What do you think?
Rate this book
White Horse
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Horror (2022)White Horse is a gritty, vibrant debut from Erika T. Wurth about an Indigenous woman who must face her past when she discovers a bracelet haunted by her mother’s spirit.
Some people are haunted in more ways than one.
Heavy metal, ripped jeans, Stephen King novels, and the occasional beer at the White Horse have defined urban Indian Kari James’s life so far. But when her cousin Debby finds an old family bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother, it inadvertently calls up both her mother’s ghost and a monstrous entity, and her willful ignorance about her past is no longer sustainable…
Haunted by visions of her mother and hunted by this mysterious creature, Kari must search for what happened to her mother all those years ago. Her father, permanently disabled from a car crash, can’t help her. Her Auntie Squeaker seems to know something but isn’t eager to give it all up at once. Debby’s anxious to help, but her controlling husband keeps getting in the way. Kari’s journey toward a truth long denied by both her family and law enforcement forces her to confront her dysfunctional relationships, thoughts about a friend she lost in childhood, and her desire for the one thing she’s always wanted but could never have.
Some people are haunted in more ways than one.
Heavy metal, ripped jeans, Stephen King novels, and the occasional beer at the White Horse have defined urban Indian Kari James’s life so far. But when her cousin Debby finds an old family bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother, it inadvertently calls up both her mother’s ghost and a monstrous entity, and her willful ignorance about her past is no longer sustainable…
Haunted by visions of her mother and hunted by this mysterious creature, Kari must search for what happened to her mother all those years ago. Her father, permanently disabled from a car crash, can’t help her. Her Auntie Squeaker seems to know something but isn’t eager to give it all up at once. Debby’s anxious to help, but her controlling husband keeps getting in the way. Kari’s journey toward a truth long denied by both her family and law enforcement forces her to confront her dysfunctional relationships, thoughts about a friend she lost in childhood, and her desire for the one thing she’s always wanted but could never have.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2022
About the author
Erika T. Wurth
16 books598 followersErika T. Wurth’s novel WHITE HORSE is a New York Times editors pick, a Good Morning America buzz pick, and an Indie Next, Target book of the Month, and Book of the Month Pick. She is both a Kenyon and Sewanee fellow, and Kenyon faculty. She’s published in Buzzfeed, McSweeny’s, and The Writer’s Chronicle, and is a narrative artist for the Meow Wolf Denver installation. She’s a professor of creative writing at Western Illinois University. She’s represented by Rebecca Friedman. She’s an urban Native of Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent and lives in Denver with her partner, niece, step-kids and two incredibly fluffy dogs. Her novel THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904 will be out with Flatiron books March 2025.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,030 reviews
June 15, 2024
**A NOVEMBER 2022 BOOK OF THE MONTH SELECTION**
Kari James has a bit of a dark past. There's her missing mother, her father, who suffered a brain injury in an accident and is unable to care for himself, as well as a best friend lost to their lifestyle choices.
Now in her 30s, living back in her hometown of Denver, Colorado, Kari works, takes care of her Dad and in her downtime, enjoys reading, or having a few beers at the White Horse, her favorite local watering hole.
Kari's cousin, Debby, is her closest friend. The person she can count on the most. The two spend quite a bit of time together, but would probably be together even more if it wasn't for Debby's overbearing husband.
One night while Kari is drinking at the White Horse, Debby arrives. As they chat, Debby presents her with a bracelet that she found while doing some cleaning. It used to belong to Kari's Mom.
As soon as Kari lays hands on the antique, traditionally-engraved bracelet, she feels a unique energy course through her. This is something powerful.
Kari begins being plagued by dreams and visions, of her mother, of her past, of something dark and dangerous lurking just outside her vision. She's haunted.
Kari, not unlike myself, has always been a fan of just keeping the past buried. Some events are too painful to dwell upon; they're best dealt with if they're not.
Kari had always been told her mother left them. Now she's not as sure that was the case. She begins to dig. She feels compelled to finally find the truth. Is her mother still alive, is she dead?
Kari's also sort of forced to deal with her own past, life choices and the loss of her best friend, Jamie. Kari needs to overcome her own guilt, in addition to her grief, in order to move forward with her life.
White Horse is a beautifully-told story. I loved the dark and gritty tone of it all. I could picture everything Kari was experiencing, but it was like watching a Horror movie where the setting is always kind of dark. Where you feel like you are squinting because you're trying so hard not to miss what's happening.
I also really enjoyed the themes explored. It was layered, emotional, powerful, and the Indigenous lore and concepts involved in the story were fantastic.
There's quite a bit of mystery surrounding Kari's family and early-life. I liked how Wurth gradually revealed the truth. It was done slowly, but in a way that kept me interested from the very start.
The pace and tension continues to build as you learn more. By the end, I was so freaking invested. I had to know the truth!
There were some things that I wasn't crazy about, but not many. For example, Debby's husband's presence occasionally kicked me out of the story, he was so terrible.
Also, some aspects did become a little muddled for me personally, particularly surrounding the focus on The Shining. I think I get it, but I'm not a hundred on it. I may need to read it again to clear up some things.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this story; investigating the long-held family secrets within this one Urban Indigenous family. I listened to the audiobook and would definitely recommend that format. It was well-done and just a great story to sit and listen to.
The texture of the grief, the guilt, I felt it. I connected with Kari. Wurth did a great job developing her character. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am going to remember this one for a long time.
Kari James has a bit of a dark past. There's her missing mother, her father, who suffered a brain injury in an accident and is unable to care for himself, as well as a best friend lost to their lifestyle choices.
Now in her 30s, living back in her hometown of Denver, Colorado, Kari works, takes care of her Dad and in her downtime, enjoys reading, or having a few beers at the White Horse, her favorite local watering hole.
Kari's cousin, Debby, is her closest friend. The person she can count on the most. The two spend quite a bit of time together, but would probably be together even more if it wasn't for Debby's overbearing husband.
One night while Kari is drinking at the White Horse, Debby arrives. As they chat, Debby presents her with a bracelet that she found while doing some cleaning. It used to belong to Kari's Mom.
As soon as Kari lays hands on the antique, traditionally-engraved bracelet, she feels a unique energy course through her. This is something powerful.
Kari begins being plagued by dreams and visions, of her mother, of her past, of something dark and dangerous lurking just outside her vision. She's haunted.
Kari, not unlike myself, has always been a fan of just keeping the past buried. Some events are too painful to dwell upon; they're best dealt with if they're not.
Kari had always been told her mother left them. Now she's not as sure that was the case. She begins to dig. She feels compelled to finally find the truth. Is her mother still alive, is she dead?
Kari's also sort of forced to deal with her own past, life choices and the loss of her best friend, Jamie. Kari needs to overcome her own guilt, in addition to her grief, in order to move forward with her life.
White Horse is a beautifully-told story. I loved the dark and gritty tone of it all. I could picture everything Kari was experiencing, but it was like watching a Horror movie where the setting is always kind of dark. Where you feel like you are squinting because you're trying so hard not to miss what's happening.
I also really enjoyed the themes explored. It was layered, emotional, powerful, and the Indigenous lore and concepts involved in the story were fantastic.
There's quite a bit of mystery surrounding Kari's family and early-life. I liked how Wurth gradually revealed the truth. It was done slowly, but in a way that kept me interested from the very start.
The pace and tension continues to build as you learn more. By the end, I was so freaking invested. I had to know the truth!
There were some things that I wasn't crazy about, but not many. For example, Debby's husband's presence occasionally kicked me out of the story, he was so terrible.
Also, some aspects did become a little muddled for me personally, particularly surrounding the focus on The Shining. I think I get it, but I'm not a hundred on it. I may need to read it again to clear up some things.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this story; investigating the long-held family secrets within this one Urban Indigenous family. I listened to the audiobook and would definitely recommend that format. It was well-done and just a great story to sit and listen to.
The texture of the grief, the guilt, I felt it. I connected with Kari. Wurth did a great job developing her character. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am going to remember this one for a long time.
November 10, 2022
This book is a mess. There are so many side stories that have nothing to do with each other. There are random allusions to Geronimo and Stephen King that just seem so out of place. The scenes in the Stanley Hotel are absolutely out of the blue?? She had one dream about the place after watching the movie and just takes off there??? Also the whole plot seemed so out of left field? Was she really 35 years old and never wondered what happened to her mother? It really does not read like a horror novel, it is much more of a murder mystery. The climax is cheesy, the main character is super immature, and it’s very disorganized.
June 3, 2022
I have been a fan of Wurth's writing since Buckskin Cocaine, a series of biting, witty, and often dark vignettes populated by the characters that make up the Native Hollywood scene as they gather at a Santa Fe film festival, so I was excited to read her latest.
