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    Vengeance Road
    Vengeance Road
    Vengeance Road
    Audiobook7 hours

    Vengeance Road

    Written by Erin Bowman

    Narrated by Amy Rubinate

    4/5

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    About this audiobook


    When Kate Thompson's father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.
    In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJan 5, 2016
    ISBN9781515970972
    Author

    Erin Bowman

      Erin Bowman is the critically acclaimed author of numerous books for children and teens, including the Taken Trilogy, Vengeance Road, Retribution Rails, the Edgar Award-nominated Contagion duology, The Girl and the Witch’s Garden, and the forthcoming Dustborn. A web designer turned author, Erin has always been invested in telling stories–both visually and with words. Erin lives in New Hampshire with her husband and children.

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    Reviews for Vengeance Road

    4/5

    117 ratings17 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Wow, that was a thrilling read :) it was so nice to read something fresh and different from all the fantasy I've been hooked on lately. I've never read a western before, I've seen a couple of western movies, so based on this I thought it was an amazing read :) I really enjoyed the characters and the quest for revenge and just everything. The setting was so well done and the story line kept you interested. The writing was phenomenal. Erin Bowman did a great job balancing the action and the travelling scenes and everything in between! I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!
    • 5/5
      While this YA Western may seem similar to a certain other teen-girl-on-a-quest-to-avenge-her-father story, I'm happy to report that it has a beautiful, sweeping, and more violent, life of its own. Erin Bowman writes about the American southwest in the late 19th century in a way that is both romantic and gritty. She does not shy away from the harsh realities of living in a desert community where murderous gangs and dangerous Apache live.Kate, a girl (disguised as a boy) thirsting for revenge for her father's killers and a hidden cache of gold, is a great character; she is tough, no-nonsense, determined, stubborn, and maybe a little selfish in certain ways. She joins up with the Colton brothers, who may have an agenda of their own. They get into several scrapes along the way, and learn things about themselves and each other before their adventure is over.I really loved this book. The way Bowman writes about the landscape is great (and made me more determined than ever to go visit New Mexico/Arizona). I also appreciated the research that went into writing this book, as she included several historical figures and events. She is writing a companion novel to this book, and I'm eagerly awaiting its publication.Also, this is one of my most favorite book covers.
    • 3/5
      Cute story but not much substance. Plus her “cowgirl” accent seemed very fake.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars
      I enjoyed this but in some parts of this book I wanted a bit more out of it. I definitely enjoyed the second half way more than the first. I had a hard time getting into it at first, but I am glad I stuck with it. I did really enjoy the characters and setting of the book. I thought the characters all had very realistic and very interesting character traits and personalities. I didn't love the romance that developed between the characters so much. For me, it was just missing a bit of something that made me really care about it. Kate's father dies on the first or second page of this book and then the rest of the book is a journey for revenge, but I just didn't care enough about the father to care if Kate got justice for him or not. There were also some other characters deaths or plot twists that, while I didn't really see them coming, They also didn't have much of an impact on me. Also, a lot of side characters that came into the story later, especially Liluye, as well as Evelyn, that I just wanted to know more about, to me, they were some of the most interesting characters, maybe even more interesting than the main characters in my mind, but we really never got to learn that much about them. So much was hinted about them regarding their lives and backstory and relationships but we never got to learn more. I did think this book wrapped up nicely and I was pretty satisfied with the ending, besides the loose ends with the side characters that I just mentioned. Overall this was a very pleasant read but sometimes I just wanted more out of it.
    • 5/5
      Suspenseful, fast-paced, and so very atmospheric, the dirt and the dust, the speech patterns, I felt thoroughly pulled in to this western world.Kate, dressed as a boy, saddles up and makes it her mission to hunt down and kill the men who hung her father. Kate’s arc progressed fantastically, full of fury and grief, gradually healing without ever losing her fire. The characters riding alongside Kate were memorable, too. Jesse and Will’s backstory informed their actions, so even when I didn’t agree with something they said or did, I at least understood why, plus I liked Jesse’s vulnerability, I liked that oftentimes he seemed more fragile than Kate, which isn’t exactly commonplace in depictions of gender. I loved Liluye, an Apache girl attempting to make her way home, I know it’s unlikely to happen but she really deserves a book all her own. I loved that she’s so true to her convictions and insistent on respect, and how sharp and observant she is, she has such a good read on everyone, intelligence is one of my favorite things in a character and she has that in abundance. While there is a romance in Vengeance Road, I liked that it’s mostly a quiet presence throughout and in the moments when it does become more prominent their dire circumstances aren’t forgotten.The story could have easily wrapped up earlier than it did and I very much appreciated that the author instead took some time to let things settle, it made for an emotionally satisfying ending.
    • 3/5
      Edelweiss provided me with an ARC. I'll definitely recommend this to any of our teens who like stories with tough girl main characters or westerns. It's really well written, and the story is compelling. Written in dialect, it reminds me of True Grit. However, I didn't love the portrayal of the Apache and Liluye in particular, as it feels very VERY stereotypical and plays on a number of tired tropes. It could have been worse, but it also could have been better, and with so few depictions of Native American characters in YA lit to begin with, it would have been nice for this one to be better than it was.
    • 3/5
      Big thank you to the publisher and good reads for a free copy of Vengeance Road!

