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Dark Horses
A searing and darkly gripping debut novel about a teenaged girl’s fierce struggle to reclaim her life from her abusive father.
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 aspects 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 page-turner and urgent survivor story, Dark Horses takes the searing themes of abuse and resilience in Gabriel Tallent’s My Absolute Darling and applies the compelling exploration of female strength in Emma Donoghue’s Room. In much the same way that V.C. Andrews’s Flowers in the Attic transfixed a generation, Dark Horses will keep you turning the pages.
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 aspects 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 page-turner and urgent survivor story, Dark Horses takes the searing themes of abuse and resilience in Gabriel Tallent’s My Absolute Darling and applies the compelling exploration of female strength in Emma Donoghue’s Room. In much the same way that V.C. Andrews’s Flowers in the Attic transfixed a generation, Dark Horses will keep you turning the pages.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2021
317 people are currently reading
22297 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mihalic
2 books220 followersSusan Mihalic has worked as a book editor, curriculum writer, writing instructor, and freelance writer and editor. She has also taught therapeutic horseback riding. She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi and now lives in Taos, New Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 1,163 reviews
July 30, 2025
WOW...I could not put this book down.
This is a fiction book that has a lot of hard to read topics in it. This book made me feel so much, but I have to say a lot of hard to read things happens in this book. If you have trouble reading hard hitting books that covers dark topics this is not the book for you. I loved this book, and it was so well written. The characters were so well developed. I wanted to safe some, but on the other hand I wanted to jump into the book and kill one of them. I think when a fiction book brings those feelings in me means it was a great book. This is one of my favorite books that I have read this year. I am going to say one more time do not read this book if you cannot handle hard hitting dark books, and please look into what topics this book covers before going into this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Gallery/Scout Press) or author (Susan Mihalic) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review , and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Read two times and it was 5 stars for both readings of it.
This is a fiction book that has a lot of hard to read topics in it. This book made me feel so much, but I have to say a lot of hard to read things happens in this book. If you have trouble reading hard hitting books that covers dark topics this is not the book for you. I loved this book, and it was so well written. The characters were so well developed. I wanted to safe some, but on the other hand I wanted to jump into the book and kill one of them. I think when a fiction book brings those feelings in me means it was a great book. This is one of my favorite books that I have read this year. I am going to say one more time do not read this book if you cannot handle hard hitting dark books, and please look into what topics this book covers before going into this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Gallery/Scout Press) or author (Susan Mihalic) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review , and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Read two times and it was 5 stars for both readings of it.
October 2, 2025
”The dominant stallion chases off even his male offspring when they’re two or three years old. It avoids inbreeding. Nature’s smart."No need to worry about confusing this one with National Velvet, Black Beauty or even War Horse. No girl-meets-horse, girl-tames-horse, girl-wins-race here. Roan Montgomery was practically born in a saddle. Daddy was a multiple Olympic gold-medalist rider, and he is determined to see that his legacy is carried on. Roan is fifteen and on the path to the Olympics as well. It is a challenging existence. There is almost no time for a social life. Her school days are curtailed so she can make it to practice. And it is not just practicing all the time. Being a rising star in the equestrian world is a business. There are endorsements to decide on, photo-shoots and interviews to fit in. Of course, Daddy takes care of those arrangements. He is her manager and trainer, and is, arguably, the best in the business. But she has to put on the well-crafted persona her father has constructed for her, do the interviews he tells her to do, and endorse the products he tells her to endorse. The family is quite well to do, with a property in Virginia that is easily large enough for working out the family’s horses. So they do not need the endorsement money, but having her picture in the media, in ads or profiles, helps when it comes to competing for a chance to be selected for national teams. In many ways she is a very lucky young lady, able to pursue dreams that few others could attempt.
…”What about the female offspring?” Will said.
“He doesn’t breed with them. They’ll breed to one of the subservient stallions.”
“Would horses like this know not to do it?”
“No,” Daddy began, but Mateo approached us leading Noble, who was tossing his head and rattling the stud chain, and we went temporarily single-file to allow them to pass. “These animals haven’t been in a feral environment for generations. They don’t have the same relationships they form in a band. Given a chance, any one of them would mount his own daughter.”
Susan Mihalic - image from Levure Litteraire - Photo Copyright by Eric Swanson
But all that nickers is not gold with the athletic, handsome Monty Montgomery. Despite his world-class accomplishments, expertise and training skills, he is a very controlling guy, keeping Roan on a very short rein. Not just controlling her professional advancement, and her very sense of self-worth, he has been sexually abusing her for many years. Mommy Sneerest hates her because Roan is the object of all Monty’s attention. But she keeps well away, between shopping, being blotto, and screwing around.