White Horse is party murder mystery, part ghost story, and all love letter to the city of Denver and its urban Native community. Through a loving eye for detail and a deep dose of insider knowledge, Wurth brings to life a side of Denver most people don't see. The world of White Horse feels not only authentic, but absolutely real. It is an unapologetic world of dive bars, dark secrets, and true-life horrors. I became completely enthralled in the world and its people.
Kari, the protagonist, is a sarcastic, hard-drinking metalhead who is living on the cusp of adulthood, too haunted by the tragedies of her past to allow herself to grow into the person she might become. When those tragedies begin to manifest as a real-life haunting, instinct tells here there's something dark and sinister festering at its root. Kari is forced to dig into a past she would rather keep dead and buried. The secrets she uncovers are terrible, but they hold the key to finally setting her free and finding justice for a long-hidden wrong.
White Horse is a heartfelt exploration of the cost of tragedy in our lives, and the promise of forgiveness to our future that marks Wurth as an exciting voice in literary horror.
White Horse is party murder mystery, part ghost story, and all love letter to the city of Denver and its urban Native community. Through a loving eye for detail and a deep dose of insider knowledge, Wurth brings to life a side of Denver most people don't see. The world of White Horse feels not only authentic, but absolutely real. It is an unapologetic world of dive bars, dark secrets, and true-life horrors. I became completely enthralled in the world and its people.
Kari, the protagonist, is a sarcastic, hard-drinking metalhead who is living on the cusp of adulthood, too haunted by the tragedies of her past to allow herself to grow into the person she might become. When those tragedies begin to manifest as a real-life haunting, instinct tells here there's something dark and sinister festering at its root. Kari is forced to dig into a past she would rather keep dead and buried. The secrets she uncovers are terrible, but they hold the key to finally setting her free and finding justice for a long-hidden wrong.
White Horse is a heartfelt exploration of the cost of tragedy in our lives, and the promise of forgiveness to our future that marks Wurth as an exciting voice in literary horror.
March 24, 2023
I'm definitely in the minority on this one since it was a nominee for best horror last year.
I just don't understand how this was the case after reading White Horse and almost doing a DNF.
I really struggled to finish this book and feel like I wasted hours reading this when I could have read something better.
I was hoping for so much more from White Horse. The premise and idea of the plot seemed like something that I would absolutely adore.
Instead, this book ends up being a steaming pile of sh!t cliché for every Native American topic that the author Erika Wurth could throw into a book.
White Horse is about Kari James, an Indigenous woman coming to terms about her missing mother and trauma from her past.
She’s being haunted by images of her Mom who’s in pain and screaming, a monster in the shadows that’s stalking Kari, and a piece of family jewelry that has magical properties to see into the past.
See. This plot might be really interesting and unique if it was wrote well.
But it’s not.
✔️ The characters are childish and act like they should be 17 and not 35.
I did not like the main character of Kari. I just found her whiny, immature and a caricature of what a badass chick is suppose to be.
She's a metal head that's obsessed with Dave Mustaine, reads horror books, is sooooooo edgy and drinks Budweiser all the time.
Speaking of Budweiser, did the author get some sort of payout from them for putting this word into the book so much?
✔️ Visiting the hotel where The Shining was conceived was a waste of time and had no point to the main plot.
I'll let the Stephen King obsession in the book slide since I'm also obsessed with his books. 😂🤣
✔️ The repetitive side stories that have nothing to do with progressing the main plot and that includes but not limited too:
- Debbie & Jack’s weird and toxic relationship.
- Her childhood friend Jamie and thoughts about her and their past together.
- Going to random places in Denver to buy books or music which doesn’t further the plot and just feels like filler.
- The American Indian Movement (AIM) side story that doesn’t go anywhere but was still put in the plot.
This book had a lot of promise because its touches on some serious topics (not saying what they are due to spoilers!) that needs more attention brought to them.
But the author Erika Wurth does disservice to those topics for making this whole book a hot f’ing mess.
I just don't understand how this was the case after reading White Horse and almost doing a DNF.
I really struggled to finish this book and feel like I wasted hours reading this when I could have read something better.
I was hoping for so much more from White Horse. The premise and idea of the plot seemed like something that I would absolutely adore.
Instead, this book ends up being a steaming pile of sh!t cliché for every Native American topic that the author Erika Wurth could throw into a book.
White Horse is about Kari James, an Indigenous woman coming to terms about her missing mother and trauma from her past.
She’s being haunted by images of her Mom who’s in pain and screaming, a monster in the shadows that’s stalking Kari, and a piece of family jewelry that has magical properties to see into the past.
See. This plot might be really interesting and unique if it was wrote well.
But it’s not.
✔️ The characters are childish and act like they should be 17 and not 35.
I did not like the main character of Kari. I just found her whiny, immature and a caricature of what a badass chick is suppose to be.
She's a metal head that's obsessed with Dave Mustaine, reads horror books, is sooooooo edgy and drinks Budweiser all the time.
Speaking of Budweiser, did the author get some sort of payout from them for putting this word into the book so much?
✔️ Visiting the hotel where The Shining was conceived was a waste of time and had no point to the main plot.
I'll let the Stephen King obsession in the book slide since I'm also obsessed with his books. 😂🤣
✔️ The repetitive side stories that have nothing to do with progressing the main plot and that includes but not limited too:
- Debbie & Jack’s weird and toxic relationship.
- Her childhood friend Jamie and thoughts about her and their past together.
- Going to random places in Denver to buy books or music which doesn’t further the plot and just feels like filler.
- The American Indian Movement (AIM) side story that doesn’t go anywhere but was still put in the plot.
This book had a lot of promise because its touches on some serious topics (not saying what they are due to spoilers!) that needs more attention brought to them.
But the author Erika Wurth does disservice to those topics for making this whole book a hot f’ing mess.
Read
November 9, 2022I did an "in conversation" event at Elliott Bay Book Company last night (11/8/22) with the author where she did a reading, answered all my questions, Q & A with the audience, and did a signing.
We had a great time! Everyone should book her to engage with readers. This book is perfect for newcomers to the horror genre. It's centered around female best friends going through life struggles together as well as a complex, multi-layered murder mystery. The horror scenes are intense and cinematic. The emotional punches land every, single, time. Great ending. Loved the social commentary, the story told through a Native American lens and the supernatural/paranormal elements. The perfect horror/crime mash-up
We had a great time! Everyone should book her to engage with readers. This book is perfect for newcomers to the horror genre. It's centered around female best friends going through life struggles together as well as a complex, multi-layered murder mystery. The horror scenes are intense and cinematic. The emotional punches land every, single, time. Great ending. Loved the social commentary, the story told through a Native American lens and the supernatural/paranormal elements. The perfect horror/crime mash-up
November 23, 2022
Yes yes yes! It's dark, it's emo, it's creepy, it's diverse. A little mind bending. It is a good one!
November 23, 2022
Let this be a lesson that sometimes less is more.
White Horse is a story with a lot of going on, but somehow at the same time the story feels like it drags. This is one of those books where I have a sneaking suspicion things were added in just to reach a specific word count.
All in all, good bones: less than satisfactory composition.
The main plot revolves around Kari James, and the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance and probable death, when Kari was two days old. Kari hates her mother, but begins to identify with her when she is given a bracelet that used to belong to her. She begins to see visions of her dead mother in pain, visions of her mother as a young woman, and visions of a monster called the “Lofa”.
There were a lot of sub-plots. Kari’s friend/cousin Debby and her controlling alcoholic husband take up a huge chunk of the narrative. Kari’s unresolved grief from her childhood best friends overdose; many bars drinking and heavy metal references; The White Horse itself, and Kari’s late decision to buy it, is actually irrelevant and just a static location- why does this bar get the title of the book? The Stanley Hotel was more of a focal point to the main plot than the white horse;
I thought that some of these subplots had to be connected in a meaningful way to the main plot. Nope.
All of these subplots take up so much attention and they are not even relevant to the main plot. I wish they had been more intertwined.
Add to that the many meaningless places Kari goes on her ghost scavenger hunt, and it adds up to a lot of time ruminating on other issues and not dealing with the whole ghost mommy situation. The flip side of this is that the whole novel would have probably been a few hundred pages shorter without these subplots.
I really liked the premise and the vibe, but after finishing the book I just feel meh about it.
Full review to come
White Horse is a story with a lot of going on, but somehow at the same time the story feels like it drags. This is one of those books where I have a sneaking suspicion things were added in just to reach a specific word count.
All in all, good bones: less than satisfactory composition.
The main plot revolves around Kari James, and the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance and probable death, when Kari was two days old. Kari hates her mother, but begins to identify with her when she is given a bracelet that used to belong to her. She begins to see visions of her dead mother in pain, visions of her mother as a young woman, and visions of a monster called the “Lofa”.