      I'm a sucker for books where the main character disguises herself as a boy. For books with tough and gritty and vengeful female characters. And, while I've never read a Western before, I grew up on Little House on the Prairie and love that whole frontier feel. So, I knew as soon as I read the summary, that I was going to adore this book.

      Did I ever.

      The main character, Kate, for starters. Like I said, she's vengeful. She's tough. But she also has a soft spot for Little Women. I instantly loved her, wanted to be her, and was a little bit afraid of her at the same time.

      The atmosphere is amazing, as well. Erin Bowman does a wonderful job at capturing what [I would imagine to be] what the Wild West was like. The book is written in a dialect -- not so much as to be distracting, but enough to make you hear and feel and accent and rhythm of the speech.

      Similarly, there's such a great sense of place. When I read, I felt like I was in a gold rush town. And that includes some of the less positive aspects that I don't see addressed much in fiction -- Chinese railway workers being paid next to nothing, for example.

      And the plot. This is a gripping story of revenge, of family, of using people as a means to an end and maybe realizing that you can't do that anymore.

      There's romance, but I don't even mind that (and maybe even enjoyed it, which means that pigs are due to start flying any day now). The relationship feels sweet and realistic AND has one of the best examples of consent and respecting boundaries that I've seen in awhile.

      So, having said all of that, why three stars? Honestly, because the portrayal of the Apache people -- and the role of Liluye. Don't get me wrong, Liluye is a great character, I love that she's in the book, and I particularly like how the dynamic between her and the other characters shifts as the story progresses.

      But at the end of the day, it felt like her part in the story was more as a mystical, wise guide for the other characters. It felt stereotypical, it didn't sit right with me, and I wish her character had been handled differently.

      Apart from that, though? I strongly recommend this book. Awesome main character, gripping plot, and a writing style that drags you right into the Wild West -- I can't ask for much more.
    • 4/5
      Kate Thompson returns home in time to find her father dead, hanging from a mesquite tree, and the family homestead burned to the ground. The celebratory yells of the gunman who killed him still echoing off the dry Arizona land. Swearing vengeance, and vowing to recover her father’s stolen journal, Kate sets off after the gang with rifle in hand. As her questions for revenge becomes entangled with a legendary gold mine, revelations about Kate’s family force her to question everything she has known.Usually when you hear a book described as “gritty”, you think of a detective novel with a high functioning alcoholic detective and a female lead who resembles a poisonous spider. However, when I say that Vengeance Road is gritty, I mean it in the most literal sense. Bowman paints the thinnest coat of romanticism over her descriptions of life on the frontier. For the most part, she invites us to look closely at the dirt, the stench, the whores, the casual violence, the racism, and the cheapness of life past the edge of “civilization.” I love it. Her descriptions of the desert, the mountains, and the canyons on Kate’s journey are clearly written by someone in love with the harsh beauty of the American Southwest. Bowman also weaves local legends into her story, rooting it even more firmly into the red Arizona soil.So yes, this is a YA book, but I found it very enjoyable for even those beyond the YA years (except for bits of the obligatory will they/won’t they love story, sigh . . . Though Bowman does handle that as darkly as the rest of the story). Finding a good western is hard these days, the genre has gone out of fashion of late. For YA lovers, this is a great way to introduce yourself to a new (old) genre.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      "'That sounds real nice, boy,' he says. 'Now for the love of God, lower that damn pistol.' 'All right,' I says. And I do. Right after I shoot him through the skull."

