives, then Vengeance Road is a natural choice. Super entertaining and very different to what's out there in YA right now.
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by
"That sounds real nice, boy," he says. "Now for the love of God, lower that damn pistol."
"All right," I says.
And I do.
Right after I shoot him through the skull.
This book is nasty. When I heard that Erin Bowman had written a Western where the protagonist is a girl posing as a cowboy and ends up finding love in this wild, rugged landscape, I thought one thing - I bet this is the politest, cutest Western ever.
How wrong I was.
If you don't like the Western genre and are thinking about reading this because you believe a modern YA Western will be diluted and more romantic - don't bother. Bowman has stayed true to the old western style, filling this book with bloody revenge, shoot outs, saloons and cowboys (and girls) who shoot first and ask questions later. She even writes in the cowboy dialect. Lucky for me, though, it was right up my alley!
Vengeance Road is a thrill ride for lovers of badass revenge novels. When Kate Thompson (A.K.A. Nate Thompson) discovers her father tortured and left hanging from a tree, she buries his body, dries her eyes, and starts off after her father's killers - a band of notorious cowboys called the Rose Riders. Along the way she gains new allies, discovers the real reason these Rose Riders targeted her father, and gets swept up in a quest for gold.
Honestly, I loved it. Kate is such a rare character and, unlike some other YA characters who supposedly want revenge, her lust for vengeance feels real. She tracks them down without remorse:
"See you in hell, mister."
And that's where I'm going, sure as the sun will rise, 'cus I feel nothing. No remorse. No guilt. Not even a sliver of doubt. He deserved it, and I'd do it again.
I loved the unapologetic vengeance. I cheered for Kate. I loved the poker, the journey across this dusty landscape, and the language.
Love does creep in, as promised in the blurb, but it is gradual and welcome. Starting off as reluctant companions, building to humorous banter, and then becoming something more. Thankfully, it didn't detract any nastiness from the story either.
If you like nasty stories with morally questionable characters and an author who is just evil enough to make you genuinely scared for all their lives, then Vengeance Road is a natural choice. Super entertaining and very different to what's out there in YA right now.
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Reading Progress
April 1, 2015
– Shelved
July 19, 2015
–
Started Reading
July 20, 2015
–
Finished Reading
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Jul 20, 2015 03:13PM
Well, this review has given me hope again. It's the first positive one I've seen from my friends - but don't get me wrong, you make equally valid points, and if anything, you've convinced me to get excited for this again.
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Vane wrote: "Well, this review has given me hope again. It's the first positive one I've seen from my friends - but don't get me wrong, you make equally valid points, and if anything, you've convinced me to get..."Well, Western is a hard sell and books with a dialect are even harder, but I thought they worked well together. Hope you like it too!
I don't usually like Western but this one sounds good with a girl going on a revenge kick!
The description reminds me a bit of Joe Abercrombe's Red Country, which I really enjoyed.
I AM SO SO HAPPY SEEING YOUR RATING. This is one of my most anticipated reads this year so yay!
Sounds like you'd enjoy "True Grit" as well - great gritty cowboy tale of vengeful justice spurred on by the adolescent heroine
I'd been waffling over whether to preorder this or not, based solely on the cover, but it's really good to see that it's a great story as well!
Amy wrote: "Sounds like you'd enjoy "True Grit" as well - great gritty cowboy tale of vengeful justice spurred on by the adolescent heroine"I do love True Grit! Both the book and the movie :)
Great review! You completely sold it for me with the real vengeance vibes and the morally questionable characters :) One question though : Is the dialect easy to follow? As a non-English speaker (I mean not my first language) I often find difficult to follow dialects when they're too heavy, and it worries me a little. Thank you!
Alienor ✘ French frowner ✘ wrote: "Great review! You completely sold it for me with the real vengeance vibes and the morally questionable characters :) One question though : Is the dialect easy to follow? As a non-English speaker (I..."Thanks! And good question. I don't think it'll be too hard to follow. It's mostly things like "I says" instead of "I say". Not really anything that isn't easy to interpret.
Emily May wrote: "Alienor ✘ French frowner ✘ wrote: "Great review! You completely sold it for me with the real vengeance vibes and the morally questionable characters :) One question though : Is the dialect easy to ..."It seems okay indeed :) Thanks!
hey emily, i always love to read your review! i love your taste in books, because i enjoy every book that i read because of your review! so, thank you for writing these review and keep giving me pointer of which book that i should read and which book that i should not.and this book, i'll definitely keep it in my wishlist! romance with a slow and nice development? count me in! :)
(by the way, do you know any reader/reviewer who has the same taste as you? i'd love to follow more of reader/reviewer in gr!)
thanks em!
You've piqued my curiosity about this one. Not something I would normally look at but your splendid review had me doing a doubletake.
OMG I MUST READ. *dies of excitement*
I am secretly drawn to westerns, though I don't read them much. I love the "girls disguised as boys" trope, so this one sounds awesome.
Your review makes me think of a female Django ^^ This book looks awesome, adding it just for the breath of fresh air in the genre.
This book seems amazing! I think i'll give it a try.
Good to hear that it's as good as I was hoping it'd be!! :)
I've never thought twice about westerns. This sounds great though. Have you read any other westerns? Would this be a good introduction to the novel/is this typically what one would expect from a western?
The girl sees daddy hanging in a tree and goes on a bloody revenge hunt is pretty much the plot of the movie "The Quick and the Dead" from the 90s. Have you seen it Emily?
Is it similar if you have?
Amy wrote: "I've never thought twice about westerns. This sounds great though. Have you read any other westerns? Would this be a good introduction to the novel/is this typically what one would expect from a we..."I'd say this is a pretty good intro to the genre, or you could go for the classic True Grit. In YA, I think I've only read one other Western and that was Under a Painted Sky, which was also pretty good.
Mel wrote: "The girl sees daddy hanging in a tree and goes on a bloody revenge hunt is pretty much the plot of the movie "The Quick and the Dead" from the 90s. Have you seen it Emily?
Is it similar if you have?"
No, I haven't seen it but that's interesting. I wonder how the two compare...
I will totally read this book after reading your review. I've never read any western book (YA or not). Do you have any other titles to recommend?
Carolina wrote: "I will totally read this book after reading your review. I've never read any western book (YA or not). Do you have any other titles to recommend?"
Westerns? I'd also recommend Under a Painted Sky. Or for a classic - True Grit.
I saw this book on Instagram and came here to read about it. Your review is the first one I read and I'm totally sold. Thanks!
I'm a bit late to this party but I was sent to this book from another of your reviews, recommending this one over another and it was spot on. Loved the book, thanks for the recommendation!
You sum it up perfectly! Loved it! Have you read the companion book yet?
Arlene wrote: "You sum it up perfectly! Loved it! Have you read the companion book yet?"Thank you :) I haven't! Did you read it?
Great review Emily! I failed to mention that it was your review a few years ago that convinced me to read this book. I loved Vengeance Road and now that I’m reading the companion novel, I think Retribution Rails is (so far) just as bloody and thrilling.
Michael Justine wrote: "Great review Emily! I failed to mention that it was your review a few years ago that convinced me to read this book. I loved Vengeance Road and now that I’m reading the companion novel, I think Ret..."Thank you, Michael :)
hey emily, i agree with your comment on this book! i really like how strong and confident kate is with everything even after her father died. this book is amazing and i definitely recommend to anybody who would want to read something about action!