There were a lot of sub-plots. Kari’s friend/cousin Debby and her controlling alcoholic husband take up a huge chunk of the narrative. Kari’s unresolved grief from her childhood best friends overdose; many bars drinking and heavy metal references; The White Horse itself, and Kari’s late decision to buy it, is actually irrelevant and just a static location- why does this bar get the title of the book? The Stanley Hotel was more of a focal point to the main plot than the white horse;
I thought that some of these subplots had to be connected in a meaningful way to the main plot. Nope.
All of these subplots take up so much attention and they are not even relevant to the main plot. I wish they had been more intertwined.
Add to that the many meaningless places Kari goes on her ghost scavenger hunt, and it adds up to a lot of time ruminating on other issues and not dealing with the whole ghost mommy situation. The flip side of this is that the whole novel would have probably been a few hundred pages shorter without these subplots.
I really liked the premise and the vibe, but after finishing the book I just feel meh about it.
Full review to come
November 1, 2022
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up
White Horse is a gritty horror novel about grief, trauma, addiction, multiracial Indigenous identity, and healing. Part paranormal/light horror, part mystery, it follows a woman being haunted by the spirit of her mother and her quest to uncover what really happened to the woman who disappeared when she was only two days old. Along the way she will be forced to confront the demons of her past in order to move forward into a better future.
While it's not super scary per se, White Horse is a richly layered narrative with a compelling heroine who goes on a real journey. There is a lot of loss and trauma, but also love and support. I don't want to say too much, but this novel is well worth your time and I'm glad I was made aware of it. The audio narrator is perfect for the project. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Content warnings include depictions of drug and alcohol addiction, death, grief, violence including gun violence, mentions of police violence toward indigenous protesters, molestation (not depicted on page), incest (not depicted on page), murder, domestic abuse
White Horse is a gritty horror novel about grief, trauma, addiction, multiracial Indigenous identity, and healing. Part paranormal/light horror, part mystery, it follows a woman being haunted by the spirit of her mother and her quest to uncover what really happened to the woman who disappeared when she was only two days old. Along the way she will be forced to confront the demons of her past in order to move forward into a better future.
While it's not super scary per se, White Horse is a richly layered narrative with a compelling heroine who goes on a real journey. There is a lot of loss and trauma, but also love and support. I don't want to say too much, but this novel is well worth your time and I'm glad I was made aware of it. The audio narrator is perfect for the project. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Content warnings include depictions of drug and alcohol addiction, death, grief, violence including gun violence, mentions of police violence toward indigenous protesters, molestation (not depicted on page), incest (not depicted on page), murder, domestic abuse
March 3, 2023
After being given a bracelet that supposedly can heal, Kari starts seeing the ghost of her dead mother and researching what happened to the woman who died after having left her daughter and because of whom her father became sick. Kari hates her but she also finds that she is much like her in various ways. Maybe she will find healing after all?
Book takes some time to come into its own, maybe a little too much time. After a little over the half way mark all story lines and strings start coming together and once they do it's hard to put down. A very rewarding read.
Book takes some time to come into its own, maybe a little too much time. After a little over the half way mark all story lines and strings start coming together and once they do it's hard to put down. A very rewarding read.
January 27, 2023
❀ blog ❀ thestorygraph ❀ letterboxd ❀ tumblr ❀ ko-fi ❀
The story and themes in White Horse were promising enough, their execution however ultimately is somewhat of a letdown. That is not to say that White Horse is not worth reading as I do think that it does have value in terms of entertainment and in its discussions of trauma, self-destructiveness, and survival.
Our narrator is Kari James, an Indigenous woman who is into heavy metal, grunge clothes, and horror books. On the surface, she enjoys a carefree lifestyle but we are given glimpses of her troubled past and her present-day worries. She works at the White Horse, a bar that has come to symbolize more than ‘just’ a workplace to her. We learn that during her teens she lost her closest friend, that her mother died when she was small, and that a car accident left her father permanently disabled. So, despite what her cousin and her husband think, Kari has a lot on her plate. Kari’s life is complicated further by the resurfacing of an old bracelet, which apparently belonged to her mother…soon she begins sighting sinister apparitions, such as her dead mother, and sensing an ominous presence. To break free of this, Kari can no longer let sleeping dogs lie, and has no choice left but to venture into her mother’s past, finding out more about her mother’s side of the family, her parents’ marriage, and her mother’s role as an activist.
On paper, this type of story should have really been my thing as Kari had the potential of being the kind of gritty main character that makes me think of Elizabeth Hand, Stephen Graham Jones, and even Grady Hendrix. It just so happens that the story tries to juggle too many elements, and wastes way too much energy (ie page time) on the least interesting dynamic and characters (debbie and her generically controlling and uncouth husband). Also, given the length and pace of the story, I do think that some of the side plotlines should have been dropped as they were not given the time/depth they deserve. Take Kari’s dead friend. She does ‘haunt’ Kari’s thoughts now and again but her character, in addition to being very underdeveloped and the kind of very generic ‘cool edgy possibly a bit of a bad influence’ friend you see time and again in books & films (like thirteen) seemed to be used as a cautionary tale for Kari, which seemed a wee bit unfair to the friend. Kari’s mother also functions as a plot device more than anything. Even the supernatural element is delivered in a rather bathetic way, which is a pity as I think that it really had potential in terms of building and maintaining a certain atmosphere. Debbie’s plotline was just so grating. She has the most generic whiny personality and for most of the novel is shown to be a rather wishy-washy type of person who tells Kari off for defending herself against her drunk husband. In the end, instead, we are shown that she was at some point a decent friend to Kari but by then she had gotten on my nerves so much so that I just wanted her off the page. Her controlling husband is even more generic and cartoonish than she is and seemed to exist only to (supposedly) add tension to the story, given his friction and heated showdowns with Kari. The last section of the story really double-downs on paying homage to Stephen King’s The Shining, even if Erika T. Wurth does view his work through a more critical lens (and is able to discuss tropes related to indigenous peoples and cultures in the horror genre). If the story had solely focused on Kari and her past ‘ghosts’ (her mother, her friend) I would have found this novel much more engrossing. Kari herself was the kind of character I would usually really root for, but much of her characterisation here relies on her grungy aesthetics and her responses to other people saying/doing things, that is to say, that she seemed at times more a vehicle through which the author could tell this story than a character in her own right.
Still, even if the plotline unfolded in a fairly predictable way and included scenes that felt like unnecessary filler (we have that scene where kari is on the phone with debbie and the line isn't good so of course, she misunderstands her and jumps to a certain conclusion...) and both the characters and the supernatural element left me wanting, I still found myself engaged in Wurth's storytelling.
Even if I may have not been enamoured with the final product, White Horse definitely had some good ingredients and considering this is Wurth's debut I am really looking forward to reading more by her.
The story and themes in White Horse were promising enough, their execution however ultimately is somewhat of a letdown. That is not to say that White Horse is not worth reading as I do think that it does have value in terms of entertainment and in its discussions of trauma, self-destructiveness, and survival.
Our narrator is Kari James, an Indigenous woman who is into heavy metal, grunge clothes, and horror books. On the surface, she enjoys a carefree lifestyle but we are given glimpses of her troubled past and her present-day worries. She works at the White Horse, a bar that has come to symbolize more than ‘just’ a workplace to her. We learn that during her teens she lost her closest friend, that her mother died when she was small, and that a car accident left her father permanently disabled. So, despite what her cousin and her husband think, Kari has a lot on her plate. Kari’s life is complicated further by the resurfacing of an old bracelet, which apparently belonged to her mother…soon she begins sighting sinister apparitions, such as her dead mother, and sensing an ominous presence. To break free of this, Kari can no longer let sleeping dogs lie, and has no choice left but to venture into her mother’s past, finding out more about her mother’s side of the family, her parents’ marriage, and her mother’s role as an activist.