      A gritty, ruthless tale of greed and the trail of blood it leaves in its wake. Young adult westerns featuring brutal, gun-toting lady heroes may be my new favorite genre. Kate is on a deadly mission following the torture and execution of her father by a notorious gang that plagues the southwest. With vengeance in her heart, she sets out in disguise to track the merciless bandits in their lust for a gold mine promising riches and settle the score. Joining forces with a pair of hardheaded rancher brothers and a mysterious young Apache woman, none of them are prepared for the betrayals and deadly shootouts that await in the cruel Arizona desert.

      While the premise of Bowman's breakout from YA dystopian lit may sound similar to other westerns taking the YA market by storm, Vengeance Road is a remarkable standalone. With brass and pluck, Kate is a showstopper and the storyline just the right amount of nasty to satisfy any lover of the western genre. Easily one of the most satisfying books I've read this year.
    • 4/5
      Foray into Western - 3.5 stars...

      Although I don't get around to doing much of either lately, I love watching old western movies and TV shows and reading some of the old western books. There is just something about the American Old West with its gritty outlaws & gunslingers, the frontier towns, saloons & quick draw duels that just speak to me. So of course when I saw Erin Bowman was writing a YA western, I had to see what it was all about...

      Did it measure up? Let's just say I'm glad that YA authors are starting to dabble in the Western genre but I wouldn't call Vengeance Road a true western. True westerns I think are more hard core and this book was definitely a mild-soft core version. It was still good though and I think if you're not a huge fan of Westerns you can still read this book and enjoy it. I'm not sure if that's what Bowman was aiming for or if it was just toned down for a younger audience or if she just missed the mark a little since it was her first foray into the genre. Whatever the reason, like I said, it was a decent trip to the wild frontier as long you don't go into it, expecting it to compare to those old classics you use to watch with your dad because needless to say, it will not.
    • 4/5
      I'm not a big western fan, but this one caught my attention, and kept it.
    • 4/5
      If this is what a Western is then sign me up! Because I loved it. And I need more. Vengeance Road pulled me from reality and put me right into the Old West.

      Kate's father is killed by a group of bandits and she vows to avenge his death. Seeking justice, in the form of revenge, she sets off disguised as a boy. Meeting up with the Colton brothers, she (reluctantly) let's them join her in her quest. However, things are not as straightforward as they seem and the road to vengeance is paved with untamed lands and unsavory characters.

      Vengeance Road is fast paced and action packed. Whether there are shootouts or Kate and her gang were running from and chasing down outlaws, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

      Furthermore, each character was completely unique and well developed. Kate's obsession with retaliation drives her for much, if not all, of the novel. Yet, she is much more than just a bundle of anger. And I loved each of her companions- Jesse and Will, and later Liluye. Their personalities contrast with Kate's unwavering focus on vengeance, creating a dynamic that is both humorous and heartfelt. As for The Rose Riders: their surly, ruthless, criminal ways could not have been depicted better.

