Author: Erin Bowman
Series: N/A
Edition: Digital Review Copy, 336 pages
Publication Details: September 1st 2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre(s): YA
Disclosure? Yep! I received a free copy in exchange for an HONEST review.
Revenge is worth its weight in gold.
When hers father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.
Review
Vengeance Road is a fast-paced, action-packed, tale of adventure and revenge in the shape of a good old-fashioned Western.
Plucky protagonist Kate thought her father was hung for the sake of it, but when she makes her way to Abe’s ranch, someone her father instructed her to seek out should anything happen to him, she discovers that she didn’t know him as well as she thought.
Hell-bent on seeking revenge for his death, Kate, along with Abe’s children – for he too is dead when she gets there – heads off across the acrid plains on the trail of the Rose clan – the notorious band of outlaws who killed him.
Hurrah for this is basically what I want to say! It’s not often you come across new and exciting strands of YA, and Vengeance Road was definitely that. Bowman weaves a thrilling, old fashioned yarn of an adventure and makes it look all shiny and new.
Kate is a wonderful character. She’s strong-willed, resourceful, and presents herself as fearless. But deep down she’s just like any teenager, lacking in confidence, and feeling lost in the world.
I really enjoyed this book the whole way through. I enjoyed Kate’s banter with the brothers, and her unlikely friendship with Lilulwe, an Apache girl. It has a bit of everything.
There is of course some romance too, this is YA after all.
This was my first helping of Erin Bowman, and I think she’s certainly one to watch. I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next, and I might even have to check out her previous books on the strength of this one.