On paper, this type of story should have really been my thing as Kari had the potential of being the kind of gritty main character that makes me think of Elizabeth Hand, Stephen Graham Jones, and even Grady Hendrix. It just so happens that the story tries to juggle too many elements, and wastes way too much energy (ie page time) on the least interesting dynamic and characters (debbie and her generically controlling and uncouth husband). Also, given the length and pace of the story, I do think that some of the side plotlines should have been dropped as they were not given the time/depth they deserve. Take Kari’s dead friend. She does ‘haunt’ Kari’s thoughts now and again but her character, in addition to being very underdeveloped and the kind of very generic ‘cool edgy possibly a bit of a bad influence’ friend you see time and again in books & films (like thirteen) seemed to be used as a cautionary tale for Kari, which seemed a wee bit unfair to the friend. Kari’s mother also functions as a plot device more than anything. Even the supernatural element is delivered in a rather bathetic way, which is a pity as I think that it really had potential in terms of building and maintaining a certain atmosphere. Debbie’s plotline was just so grating. She has the most generic whiny personality and for most of the novel is shown to be a rather wishy-washy type of person who tells Kari off for defending herself against her drunk husband. In the end, instead, we are shown that she was at some point a decent friend to Kari but by then she had gotten on my nerves so much so that I just wanted her off the page. Her controlling husband is even more generic and cartoonish than she is and seemed to exist only to (supposedly) add tension to the story, given his friction and heated showdowns with Kari. The last section of the story really double-downs on paying homage to Stephen King’s The Shining, even if Erika T. Wurth does view his work through a more critical lens (and is able to discuss tropes related to indigenous peoples and cultures in the horror genre). If the story had solely focused on Kari and her past ‘ghosts’ (her mother, her friend) I would have found this novel much more engrossing. Kari herself was the kind of character I would usually really root for, but much of her characterisation here relies on her grungy aesthetics and her responses to other people saying/doing things, that is to say, that she seemed at times more a vehicle through which the author could tell this story than a character in her own right.
Still, even if the plotline unfolded in a fairly predictable way and included scenes that felt like unnecessary filler (we have that scene where kari is on the phone with debbie and the line isn't good so of course, she misunderstands her and jumps to a certain conclusion...) and both the characters and the supernatural element left me wanting, I still found myself engaged in Wurth's storytelling.
Even if I may have not been enamoured with the final product, White Horse definitely had some good ingredients and considering this is Wurth's debut I am really looking forward to reading more by her.
November 25, 2022
Update to this review as of 11/24/2022: I have a bookstagram. On November 23, a friend of mine posted a picture of this book and said she was excited to read it. I commented that I gave the book two stars, but was excited to read my friends' opinion. Unbeknownst to me, the author was tagged in my friend's photo. This author then found the comment, stated that it was disappointing when someone comments "oh this book sucks so much" and talks about how much they "hate" a book when tagging an author, and then said it was especially disappointing I did this "on Thanksgiving, to a Native author." Of the post in question and my comment, neither were made "on Thanksgiving." Nor did I at any point in my comment or in this review even say that this book "sucks so much" or that I hated it (as you can see below). Unfortunately, it appears this author took issue with the fact that I made the mere statement "I gave it two stars" and chose to represent my subjective opinion on her book as some sort of microaggression against her as a Native woman.
Interestingly enough, one of my biggest issues with this book is that the author constantly used Native issues (Anna Mae Aquash, AIM) as red herrings for a story that turned out to be entirely unrelated to the fraught political history of proud Native movements in the US.
This all said - the point is, this author appears to be incapable of reading an opinion of her book that isn't favorable and when she does, she then implies that the reader must have it out for Natives. Even if the post in question had been made on Thanksgiving, anyone has the right to dislike your book, on any day of the year. I'm sure its a bummer to see a negative opinion, but I myself did not seek this author out or tag her in anything. She read through the comments on a post (made by someone other than me) that she was tagged in, took offense to me stating that I gave the book 2 stars, and villainized me for it. It was childish and off-putting.
The original text of the review is below, but suffice it to say that I'll be avoiding reading Wurth's work again thanks to her attitude.
------
Loved the horror in this - the gruesome descriptions of the "Lofa" and the fever-dream, eerie visions were haunting and well written. So was the eclectic mix of urban native culture woven in.
That's about all I liked, though. It was pretty intriguing for the first fifty or so pages, but ultimately I just think this book was poorly plotted and kind of lame. It just...doesn't make sense.
The main character, Kari, has family all around her, yet she keeps "discovering" basic facts of her existence. Her dad had an accident that left him brain damaged at some point in her childhood - but when? Her mother disappeared when she was 2 days old ("left," which apparently Kari hates her for), so if her father got sick days or weeks or years later, who the fuck was caring for Kari? The timeline here is never established. And whoever was caring for her, why did they never mention, even out of habit or in passing, anything about her mother, her mother's family, etc.? Kari is 35 years old before "finding out" she has living grandparents, and an aunt. The plot device of her father's accident sort of explains why he couldn't talk about it, but Auntie Squeaker, Aunt Sandy, and Debby all exist and also apparently are totally oblivious to these people (who live within driving distance). All of the set up to create the "mystery" was just so unbelievable and so stupid.
The side characters, Debby and Jack, were so unbelievably insufferable that I wanted to start skipping their little side quests. Jack never has to reckon with being a dick, but for some reason Kari does. Debby is just a ridiculously irritating naïve person, and Kari's affection for her is unconvincing considering her internal monologue about Debby is mostly negative. There is also a very problematic commentary woven throughout the book that suggests Debby is noble for staying in what appears to be an abusive relationship.
Kari herself is a weirdly written character. She describes herself in the same way that the main character in that iconic parody fanfic "My Immotal" did (in case you need a refresher, this is it: Hi my name is Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way and I have long ebony black hair (that's how I got my name) with purple streaks and red tips that reaches my mid-back and icy blue eyes like limpid tears.." google the rest). Her only character trait is drinking Bud (is the author on the payroll of Budweiser?), reading The Shining, and describing Metallica songs. She never makes analytical conclusions, she just believes whatever she's told from whatever plot device person is giving her information (she believes something horrid about a loved one despite it coming from the mouth of a person she met exactly one time).
It boils down to...I felt like that the author was unable to create a good "mystery" without having characters who were fundamentally stupid, vapid, unobservant, or cartoonish.
And then for a native author to touch on things such as AIM, the murder of Anna Mae Aquash, and the FBI's probable involvement, and barely ever address it again! So weird and underwhelming.
Interestingly enough, one of my biggest issues with this book is that the author constantly used Native issues (Anna Mae Aquash, AIM) as red herrings for a story that turned out to be entirely unrelated to the fraught political history of proud Native movements in the US.
This all said - the point is, this author appears to be incapable of reading an opinion of her book that isn't favorable and when she does, she then implies that the reader must have it out for Natives. Even if the post in question had been made on Thanksgiving, anyone has the right to dislike your book, on any day of the year. I'm sure its a bummer to see a negative opinion, but I myself did not seek this author out or tag her in anything. She read through the comments on a post (made by someone other than me) that she was tagged in, took offense to me stating that I gave the book 2 stars, and villainized me for it. It was childish and off-putting.
The original text of the review is below, but suffice it to say that I'll be avoiding reading Wurth's work again thanks to her attitude.
------
Loved the horror in this - the gruesome descriptions of the "Lofa" and the fever-dream, eerie visions were haunting and well written. So was the eclectic mix of urban native culture woven in.
That's about all I liked, though. It was pretty intriguing for the first fifty or so pages, but ultimately I just think this book was poorly plotted and kind of lame. It just...doesn't make sense.
The main character, Kari, has family all around her, yet she keeps "discovering" basic facts of her existence. Her dad had an accident that left him brain damaged at some point in her childhood - but when? Her mother disappeared when she was 2 days old ("left," which apparently Kari hates her for), so if her father got sick days or weeks or years later, who the fuck was caring for Kari? The timeline here is never established. And whoever was caring for her, why did they never mention, even out of habit or in passing, anything about her mother, her mother's family, etc.? Kari is 35 years old before "finding out" she has living grandparents, and an aunt. The plot device of her father's accident sort of explains why he couldn't talk about it, but Auntie Squeaker, Aunt Sandy, and Debby all exist and also apparently are totally oblivious to these people (who live within driving distance). All of the set up to create the "mystery" was just so unbelievable and so stupid.
The side characters, Debby and Jack, were so unbelievably insufferable that I wanted to start skipping their little side quests. Jack never has to reckon with being a dick, but for some reason Kari does. Debby is just a ridiculously irritating naïve person, and Kari's affection for her is unconvincing considering her internal monologue about Debby is mostly negative. There is also a very problematic commentary woven throughout the book that suggests Debby is noble for staying in what appears to be an abusive relationship.
Kari herself is a weirdly written character. She describes herself in the same way that the main character in that iconic parody fanfic "My Immotal" did (in case you need a refresher, this is it: Hi my name is Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way and I have long ebony black hair (that's how I got my name) with purple streaks and red tips that reaches my mid-back and icy blue eyes like limpid tears.." google the rest). Her only character trait is drinking Bud (is the author on the payroll of Budweiser?), reading The Shining, and describing Metallica songs. She never makes analytical conclusions, she just believes whatever she's told from whatever plot device person is giving her information (she believes something horrid about a loved one despite it coming from the mouth of a person she met exactly one time).
It boils down to...I felt like that the author was unable to create a good "mystery" without having characters who were fundamentally stupid, vapid, unobservant, or cartoonish.
