Dark Horses

A Novel

By: Susan Mihalic

Narrated by: Alex Allwine

A “sweeping and raw story of courage, resilience, and clear-eyed grace” (Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author) about a teenage girl’s fierce struggle to reclaim her life from her abusive father in the vein of My Absolute Darling and Room.

Fifteen-year-old equestrian prodigy Roan Montgomery has only ever known two worlds: inside the riding arena, and outside of it. Both, for as long as she can remember, have been ruled by her father, who demands strict obedience in all areas of her life. The warped power dynamic of coach and rider extends far beyond the stables, and Roan’s relationship with her father has long been inappropriate. She has been able to compartmentalize that dark aspect of her life, ruthlessly focusing on her ambitions as a rider heading for the Olympics, just as her father had done. However, her developing relationship with Will Howard, a boy her own age, broadens the scope of her vision.

“[A] heart-pounding, can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it debut novel” (O, The Oprah Magazine), Dark Horses explores the themes of abuse and resilience in a way that will leave you transfixed. This is “a provoking and needed book” (Booklist, starred review).

Critic reviews

"Allwine's youthful tone is appropriate for Roan's story; she enriches her performance by clearly signaling the teen's emotional turmoil and carefully compartmentalized life. She nails Roan's no-nonsense focus when riding, her fear and conflicted feelings when dealing with her sexually abusive father, and her resolve to find a path to a normal life."

Good story

Power, abuse, and a good horse story. Great character build. Nicest narrated. A dark story, but well crafted.

Gut wrenching but couldn’t stop listening..

Loved the narration, wasn’t over done when switching genders. The story was brutal and beautiful. The author accurately captured horsemanship.

This one will stick with me!

wow! I don't have the words. This story is going to take me a while to process. It's very deep! And painful! Yet, well written. This is not a story for the masses, but I believe it will be impactful for anyone who has suffered and had to learn how to live their own life, not for others, but for themselves. For those who have spent the first 2 decades of their life living to please, and then having to figure out how to live your own life and take control, I believe these readers will relate to this story very much!

Good but...

I gave this four stars yesterday, and something was nagging at me about this book. So I have a few things to say. First. this does not sound like it written in the voice of a. 15/16 year old. Her vocabulary was too mature and it wasn't that believable for me. Second, without giving anything away, there was justice but it left me annoyed and dissatisfied. The main character brushes off the possibility that her father had abused anyone else. Third, I found the main character a little too manipulative and strategic for a 16 year old. And Lastly, I wanted to see her get mental health help, and her lingering issues were just kind of brushed under the rug.

It was still well-written, and kept me listening. But those details bothered me a little too much to give It 5 stars.

Horses

I really like the book despite it not really be about horses...part of the message horses heal people and help theu the hard times