      Bowman does an excellent job at creating a world and characters that make you feel as if you really are in the West. And her portrayal makes me excited for yet another genre I never really felt was for me.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Realistic story that will capture your heart! I loved everything about this book and would highly recommend it to all young adult fans!Opening Sentence: It weren’t no secret Pa owned the best plot of land ‘long Granite Creek, and I reckon that’s why they killed him.The Review:Kate Thompson’s life has just been turned upside down. One day out of the blue a gang of bandits come to her home and murdered her father. Kate’s mother died when she was a baby, so it was just her and her pa growing up. They lived a quiet life outside of a quiet town. They never traveled and they always had just enough money to get by. But it turns out that her father had a lot of secrets that he kept from Kate and one of them ends up getting him killed.Left devastated and alone Kate decides that she will do whatever it takes to get justice for her father’s murder. Even if it means dressing up as a boy and riding out after the most notorious, dangerous gang of bandits around. On her journey she meets new allies, makes a few new friends, and learns a lot of important life lessons. Will revenge bring her the peace she seeks or will it destroy the good she has left inside of her?Kate is such an amazing heroine! Her story is so tragic but instead of crumbling and giving up like most people would she decides to seek vengeance on those who have wronged her. This probably wasn’t the smartest choice she could have made, but it’s what she needed to do so she could move on with her life. She is pretty fearless and quite resourceful, which comes in handy when your stuck in a tough situation. She is definitely a spur of the moment type of person, but she also tries to make smart rational decisions. I thought that Kate was easy to connect with and she is someone you can’t help but admire!I have always been a huge sucker for Cowboys in books! Don’t ask me why because in real life they totally aren’t my type. But for some reason when I’m reading about a dreamy cowboy with his sexy accent and arms of steel from working the land, I just can’t help but swoon! Jesse is the epitome of what I would consider a hot cowboy! He is smart, good looking, strong, and kind hearted. He is very level headed for the most part and he is just a genuine good person. That doesn’t mean he is perfect, he makes plenty of mistakes but that just made him more realistic! His relationship with Kate is so freaking cute. It is very slow burning and for a lot of the book they drive each other nuts but you know they are totally attracted to each other! Everything about the romance was done perfectly and Jesse was definitely a swoon worthy cowboy!Vengeance Road is a gorgeous lush story filled with engaging characters, adorable romance, and a nonstop adventure! From the very first page I was instantly hooked and I flew through the entire book in one day! The plot was very intriguing and Bowman did a wonderful job throwing in a few unexpected twists. It was also a very emotional read that made me laugh, cry and sigh! Life in the Wild West was very hard. It was laced with tragedy and much suffering. But people were taught to rise above the heartache and look for the good in life. I thought that Bowman presented a very realistic setting for the time period and she did an amazing job integrating all the elements of that day and age. I felt like I was truly living in the Wild West while reading the story! Another great thing was that you can learn some great life lessons from reading this and that just made it an even better story. If you can’t tell from my entire review, I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to all young adult fans!Notable Scene:He spins and draws his gun so quick, alls I can do is react. I pull my trigger. Ton goes flying into the mesquite tree and crumples still.Jesus, he’s dead.I did that.I didn’t even mean to or want to, but he woulda got me. If my gun hadn’t already been out, I know I’d be dead. My heart’s pounding frantic in my chest.FTC Advisory: HMH Books for Young Readers provided me with a copy of Vengeance Road. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 3/5
      It's been quite some time since I read a nice gritty western and I think that teens new to the genre will get a big kick out of this one. Kate Thompson comes home one day to discover her house on fire and father hanged, she immediately sets out to find and kill the murderers. As a girl this would be nearly impossible, but dressed as a boy, she stands a fighting chance. Armed with only her favorite horse and one of her father's pistols she plans to discover why her father was killed and to exact vengeance on the murderers. Filled with grit, lore, legend, and the wild west, this is a great read for fans of westerns or those who have never been introduced to the genre.
    • 4/5