And then for a native author to touch on things such as AIM, the murder of Anna Mae Aquash, and the FBI's probable involvement, and barely ever address it again! So weird and underwhelming.
October 31, 2022
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth was quite a riveting and atmospheric book. It was a perfect choice for this time of the year with Halloween approaching. I would describe White Horse as a mystery/thriller. The beginning was a little slow for me. It got better and moved at a faster pace as the book progressed. I listened to the audiobook of White Horse that was very well narrated by Tonantzin Carmelo.
Thirty five years ago, an Indigenous woman went missing. Her husband reported her disappearance. The woman had given birth to a daughter just two days prior to her reported disappearance. Since the body was never discovered, the police ruled it as a disappearance and closed the case. Just one more Indigenous woman gone missing! The husband cared for his two day old daughter until he had a car accident that left him disabled. Roles switched and the young girl grew up and became the care giver for her disabled father. That baby was now thirty-five years old. Her name was Kari James. She did not have the easiest time growing up. Kari had always held a grudge against her mother for leaving her. In fact, she hated her mother and let everyone know how she felt. It was no secret how Kari felt about being abandoned by her mother. Kari grew up in Denver and still lived there.
One day, Kari was at The White Horse, a local and very popular bar, when her cousin Debby joined her. Debby was Kari’s older cousin and basically her only friend. As the two sat side by side, Debby gave Kari a bracelet that had belonged to Kari’s mother. As Kari unwrapped the bracelet she noticed symbols and drawings on the bracelet. As Kari held the bracelet in her hand a strange energy passed through her. Kari began to see visions of her mother from long ago. She felt that her mother needed her help. The bracelet had once belonged to Kari’s mother. It had been in her family for a very long time. Did someone want Kari to have the bracelet? Why now?
Kari began to see her mother’s ghost in random places when she least expected to see her. She also began to have strange and scary dreams. In her nightmares, Kari saw her mother being chased by a monster. Why was a monster chasing her mother? What could her dreams and visions mean? Kari tried to connect the dots through her visions and dreams to discover what had really happened to her mother all those years ago. Would Kari be able to put the pieces together and discover the truth about her mother’s disappearance after all this time?
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of White Horse by Erika T. Wurth. This was the first book I had read by this author but I will look for future books by her. For me, some of the visions and nightmares were a little OTT but I might be in the minority. Spooky books centered around ghost sightings and scary monsters are not in my comfort zone. I did enjoy the ending, though, and did not see it coming. Overall, I enjoyed listening to White Horse and would recommend it if you are looking for a haunting and dark at times type of book.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to White Horse by Erika T. Wurth through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thirty five years ago, an Indigenous woman went missing. Her husband reported her disappearance. The woman had given birth to a daughter just two days prior to her reported disappearance. Since the body was never discovered, the police ruled it as a disappearance and closed the case. Just one more Indigenous woman gone missing! The husband cared for his two day old daughter until he had a car accident that left him disabled. Roles switched and the young girl grew up and became the care giver for her disabled father. That baby was now thirty-five years old. Her name was Kari James. She did not have the easiest time growing up. Kari had always held a grudge against her mother for leaving her. In fact, she hated her mother and let everyone know how she felt. It was no secret how Kari felt about being abandoned by her mother. Kari grew up in Denver and still lived there.
One day, Kari was at The White Horse, a local and very popular bar, when her cousin Debby joined her. Debby was Kari’s older cousin and basically her only friend. As the two sat side by side, Debby gave Kari a bracelet that had belonged to Kari’s mother. As Kari unwrapped the bracelet she noticed symbols and drawings on the bracelet. As Kari held the bracelet in her hand a strange energy passed through her. Kari began to see visions of her mother from long ago. She felt that her mother needed her help. The bracelet had once belonged to Kari’s mother. It had been in her family for a very long time. Did someone want Kari to have the bracelet? Why now?
Kari began to see her mother’s ghost in random places when she least expected to see her. She also began to have strange and scary dreams. In her nightmares, Kari saw her mother being chased by a monster. Why was a monster chasing her mother? What could her dreams and visions mean? Kari tried to connect the dots through her visions and dreams to discover what had really happened to her mother all those years ago. Would Kari be able to put the pieces together and discover the truth about her mother’s disappearance after all this time?
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of White Horse by Erika T. Wurth. This was the first book I had read by this author but I will look for future books by her. For me, some of the visions and nightmares were a little OTT but I might be in the minority. Spooky books centered around ghost sightings and scary monsters are not in my comfort zone. I did enjoy the ending, though, and did not see it coming. Overall, I enjoyed listening to White Horse and would recommend it if you are looking for a haunting and dark at times type of book.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to White Horse by Erika T. Wurth through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 18, 2022
I don’t understand how this book has 4 and 5 star reviews. It was boring and repetitive, and i only finished it because I literally had nothing else to do at work. She smokes, drinks, curses, reads The Shining, argues with her cousin and/or her annoying husband, repeat. I skipped pages at a time and still know exactly what happened. Disappointing to say the least.
November 16, 2022
The writing in this needs a LOT of work. There’s absolutely no flow, a bunch of random thoughts and scenes thrown together - she’ll be talking about one thing and then another thought is wildly spliced in. The story lines of Debby and Jack, and honestly the buying of the bar feel pretty irrelevant. I don’t really know that I have anything positive to say about this book.
February 7, 2023
A novel of unearthing dark truths. Atmospheric, gritty, and filled with angst, White Horse is a novel that is filled with tension, between characters and the literal ghosts of their pasts. This novel sheds light on the darker sides of history, and exposes the hidden terrors that some would do anything to keep buried. The paranormal aspect is welcome and serves as an effective metaphor for trauma and injustice. White Horse is a quick read for horror buffs who also enjoy societal commentary.
October 19, 2022
The story centers around 35-year-old Kari James an indigenous woman who lives in Denver Colorado. Kari was raised alone by her now permanently disabled father after her mother left her just after she was born. Kari is very close to her cousin Debby who is almost like a sister to her.
Debby finds an old bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother and gives it to Kari. The bracelet summons up both her mother’s ghost and a monstrous entity that begins to haunt Kari both day and night and everywhere she goes. Kari must discover what happened to her mother all those years ago.
I instantly connected with Kari and I found myself having a lot in common with her. Not only is Kari an indigenous woman trying to navigate the urban Indian life but she is also a metalhead, particularly a huge fan of Megadeath’s Dave Mustaine(I was a huge Megadeath fan in high school). Another similarity I found with Kari was her love of Stephen King, especially her love of The Shinning since it’s also my all-time favorite King novel. Overall Kari is a badass who never shies from speaking her truth and standing up for those she loves. It’s rare for me to find the main character that I can find so much in common with so I was super impressed with Erika Wurth’s characterization.
White Horse is steeped in Native American lore and legends. I loved learning about the spiritual aspects surrounding this story. It was fascinating to follow Kari as she connected with her roots. The mystery that the story centers around genuinely had my interest piqued and I was thrown off guard when the who and why was revealed. White Horse is classified as a horror novel but I would categorize it more as a thriller/mystery with mild horror elements in the mix.
The only issue I had was, I felt there was too much focus on the fact that Kari and Debby’s husband Jack do not get along. Their constant arguing became a bit repetitious and even annoyed me at times. I feel like if all of that was taken out, the story would have been a solid five star read.
I highly recommend White Horse to readers of dark thrillers centered around a mystery. If you are looking for a unique and highly entertaining story by a BIPOC author with indigenous characters, then pick up a copy of White Horse! I look forward to reading more of Erika Wurth’s backlist as well as reading anything she publishes next!
Debby finds an old bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother and gives it to Kari. The bracelet summons up both her mother’s ghost and a monstrous entity that begins to haunt Kari both day and night and everywhere she goes. Kari must discover what happened to her mother all those years ago.
I instantly connected with Kari and I found myself having a lot in common with her. Not only is Kari an indigenous woman trying to navigate the urban Indian life but she is also a metalhead, particularly a huge fan of Megadeath’s Dave Mustaine(I was a huge Megadeath fan in high school). Another similarity I found with Kari was her love of Stephen King, especially her love of The Shinning since it’s also my all-time favorite King novel. Overall Kari is a badass who never shies from speaking her truth and standing up for those she loves. It’s rare for me to find the main character that I can find so much in common with so I was super impressed with Erika Wurth’s characterization.
White Horse is steeped in Native American lore and legends. I loved learning about the spiritual aspects surrounding this story. It was fascinating to follow Kari as she connected with her roots. The mystery that the story centers around genuinely had my interest piqued and I was thrown off guard when the who and why was revealed. White Horse is classified as a horror novel but I would categorize it more as a thriller/mystery with mild horror elements in the mix.
