Erika T. Wurth’s White horse belongs to the new wave of horror fiction that delivers the creepiness and darkness that readers have always associated with the genre, while also infusing plenty of social commentary.
Also – and perhaps most importantly – White horse is a horror novel that subverts one of the core elements of the genre from the start: instead of the writer being someone who is afraid of the other, the writer. it’s the other.
Kari James is an urban native living near Denver. She loves heavy metal, idolizes Dave Mustaine, dresses mostly in black, and likes horror fiction. Kari spends her days working at various bars, taking care of her father, who suffered brain damage in a car accident, hanging out with her cousin Debby, and drinking at a bar called the White Horse. However, her relatively simple life is marred by the absence of her mother. Kari’s mother, Cecilia, abandoned her and supposedly died mysteriously when she was a baby – and her memory has haunted Kari ever since. Kari’s father is unable to provide clarifying information.
Also, Kari constantly worries about her father, her cousin Debby’s marriage to a heavy-drinking, manipulative man, and the death of her best friend years ago, which she feels she could have prevented. When Debby hands Kari a traditional bracelet that once belonged to Cecilia, Kari begins to see ghosts, have terrible nightmares, and have terrifying visions of her mother and a tall, shadowy creature known as Lofa. The visions refuse to go away and Kari soon becomes convinced that her mother is trying to tell her something about what happened to her. Seeking answers and a clearer idea of what happened to her mother, Kari embarks on a journey that brings her closer to her roots—and to her mother’s mysterious life and end.
White horse it’s about supernatural horrors and everyday horrors. As Kari learns to deal with visions of her mother’s bloody ghost and the menacing presence of the monster that haunts her, she is also forced to deal with Debby’s controlling husband and how he keeps getting in the way between them. at all times. Also, her concern for her father is constant, and the grief and guilt she feels over the death of her best friend is ever-present. It surfaces in her psyche to attack her regularly, especially after she sees the ghost of her friend outside a bowling alley. The mix of supernatural menace and real-life darkness works well, in part because Wurth’s pacing is excellent and the narrative’s darkness is relentless; it is never bogged down in unnecessary detail or empty dialogue.
Wurth does many things well White horse. The dialogue is quick and to the point and the descriptions are short and effective. Also, the story hits the ground running and builds as it moves along, but never slows down and wastes no time on long set-ups or introducing each character. Instead, readers get to know everyone involved organically as the story progresses. The result is a 320-page novel that reads easily, quickly, and almost begs to be devoured in a single sitting.
Wurth, an urban native of Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent who grew up outside Denver and still lives in the area, brings Denver and several nearby towns to the page with authenticity. Her identity is clearly a lens through which the narrative is told, keeping the history of Native Americans in the area and across the United States present at all times. Also, places like Colfax Avenue and the Tattered Cover bookstore make several appearances, along with many local bars and businesses—not to mention a few Stephen King’s appearances glowwhich takes place in Colorado in the 1970s. Taken together, these things and places make White horse a quintessentially Denver novel that does for that area of Colorado what James Ellroy’s work did for Los Angeles or Philip Roth’s work did for Newark.
Kari is a unique character that draws readers in and never lets them go. She is strong and independent, but also surprisingly fragile and flawed. Her love for her father is heartwarming and her grief over the death of her best friend is touching, but she’s also wrong about Debby’s situation, quick-tempered and dirty, which all contribute to making it more believable. As Kari pushes forward against her family, her instincts, and eventually the FBI to find out what happened to her mother, it’s impossible not to root for her, and that empathy is exactly what makes this story. horror to work. Wurth has created a strong urban Native character, and in the process—and while speaking about the folklore of various tribes and the American Indian Movement—has pushed against narratives that perpetuate Native American clichés, making this a must-see. .
Gabino Iglesias is an author, book reviewer, and professor living in Austin, Texas. Find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.