How much is choice? By the mores of our world none of it. Roan may tell herself that she endures Monty because it is a price she has to pay to get what she wants, which is to be at the top of the equestrian world, an international gold medalist. And she has the talent and the work ethic to make that happen. But cross Monty and there will be a price to pay.
image from The Plaid Horse - Photo by Lauren Mauldin
ThemToo
The promo copy for the book mentions Room, and My Absolute Darling as comparables. There are two other books that might be put on the same shelf. Dark Horses bears a comparison, in part at least, with My Dark Vanessa. Both are about adolescent girls abused by much older men in positions of power over them. Vanessa can at least be seen as welcoming her dark adventure, and had the freedom to walk away whenever she wanted. Not so much Roan, although she comes to a sort of accommodation with it, a prisoner’s accommodation with a jailer. A closer comparison is with Ella Berman’s 2020 novel, The Comeback. In that one, a young actress is controlled and manipulated, away from her family, by a creep of a director. As with Roan’s concern for her riding career, Grace Hyde knows that if she stepped away at any point, her career, her dreams, would have been over, thanks to that powerful and poisonous director. Both young women were right. Where is the breaking point, if there even is one? Even were these characters old enough to make adult decisions, can any dream be worth the cost of such ongoing abuse?
Image from Stroud Show Horses
What differentiates Dark Horses from the MeToo novels noted above is the element of incest. Vanessa was hit on by a teacher. Grace Hyde was victimized by her director/manager. Ma was kidnapped by Old Nick and kept in the room of the book’s title. It is in having a psycho, abusive Daddy that Roan meets Turtle of My Absolute Darling. Turtle’s father, Martin, keeps her off the grid and away from any potential competition. He is not above using physical violence to enforce his will. Monty can control Roan with threats alone, although he does get very physically forceful with her at times. The threat of deprivation or physical harm is ever present. In both novels, controlling fathers train their daughters to be strong, tough, training them in skills they need, or want. Another similarity between Horses and Darling (and with only a gazillion coming-of-age novels, as well) is that when the lead-character girl sees an alternative, a chance, the stable, corrupt world in which she has been living begins to come apart. And the young person faces the challenge that will drive her to grow beyond her youth, or fail trying.
Image from US Equestrian - Photo: Howard Schatzberg
Life gets complicated as Roan’s sixteenth birthday nears. The usual sort. She meets a boy. He is seen as a bad boy but she gets to know him in stolen hours, and he is a pretty laudable specimen of the coltish teen boy species. Roan is drawn not just to the boy himself, but the vivacious (sane) family life he has, so much warmer and richer than the sere, straight (prison-bar-like) lines of her life. He sees her for herself, and not as an externalization of his own ego.
Roan begins to rebel in ways small and then larger. The tension of the novel is not knowing what the future holds. Will she be able to become her own person? Will she rat out her unspeakable father, thus hobbling her own career, or better, escape him somehow? Will she ever have a chance at the career she dreamed of, and can she have something with the boy?
Horse in Acadia - from the WB archives
Roan is a victim, straight up. But that is not all she is. It is the diversity of her characterization that gives this book its strength. We are granted a victim’s-eye view to ongoing sexual and psychological assault. But while we are in there we can hear the wheels inside Roan’s head spinning, trying to figure out how to keep the good things she has, while surviving the horrendous one. She is tough as nails, strong, a serious athlete, but still a girl, with the needs and desires of any other teenager. One thing Daddy has taught her well is the importance of staying in control on the field of competition. The lesson has carried over outside the course. You do not want to mess with Roan, as her enemies at school soon discover.
One gripe I had was the absence of a compelling back story to explain how Monty had become such a monster. Yes, he grew up under a domineering father, but, even though Mihalic’s portrayal of him is persuasive and chilling, that one piece could have used a bit more. Roan’s love interest is a delight of a young man, but I came close to eye-rolling at times as he seemed a wee bit too perfect. The rest of the cast is a professional crew, carrying out their supporting roles efficiently, even offering moments of warmth and human connection, greasing the wheels for the plot’s forward momentum.
Image from Horse Rookie
One nice element of the novel is introducing readers to a world most of us have never encountered. Dressage always sounded to me like a French fashion magazine or an equestrian competition designed by The Ministry of Silly Walks. My exposure to horses is minimal. I touched a beauty of a chestnut mare in Prospect Park many years back and my allergies took at least a minute to speed from eye-itch through a massive nasal drip before achieving escape velocity with me gasping for air. But, while that conversation with a lovely rider was cut dramatically short, my admiration for the beauty of the beast was unaltered by my body’s panicked reaction. For readers such as I, admirers of equine beauty, while innocent of any meaningful knowledge about them, it was a treat to learn a bit about the rigors of training and competitions, gain an appreciation for what an all-consuming enterprise such training and its business end entail, and be introduced to a range of equine personalities.