The only issue I had was, I felt there was too much focus on the fact that Kari and Debby’s husband Jack do not get along. Their constant arguing became a bit repetitious and even annoyed me at times. I feel like if all of that was taken out, the story would have been a solid five star read.
I highly recommend White Horse to readers of dark thrillers centered around a mystery. If you are looking for a unique and highly entertaining story by a BIPOC author with indigenous characters, then pick up a copy of White Horse! I look forward to reading more of Erika Wurth’s backlist as well as reading anything she publishes next!
January 7, 2023
I want to start with saying I really loved this debut. It was a lot different than anything I’ve read before and I am excited to read more by this author in the future. I do need to admit that my only disappointment was that the first few chapters set me up to think this was a true horror book that would leave me spooked, but after that it was more of a spiritual/cultural journey. Ghosts by themselves aren’t horror. I found this to be cultural, suspenseful, mysterious, but I didn’t think this was horror. Kari James has never known her mother. She disappeared when Kari was only two days old. Her father was in a horrific car accident due to grief and is significantly impaired. Kari is a tough character who has always hated her mother for leaving them and she blamed her for her father’s accident. When she receives a bracelet that had been her mothers she starts to see things. The ghost of her mother but also a monster and in her dreams the monster is after her.
November 9, 2022
It looks like I’m in the minority by rating this book two stars. It just ended up not working for me. Some things were very repetitive, confusing, and a lot seemed out of the blue. Like where did Geronimo come from, or the whole The Shining/Stephen King aspect? Why was he even mentioned? The signs she was getting from her mother just seemed over the top to me and way too complex. There were so many different things happening I felt like and I couldn’t get engaged with any of them. I also really disliked the main character; she was supposed to be in her thirties but acted like a teenager (which could be because of her past, but still). Her cousin Debby cried so much and also acted childish and she was supposed to be like 40. The things I really enjoyed were the setting and the Native American history/mythology aspect. I think I would still try another book by this author.
November 20, 2022
Slow. SLOW slow. The main character occasionally mentions a ghost she can see.
December 10, 2022
This book was such an unexpected surprise. Justice is served! Kari James’s mother disappeared when she was just two days old. Now in her thirties, she becomes determined to uncover the mystery of what happened to her mother. There are a lot of messy friendships in this book that come with a lot of heartbreak… but in the end, those heartbreaks simply lead to growth. This was an entertaining read complete with some Indigenous lore. It wasn’t too scary, and I think I would market this as being ‘thriller’ rather than ‘horror.’ I would recommend this Book of the Month selection.
March 26, 2023
Originally I DNF but then I could not stop thinking about the story.
Buckle up, because this is a long and bumpy ride - but you’re in for a dark adventure.
Thank you so much to Erika T. Worth, NetGalley, and Flatiron Books for the gorgeous physical ARC🖤
Buckle up, because this is a long and bumpy ride - but you’re in for a dark adventure.
Thank you so much to Erika T. Worth, NetGalley, and Flatiron Books for the gorgeous physical ARC🖤
November 9, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review White Horse.
Author: Erika T. Wurth
Published: 11/01/22
Narrator: Tonantzin Carmelo
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) -- Horror
A disappointing read. I was prepared for an adult horror story featuring an indigenous (Native American) person. What I audibly read was at best a young adult supernatural-mentioned story. The dialogue of a 35-year-old is insane, childish temper tantrums repeatedly, and apparently she resided in a bar. There was nothing to like. The Native American part was just thrown in, insultingly. There was a little slang, and the main character mocked that.
There was nothing to like, nothing to hope would happen with one exception. The main character once again sticks her irresponsible uneducated self, yielding a gun, in the marriage of her cousin who has two small children, and I did want the husband to use his gun and end my misery. It is just madness. The language was juvenile with profanity phrases spewed throughout.
I wasn't able to appreciate any of the spiritual aspects, and I think they are there. The overall story was so bad, it influenced how the story progressed.
Sadly, I can't find anything positive. and that bothers me.
Author: Erika T. Wurth
Published: 11/01/22
Narrator: Tonantzin Carmelo
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) -- Horror
A disappointing read. I was prepared for an adult horror story featuring an indigenous (Native American) person. What I audibly read was at best a young adult supernatural-mentioned story. The dialogue of a 35-year-old is insane, childish temper tantrums repeatedly, and apparently she resided in a bar. There was nothing to like. The Native American part was just thrown in, insultingly. There was a little slang, and the main character mocked that.
There was nothing to like, nothing to hope would happen with one exception. The main character once again sticks her irresponsible uneducated self, yielding a gun, in the marriage of her cousin who has two small children, and I did want the husband to use his gun and end my misery. It is just madness. The language was juvenile with profanity phrases spewed throughout.
I wasn't able to appreciate any of the spiritual aspects, and I think they are there. The overall story was so bad, it influenced how the story progressed.
Sadly, I can't find anything positive. and that bothers me.
Read
October 8, 2022White Horse tells the story of 35 year old Kari James, an Urban Indian who lives in Denver, Colorado. She loves frequenting a dive bar called the White Horse, reading Stephen King books, and listening to heavy metal music. When she was a baby, her mom disappeared and her dad was in a car accident that left him with brain damage. She essentially raised herself and took care of her father, with little support. She went through a rebellious phase as a teen in which she also lost her best friend, Jaime. Now, as an adult working two jobs to make ends meet, she is forced to revisit her past and uncover secrets she's been happy to leave buried.
This book had so much potential. It's billed as a horror/thriller with indigenous folklore in the veins of Stephen Graham Jones (who I adore). It's blurbed by SGJ, Grady Hendrix and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. And the atmosphere of this book is great. I liked the setting of the dive bar, and there are homages to The Shining by Stephen King all throughout. But the rest of the book left a lot to be desired.
From the start, I felt like I could just never get into the groove of this book's plot. It tries to balance a family drama with a horror/folklore storyline but doesn't do the groundwork to get you familiar with the characters and why you should care about them. I felt like the relationships and their shared history were not explored enough. Then things started happening, sometimes conveniently, and the characters don't always question or explore them in a way that felt natural. This allowed things to happen to advance the story but not deepen the themes or characters as real human people. For me that's really critical for a story; so although it was easy enough to read and the plot had interesting elements, it never gripped me in a way that I want from a story.
I don't really feel comfortable giving this a star rating at this time because about 100 pages in I was considering DNFing it. But I pushed through because I wanted to see how it ended and ultimately was a bit underwhelmed. I think it relied a bit too heavily on referencing The Shining, and then wrapped up really quickly in the end. It just didn't feel like it had enough depth for me. I wanted Kari to grapple more with things, to have more emotional moments that didn't feel like cliches.
I did read an Advanced Reader's Copy, so I'm not sure if any of the issues I have with the book will be changed in the final version. I wouldn't deter readers from seeking this one out, but it's also not necessarily a new horror favorite. I wanted to love it but just didn't, sadly.
This book had so much potential. It's billed as a horror/thriller with indigenous folklore in the veins of Stephen Graham Jones (who I adore). It's blurbed by SGJ, Grady Hendrix and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. And the atmosphere of this book is great. I liked the setting of the dive bar, and there are homages to The Shining by Stephen King all throughout. But the rest of the book left a lot to be desired.
From the start, I felt like I could just never get into the groove of this book's plot. It tries to balance a family drama with a horror/folklore storyline but doesn't do the groundwork to get you familiar with the characters and why you should care about them. I felt like the relationships and their shared history were not explored enough. Then things started happening, sometimes conveniently, and the characters don't always question or explore them in a way that felt natural. This allowed things to happen to advance the story but not deepen the themes or characters as real human people. For me that's really critical for a story; so although it was easy enough to read and the plot had interesting elements, it never gripped me in a way that I want from a story.
I don't really feel comfortable giving this a star rating at this time because about 100 pages in I was considering DNFing it. But I pushed through because I wanted to see how it ended and ultimately was a bit underwhelmed. I think it relied a bit too heavily on referencing The Shining, and then wrapped up really quickly in the end. It just didn't feel like it had enough depth for me. I wanted Kari to grapple more with things, to have more emotional moments that didn't feel like cliches.
I did read an Advanced Reader's Copy, so I'm not sure if any of the issues I have with the book will be changed in the final version. I wouldn't deter readers from seeking this one out, but it's also not necessarily a new horror favorite. I wanted to love it but just didn't, sadly.
December 28, 2022
4/5⭐️
This was a fast-paced, unique, horror story that was full of insight and folklore about American Indian heritage, specifically the Apache and Chickasaw tribes.
