Kate Thompson is determined to avenge her father's death, even if it means chasing down the biggest, baddest gang of outlaws the West has ever seen. Along the way, Kate has to decide whether she should enlist the help of others or try to do everything on her own.
Westerns are a long-lost art, and westerns written for young adults are practically unheard of, so I was surprised to find this particular title. The story itself is good, and the cover art is beautiful, but I gave this book only three stars due to two things. First, the treatment of the Apache character, which was historically accurate but still bothersome, and more importantly, the mannerisms of the main character, particularly her speech. I understand that she is supposed to be uneducated, or at least undereducated, but her speech and thoughts crossed the line from cutesy Western-style grammar errors to seriously annoying and difficult to read text. It would be possible to re-write her speech so that she still sounds Western without sounding ridiculous.
Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: lots and lots of violence - shootings, hangings, etc.
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars
Read-Alike Recommendations: Killer of Enemies, Under a Painted Sky, The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
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