Review by Booklist Review
Urban Indian Kari James works two jobs to fund her simple lifestyle that includes heavy metal, Stephen King novels, and beer at the White Horse, her go-to Indian bar. One night, her cousin Debby produces a bracelet that once belonged to Kari's mother, who abandoned her as an infant. Kari wants nothing to do with it at first, but, over time, reluctantly begins to wear it. Soon she is plagued by disturbing visions, causing her to question what really happened to her mother. Kari's past is dredged up as she digs into the truth, forcing her to face demons she'd long thought laid to rest. Wurth creates a compelling world that feels so real it's easy to forget you're reading a work of fiction. She allows readers to truly get inside Kari's head, and they will ache for her as she leaves no stone unturned in her investigation. White Horse is a must-read for anyone fond of ghost stories and the horror genre, as Wurth's voice is both authentic and insistent.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Fans of supernatural thrillers and classic Stephen King will devour this tale of ghosts, heavy metal, and an urban Indigenous woman reckoning with the tragedies of the past from Wurth (Crazy Horse's Girlfriend). Kari James's mother disappeared just two days after Kari was born, and Kari, of Apache and Chickasaw decent, has lived her life angry as a result, believing her mother abandoned her. Having left hard drugs behind after another tragic loss, Kari now just wants to be left alone to enjoy her music and a drink at the White Horse bar in peace. As her aunt Squeaker says, she was "never good at facing up to things." Which makes it all the harder when Kari's cousin Debby presents her with a bracelet that belonged to Kari's mother--and that brims with violent energy. The bracelet causes Kari to see the ghost of her mother--screaming, bloody, and crying for help--and she wonders for the first time if her mother's disappearance wasn't all it appeared to be. Soon, Kari's on a quest to uncover what really happened. This atmospheric tale brims with monsters and the ghosts of both past and present--from supernatural visions to everyday racist microaggressions. Wurth's decadently blunt prose makes it easy to smell the smoke in the air and hear the heavy metal lyrics about memory and identity. This fresh take on the ghost story is sure to wow. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Past demons beget present terrors in this chilling, well-paced debut that's perfect for fans of Stephen Graham Jones and Catriona Ward. Abandoned by her mother when she was just two days old, Kari James is a tough-talking, rough-around-the-edges Indigenous woman who loves cigarettes and heavy metal and has more questions about her past than she cares to acknowledge. She is, however, unable to avoid the mystery of her childhood when her cousin and confidant, Debby, presents her with a bracelet of her mother's, hoping to facilitate a connection that Kari has for so long been without. Decorated with unfamiliar symbols, the bracelet soon conjures not only the ghost of Kari's mother but a beast reeking of death. Readers will be enthralled and as desperate as Kari for answers, as Wurth's story continues at a steady, bone-chilling pace and as Kari faces not only her mother's demons but her own as well. VERDICT With tangible characters, insightful dialogue, and the horror and painful beauty of discovering one's truth, Wurth's debut is must-read horror with a big, bleeding heart.--Emily Vinci
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An Indigenous woman encounters the supernatural when she touches her missing mother's old bracelet and raises a monster. Kari James would be the first to tell you she's not a traditional Indigenous woman. "I was more of a work at the bar, go to the bar, thrash at a heavy metal concert kind of Indian than a powwow Indian," she admits. In her mid-30s, Kari lives a disorderly life. She cares for her disabled father but still revels in late nights drinking and smoking at her favorite dive bar, White Horse, and enjoying the music of headbanger Dave Mustaine, the horror novels of Stephen King, and the occasional random hookup. She's mostly ignored the spiritual aspects of her Apache and Chickasaw ancestors, preferring a good party instead. Then her cousin Debby finds an old family bracelet that once belonged to Kari's mother, who'd vanished when Kari was a baby. Kari has always assumed her mother abandoned her, but when she touches the bracelet, she experiences violent, troubling visions about the past and her family, and a dangerous monster is unleashed. Set in and around Denver and its neighboring communities, this is a unique, dark twist on the modern ghost story that deftly blends an understanding of the mysticism of Indigenous culture with the horrors of poverty, abuse, and addiction. Sometimes the plot feels a bit chaotic, but the tumult mirrors Kari's roiling emotions. She's haunted not only by her mother's disappearance, but also by the death of her best friend from an overdose, a tragedy Kari believes she could have prevented. As Kari fumbles toward the truth about her family and faces off against a nightmarish entity, Wurth--who is of Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent--paints a compelling portrait of friendship, love, and the quest for self-respect, offering a fierce and generous vision of contemporary Native American life. An engrossing modern horror story that blends the power of Indigenous spiritualism with earthly terrors. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