Kari is somewhere in between having a Peter Pan complex, and the coolest chick ever, possibly both. I love that she is into horror and Stephen king, I felt like I was on an actual tour of the hotel from The Shining at one point. She is into metal music and vinyl, and she's a whiskey girl like myself. She's also traumatized by the loss of her mother and her best friend. She copes by remaining stilted in life, not moving forward, and certainly not confronting her past. Until she is given a family heirloom that her mother once owned and she begins to see things. Kari's visions make this a more approachable and believable ghost story, and the inclusion of The Lofa (a malevolent, ogre-like monster of Chickasaw folklore) added next-level creepiness.
there were certain elements to the writing style that confused me. When she would talk about her past, at times it was told in first-person, present-tense as if she were back in it and having some kind of flashback. But other times it was told in past-tense as if she was telling the reader what happened. The back and forth may have been intentional, but it took me out of the story.
Also, while the audio narrator was good, she had odd inflections that took awhile to get used to. She would lower her pitch with every comma, making it feel like the end of a sentence. Sometimes it worked against the writing, making it difficult to understand.
I loved the character arc that Kari goes through, and I would recommend this for anyone looking for a different type of ghost story.
This was a fast-paced, unique, horror story that was full of insight and folklore about American Indian heritage, specifically the Apache and Chickasaw tribes.
Kari is somewhere in between having a Peter Pan complex, and the coolest chick ever, possibly both. I love that she is into horror and Stephen king, I felt like I was on an actual tour of the hotel from The Shining at one point. She is into metal music and vinyl, and she's a whiskey girl like myself. She's also traumatized by the loss of her mother and her best friend. She copes by remaining stilted in life, not moving forward, and certainly not confronting her past. Until she is given a family heirloom that her mother once owned and she begins to see things. Kari's visions make this a more approachable and believable ghost story, and the inclusion of The Lofa (a malevolent, ogre-like monster of Chickasaw folklore) added next-level creepiness.
there were certain elements to the writing style that confused me. When she would talk about her past, at times it was told in first-person, present-tense as if she were back in it and having some kind of flashback. But other times it was told in past-tense as if she was telling the reader what happened. The back and forth may have been intentional, but it took me out of the story.
Also, while the audio narrator was good, she had odd inflections that took awhile to get used to. She would lower her pitch with every comma, making it feel like the end of a sentence. Sometimes it worked against the writing, making it difficult to understand.
I loved the character arc that Kari goes through, and I would recommend this for anyone looking for a different type of ghost story.
October 27, 2022
3.5 stars
35-year-old Kari James has filled her life with heavy metal, Stephen King novels, and beers at the White Horse with her cousin Debby. Her mom disappeared when she was only two days old and her heartbroken father has been permanently disabled from a car crash most of her life.
When Debby finds a family bracelet that once belonged to Kari's mom, it manages to stir up her mother’s spirit… and a mysterious creature.
Kari is determined to discover what happened to her mom; which means confronting her dysfunctional relationships and the loss of a friend while connecting with her mom’s side of the family.
White Horse is an interesting mix of contemporary mystery with horror elements and Native American legend. Kari is a solid character that I was rooting for from page one. I loved the elements of horror, especially the link to Stephen King’s The Shining.
My only complaint is the relationship between Debby and her husband. It often got in the way of Kari’s story and felt completely unnecessary. The story struggled in the middle but luckily regained its footing for a solid ending as it explores heavy topics of family/generational trauma and the very real horror of the murdered and missing indigenous women crisis.
Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. White Horse is scheduled for release on November 1, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
35-year-old Kari James has filled her life with heavy metal, Stephen King novels, and beers at the White Horse with her cousin Debby. Her mom disappeared when she was only two days old and her heartbroken father has been permanently disabled from a car crash most of her life.
When Debby finds a family bracelet that once belonged to Kari's mom, it manages to stir up her mother’s spirit… and a mysterious creature.
Kari is determined to discover what happened to her mom; which means confronting her dysfunctional relationships and the loss of a friend while connecting with her mom’s side of the family.
White Horse is an interesting mix of contemporary mystery with horror elements and Native American legend. Kari is a solid character that I was rooting for from page one. I loved the elements of horror, especially the link to Stephen King’s The Shining.
My only complaint is the relationship between Debby and her husband. It often got in the way of Kari’s story and felt completely unnecessary. The story struggled in the middle but luckily regained its footing for a solid ending as it explores heavy topics of family/generational trauma and the very real horror of the murdered and missing indigenous women crisis.
Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. White Horse is scheduled for release on November 1, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
November 27, 2022
There was some good moments in this book, but on the whole I just found it very confused and disjointed. It felt like the main storyline (Kari trying to discover what happened to her mother) took a very rushed and sporadic backseat to a baffling number of other directions (everything with Debby, the White Horse, her dad, being a "cool girl" metalhead). Most of the chapters just being a page or two contributed to the choppy feel, and the ending was just....meh. And what even was the deal with Jamie? This felt like a first draft of about three different books.
If your idea of a good book is endless repetition, (how many times was Debby going to be described as squealing and clapping childishly?), a cool metalhead tough girl drinking Bud and reading King and talking about all of that endlessly, I think you may really like this, and honestly more power to you.
If your idea of a good book is endless repetition, (how many times was Debby going to be described as squealing and clapping childishly?), a cool metalhead tough girl drinking Bud and reading King and talking about all of that endlessly, I think you may really like this, and honestly more power to you.
November 4, 2022
Unfortunately I think that White Horse is the case of me having too high of expectations to start. The book did not capture me the way I thought it would. I felt disengaged most of the time, and was reading to be done instead of to know what was going to happen. This is also the third horror book I have read in a row that uses child molestation as a plot point. It is getting old. I enjoyed learning about the Denver area and the indigenous folx that are from around there, but at times the writing felt overly wordy and often repetitive. I would not say this is a bad book. I think I just like my metal a bit more extreme and my horror a bit more subversive.
Read
October 21, 2022NOBODY TOLD ME SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA BLURBED THIS BOOK.
EDIT:
First Tik Tok on this matter.
4.5 goth stars rounded up to 5 for the subsequent reasons--NOTE: I have seen this discussed as a horror novel everywhere, but it's really not. It's more like a paranormal mystery with a tiny sampling of horror in some of the fantastical scenes. This is a big plus for me, a coward afraid of her own shadow who really doesn't read horror. Just giving all the genre-readers a heads up.
First, and most importantly to me, GIVE A STANDING OVATION to our 35-year old metalhead female main character who watches horror films, dresses in head-to-toe black and hangs out at dive bars. UNAPOLOGETICALLY. Yes, main characters can be over 30. Life goes on and we don't have to conform to what society dictates and Kari James is a legend and an icon.
Secondly, I had read everywhere that this is an Indigenous novel. but what I didn't know until I read it is that the main character is not only Indigenous, but of Latinx descent as well. So few books reflect our identities and even fewer reflect the intersection of our identities. This book explores a little bit of the "in between" Kari feels as not enough of either identity.
Thirdly, this is my first novel by Erika, but I just adored her writing style. It was very grounded, even during visions or as the action spiraled out. I always had a sense of time and place with nary an info-dump. The flow of the story was natural and captivated me.
I have more thoughts, but I just wanted to write these quick notes down with less than 2 weeks for publication.
Get this one on your radars, my loves.
Follow me on INSTAGRAM and
TIK TOK.
Shop my BOOKSHOP BOOKSHELVES and AMAZON LISTS.
EDIT:
First Tik Tok on this matter.
4.5 goth stars rounded up to 5 for the subsequent reasons--NOTE: I have seen this discussed as a horror novel everywhere, but it's really not. It's more like a paranormal mystery with a tiny sampling of horror in some of the fantastical scenes. This is a big plus for me, a coward afraid of her own shadow who really doesn't read horror. Just giving all the genre-readers a heads up.
First, and most importantly to me, GIVE A STANDING OVATION to our 35-year old metalhead female main character who watches horror films, dresses in head-to-toe black and hangs out at dive bars. UNAPOLOGETICALLY. Yes, main characters can be over 30. Life goes on and we don't have to conform to what society dictates and Kari James is a legend and an icon.
Secondly, I had read everywhere that this is an Indigenous novel. but what I didn't know until I read it is that the main character is not only Indigenous, but of Latinx descent as well. So few books reflect our identities and even fewer reflect the intersection of our identities. This book explores a little bit of the "in between" Kari feels as not enough of either identity.
Thirdly, this is my first novel by Erika, but I just adored her writing style. It was very grounded, even during visions or as the action spiraled out. I always had a sense of time and place with nary an info-dump. The flow of the story was natural and captivated me.
I have more thoughts, but I just wanted to write these quick notes down with less than 2 weeks for publication.
Get this one on your radars, my loves.
Follow me on INSTAGRAM and
TIK TOK.
Shop my BOOKSHOP BOOKSHELVES and AMAZON LISTS.
November 25, 2022
DNF - November 2022 Book of the Month
Slow pacing and juvenile writing for what’s supposed to be an adult horror book.
