Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Challenge # 18 ~ “3 books related to past, present and future ~ Book 1: ‘Past'”

vengeanceroad

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

I’ve not really spent time watching Westerns on TV, and the goldrush is a time from history I’m not at all knowledgeable on, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this. What I got was an enjoyable, informative tale filled with lovable characters and a really strong sense of atmosphere. Sure, it took several chapters for me to find my feet and settle in, but once I was there, I was there and hooked.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

How many other books out there in the YA genre are kickass stories set in the Wild West, with an engaging plot, great characterisation and a really strong sense of setting? Yes, not only is it something different in the genre, but well-written too! Picking one element to laud above all others is tricky, because Bowman shows true finesse in each, but if you’re looking for a reason to justify picking it up, or to recommend it to others, how about its ability to carve out a niche in an already-so-varied genre?

A warning for the book:

Don’t let the first few chapters set your impression of the book. Looking back, they’re necessary to set the scene and provide the background, but at the time, they did little to entice me in. True, this probably wasn’t helped by the voice Bowman chose to use, with written slang, pronunciation and grammar of the time, which I found a little jarring to begin with. In fact, I thought that could be a significant nail in the coffin for this book. However, as the plot picked up and I got further into the novel, I barely noticed this (to me) unusual way of speaking, and instead was just drawn deeper and deeper into the story. It’s a mediocre beginning in many ways, but it will prove worthwhile!

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