      Well-paced and action-packed young adult western, featuring an ornery, tough-talkin' female lead. I usually groan inwardly when my husband puts a western on the TV (I prefer my movies have a more lively color palette…embarrassingly superficial, I know!), but I loved this book! I would have passed it up, if it weren't for the good reviews that popped up in my newsfeed. The gorgeous cover didn't hurt either! This book was a good reminder to branch out of my comfort zone more often.The thought of being confined to town—standing behind a grocer’s counter or waiting at home for a husband to return—is stifling. Every day the same. Marrying for security and nothing more. I can fire a rifle as good as any man. ’Parently I can kill another just as dead too. I don’t see why I should act like I can’t just ’cus it ruffles everyone else’s feathers.A gang of outlaws murders Kate Thompson's father and burns down her home. Left with nothing, she decides to avenge her father's death. Disguised as a boy named Nate, Kate hops on her horse and rides through the dangerous, blood-soaked Arizona wilderness to seek vengeance and hopefully find out why the notorious Rose Riders targeted her father. Vengeance Road is set during 1877, in the Arizona Territory. A helpful map is provided in the beginning, so it is easy to follow the journey. The plot is linear and the whole story plays out very cinematically. The story is told from Kate's point-of-view, in a cowboy dialect. The dialect made me feel even more immersed in the Old West setting.“You know, I lost my ma in a bad way. Not to a gang of outlaws but to a band of Indians. It were ages ago, and it hurt for a long, long while. Still does on occasion. But the hurt fades with time. You always feel it, but it becomes a duller sting, ’stead of sharp. Course, that’s assuming you don’t ride the road of vengeance. You got good intentions, Nate, but that path’s like rubbing salt in the wound. Yer cut’ll never scab over.”Kate reminded me a little of Jo in Little Women, which was probably intentional since Little Women is mentioned halfway through the book! She is brave and unapologetic, but she also has a good heart. Kate ends up reluctantly teaming up with a few equally stubborn characters who have their own motivations. I loved the banter between them all. Kate's observations made me laugh, especially when it came to Jesse Colton's squinty eyes! There is real danger lurking behind every shadow and there are more than a few violent shoot-outs. This author does not shy away from the gritty parts of the Wild West! A romance does begin to emerge, but it happens naturally at a regular pace. It never overwhelms the main plot or engulfs the characters. Kate isn't the type of character that pines after a guy and mopes around. She simply doesn't have time for that!And this is where we differ, me and the Coltons, ’cus for them, walking out of those mountains matters. But I only want to avenge my father’s blood. It ain’t like I gotta live through it to be successful.Kate learns that it is okay to ask for help and that maybe getting revenge isn't as fulfilling as you would think. The author's notes at the end are also worth a read, because she reveals the details of the legend she was inspired by. Vengeance Road is an entertaining book that leads the reader to some surprising and unexpected places! It also made me realize how thankful I am for Google Maps and that we don't have to rely on landmarks, like "oddly shaped tree next to three rocks." ;) I would recommend to anyone who is looking for some entertaining, action-filled escapism and doesn't mind when things get a little rough! I thought I’d feel better when it were all said and done. I thought I’d feel like the world had reset, like things made sense. But I’m still just as alone, just as mad Pa were taken from me, just as furious it can’t be changed.
    • 4/5
      I could have loved this book, I really could. I'm a huge fan of TRUE GRIT and stories about pioneers in the wild west. And there is a lot to praise here. There really isn't anything else in YA fiction like VENGEANCE ROAD except maybe the superiorly written NOT A DROP TO DRINK by Mindy McGinnis. I loved the TRUE GRIT premise of a girl seeking to avenge her murdered father, and I'm a sucker for girls pretending to be boys and inadvertently discovering romance. I also enjoyed the way the legend of The Lost Dutchman mine was woven into the story with plenty of historically accurate details. There are, however, a few drawbacks as well. The dialect came just shy of working for me (it did initially, but ultimately came across more like the Doris Day version of Calamity Jane--just a little too hokey for my taste). I also had some trouble with the more modernized view of sex in the book (not that there is anything close to graphic in the book). It could have been lifted from an current YA book. The first half of the book is also stronger than the second, which gets a little twisty and unnecessarily complicated. And ultimately, I didn't end up buying into this old west world and characters as deeply as I had hoped. VENGEANCE ROAD is still a fun read and definitely distinct from anything else you're likely to spot in the YA section of a book store. There is plenty of violence and bloodshed in keeping with the dangerous time and place the story is set in, but also more than one modern view that doesn't fit as well. The author has stated that she is considering the idea of a companion novel, "but it would supplement VENGEANCE ROAD (story with new characters and conflicts) rather than be a direct sequel."
    • 4/5
      An exciting story set in the old west featuring a strong and resilient female protagonist.