Slow pacing and juvenile writing for what’s supposed to be an adult horror book.
August 24, 2023
What I liked:
• The characters - The main character is a 35-year-old Indigenous woman named Kari James. She is a self-assured, confident, assertive character, which I liked. She doesn't have a partner, doesn't want kids, and isn't villanized because of it. Her sidekick is her cousin Debby, who is the exact opposite of Kari. They have a wonderful relationship, and quite a history together. Debby's husband Jack is often present in the story too. The trio have a complex, detailed, and strained relationship; it was my favorite part of the story. In the beginning, it is shown that Jack has an alcohol problem, which always leads to trouble for Debby and Kari. He is manipulative - always trying to prevent Debby from spending time with Kari, and saying she is abandoning him because of Kari. With the progression of the story, we get more information on Debby and Jack's marriage. At first, I thought Kari was putting too much blame on Jack but he is an ass. Debby seems in denial about the situation, which was frustrating to read. Kari and Debby often argue about Jack. While I do think Kari is right about some things, she does need to stop being so harsh on Debby. Debby is a responsible adult and knows how to take care of herself.
Among other relationships, the one Kari has with her father is also worth mentioning. Kari's mother abandoned her and her husband when Kari was 2 days old. She has been missing ever since. Many years after her disappearance, Kari's dad gets drunk, crashes the car, and is left with severe brain damage. That means the roles are reversed and teenage Kari has to take care of her father, which leads to a whole new set of issues for Kari. We get glimpses of what Kari's teenage years were like - filled with alcohol and different drugs, and we meet her then-best friend Jaime. Their relationship is a minor aspect of the story but it left great consequences on Kari's life.
One more thing is that the MC is a horror fan and a metalhead, which is rad. Kari even reads The Shining and visits the hotel from the movie. She is such a cool character.
• The story & the culture: The premise is that Debby finds an old bracelet that belonged to Kari's mother Cecilia, and that sets off a chain of events that lead Kari to find out more about what happened to her mother. Cecilia is also Indigenous, just like her mother and grandmother, which is crucial to the story. After touching the bracelet, Kari gets a vision of Cecilia, who looks all bloody and sad. Those visions continue bothering Kari to the point of her going to talk to her aunt Squeaker about it. Her aunt, being a very spiritual woman, tells Kari she needs to find out what happened to Cecilia, for her ghost to move on. On her journey to find the truth, Kari realizes something is following her, and that something smells of rotten flesh. Kari gets a hint from her mum about that thing haunting her; it is the Lofa. According to native-languages.org, the Lofa is an ogre-like creature from Chickasaw folklore, and some legends say it tends to abduct Chickasaw women. This is an important puzzle piece for the story's resolution. I will not spoil anything but I must say the whole ending left a bad taste in my mouth. The story has lots of elements of Indigenous culture. There is a lot of talk about different tribes, their histories, and places of origin. That was a cool aspect of the story because firstly - I have never read a story that features an Indigenous MC, and secondly, I know nothing about that part of American history (except the whole Cowboys vs. Indians clichè). I love how different parts of Indigenous culture were interwoven in the story, and how they made all the clues from Kari's visions fall into place.
What I didn't like:
• The writing: The writing feels crude in a way. It is straightforward with no romanticising of anything that happens. No pretty sentences or fancy descriptions. In my head, I keep comparing this book to Our Wives Under the Sea (both are 4 stars), and their writing styles are complete opposites. Kari's voice is also harsh, which suits her personality but at times it is annoying. She says 'shit' a lot, and it gets tiring. The writing is not bad, it just didn't suit me.
Slight spoiler
One of my favorite quotes was: "At the top, I'd walked around a little, fed the chipmunks, thought more about whether I was insane, and If my father killed my mother - and then I bought a T-shirt." After reading that my mind immediately went: #JustGirlyThings. It was funny to me.
• The horror aspect (could also be spoilers): Hm, this is going to be hard to explain. In the first few chapters, I had a feeling this was going to be a spooky book like I would legitimately be scared. The visions were really scary, and they gave me goosebumps. Eventually, when Kari starts unraveling the mystery, the visions aren't scary anymore. The meaning of them completely shifts and it's not the same. The Lofa continues to lurk around Kari but it's clear that it is a metaphor. I do understand the mystery has to be solved, the story rounded up, and the ghost isn't sinister after all but that meant the spookiness level dropped. What I wanted was for that threat, or fear, to persist for a little longer.
Summa summarum: great debut novel, would reread it and will read future works.
• The characters - The main character is a 35-year-old Indigenous woman named Kari James. She is a self-assured, confident, assertive character, which I liked. She doesn't have a partner, doesn't want kids, and isn't villanized because of it. Her sidekick is her cousin Debby, who is the exact opposite of Kari. They have a wonderful relationship, and quite a history together. Debby's husband Jack is often present in the story too. The trio have a complex, detailed, and strained relationship; it was my favorite part of the story. In the beginning, it is shown that Jack has an alcohol problem, which always leads to trouble for Debby and Kari. He is manipulative - always trying to prevent Debby from spending time with Kari, and saying she is abandoning him because of Kari. With the progression of the story, we get more information on Debby and Jack's marriage. At first, I thought Kari was putting too much blame on Jack but he is an ass. Debby seems in denial about the situation, which was frustrating to read. Kari and Debby often argue about Jack. While I do think Kari is right about some things, she does need to stop being so harsh on Debby. Debby is a responsible adult and knows how to take care of herself.
Among other relationships, the one Kari has with her father is also worth mentioning. Kari's mother abandoned her and her husband when Kari was 2 days old. She has been missing ever since. Many years after her disappearance, Kari's dad gets drunk, crashes the car, and is left with severe brain damage. That means the roles are reversed and teenage Kari has to take care of her father, which leads to a whole new set of issues for Kari. We get glimpses of what Kari's teenage years were like - filled with alcohol and different drugs, and we meet her then-best friend Jaime. Their relationship is a minor aspect of the story but it left great consequences on Kari's life.
One more thing is that the MC is a horror fan and a metalhead, which is rad. Kari even reads The Shining and visits the hotel from the movie. She is such a cool character.
• The story & the culture: The premise is that Debby finds an old bracelet that belonged to Kari's mother Cecilia, and that sets off a chain of events that lead Kari to find out more about what happened to her mother. Cecilia is also Indigenous, just like her mother and grandmother, which is crucial to the story. After touching the bracelet, Kari gets a vision of Cecilia, who looks all bloody and sad. Those visions continue bothering Kari to the point of her going to talk to her aunt Squeaker about it. Her aunt, being a very spiritual woman, tells Kari she needs to find out what happened to Cecilia, for her ghost to move on. On her journey to find the truth, Kari realizes something is following her, and that something smells of rotten flesh. Kari gets a hint from her mum about that thing haunting her; it is the Lofa. According to native-languages.org, the Lofa is an ogre-like creature from Chickasaw folklore, and some legends say it tends to abduct Chickasaw women. This is an important puzzle piece for the story's resolution. I will not spoil anything but I must say the whole ending left a bad taste in my mouth. The story has lots of elements of Indigenous culture. There is a lot of talk about different tribes, their histories, and places of origin. That was a cool aspect of the story because firstly - I have never read a story that features an Indigenous MC, and secondly, I know nothing about that part of American history (except the whole Cowboys vs. Indians clichè). I love how different parts of Indigenous culture were interwoven in the story, and how they made all the clues from Kari's visions fall into place.
What I didn't like:
• The writing: The writing feels crude in a way. It is straightforward with no romanticising of anything that happens. No pretty sentences or fancy descriptions. In my head, I keep comparing this book to Our Wives Under the Sea (both are 4 stars), and their writing styles are complete opposites. Kari's voice is also harsh, which suits her personality but at times it is annoying. She says 'shit' a lot, and it gets tiring. The writing is not bad, it just didn't suit me.
Slight spoiler
One of my favorite quotes was: "At the top, I'd walked around a little, fed the chipmunks, thought more about whether I was insane, and If my father killed my mother - and then I bought a T-shirt." After reading that my mind immediately went: #JustGirlyThings. It was funny to me.
• The horror aspect (could also be spoilers): Hm, this is going to be hard to explain. In the first few chapters, I had a feeling this was going to be a spooky book like I would legitimately be scared. The visions were really scary, and they gave me goosebumps. Eventually, when Kari starts unraveling the mystery, the visions aren't scary anymore. The meaning of them completely shifts and it's not the same. The Lofa continues to lurk around Kari but it's clear that it is a metaphor. I do understand the mystery has to be solved, the story rounded up, and the ghost isn't sinister after all but that meant the spookiness level dropped. What I wanted was for that threat, or fear, to persist for a little longer.
Summa summarum: great debut novel, would reread it and will read future works.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,030 reviews