Image from Kentucky Horse Shows
Mostly, the story, particularly once we are clued in to the underlying dynamic, maintains a strong, and quickening pace until we are in full gallop by the end, fully engaged in rooting for Roan to win her battle with dark forces and finally be unharnessed. There is no certainty that she will. Definitely page-turner territory, and it doesn’t take much horse-sense to know that it is worth ponying up a few shekels for a look-see. Dark Horses is a sure winner. Bet on it.
In this moment I controlled what happened next. If he could use my body, I could too.
Review first vposted – February 12, 2021
Publication dates
----------February 16, 2021 - hard cover
----------October 12, 2021 - trade paperback
I received an ARE of Dark Horses from Scout Press through a promotion on Lithub. No animals were harmed in the writing of this review .
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest pages
ThemToo
-----My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
-----Room by Emma Donohue
-----The Comeback by Ella Berman
-----My Absolute Darling - Gabriel Tallent
Items of Interest
-----Equestrian Queensland - What is a Show Horse
-----Equisearch - Glossary Of Horse Terminology
-----The Ministry of Silly Walks
----- How to Ride & Show Horses Without a Trust Fund by Shelby Dennis
April 12, 2021
OUCH … my heart.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that is so compelling, emotional and raw that I quite literally didn’t want to put it down. At the same time, it’s really uncomfortable and has a lot of potential triggers (listed below), so be warned. In this story, author Susan Mihalic pulls back the veil on a taboo subject that no one wants to think about, much less look at in such a stark and unflinching light.
Roan Montgomery is the 15-year-old daughter of a renowned Olympic medal-winning equestrian who is now coaching her in his footsteps toward the same goals. Monty, who Roan refers to as “Daddy”, is highly respected in this world - strict, smart, capable and in control. Unfortunately, he uses these same qualities to manipulate, control and abuse her, which he’s been doing unchecked since she was a very young child. When she catches the interest of Will Howard, one of her school peers, she begins to question everything that she’s accepted as normal and inescapable in her life up to this point and starts challenging the status quo - something that doesn’t sit well with her rules-happy “Daddy”.
I won’t sugar-coat anything: this book is graphic ... repeatedly. While some may feel offended or find it inappropriate, there’s really no way this story would’ve had the impact it did if it was cleaned up and kept in the proverbial closet. It’s seeing the love-hate psychological and physical dynamic between Roan and her father and being privy to his tactics and manipulations that allowed me to feel her pain and understand why she wouldn’t say anything to anyone for so many years. Like all abusers, he found every potential weak point - usually the things she loved the most like her horse and riding career - and used them as leverage to get what he wanted and keep her quiet. Seeing her begin to recognize her father’s abuse in a proper light and overcome it, as well as watching her relationship with Will grow, kept me riveted to the pages to the very end.
If a story can be bitter and beautiful at the same time … this is that story.
★★★★★ ❤
Trigger Warnings: Animal deaths, sexual abuse/incest, rape
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that is so compelling, emotional and raw that I quite literally didn’t want to put it down. At the same time, it’s really uncomfortable and has a lot of potential triggers (listed below), so be warned. In this story, author Susan Mihalic pulls back the veil on a taboo subject that no one wants to think about, much less look at in such a stark and unflinching light.
Roan Montgomery is the 15-year-old daughter of a renowned Olympic medal-winning equestrian who is now coaching her in his footsteps toward the same goals. Monty, who Roan refers to as “Daddy”, is highly respected in this world - strict, smart, capable and in control. Unfortunately, he uses these same qualities to manipulate, control and abuse her, which he’s been doing unchecked since she was a very young child. When she catches the interest of Will Howard, one of her school peers, she begins to question everything that she’s accepted as normal and inescapable in her life up to this point and starts challenging the status quo - something that doesn’t sit well with her rules-happy “Daddy”.
I won’t sugar-coat anything: this book is graphic ... repeatedly. While some may feel offended or find it inappropriate, there’s really no way this story would’ve had the impact it did if it was cleaned up and kept in the proverbial closet. It’s seeing the love-hate psychological and physical dynamic between Roan and her father and being privy to his tactics and manipulations that allowed me to feel her pain and understand why she wouldn’t say anything to anyone for so many years. Like all abusers, he found every potential weak point - usually the things she loved the most like her horse and riding career - and used them as leverage to get what he wanted and keep her quiet. Seeing her begin to recognize her father’s abuse in a proper light and overcome it, as well as watching her relationship with Will grow, kept me riveted to the pages to the very end.
If a story can be bitter and beautiful at the same time … this is that story.
★★★★★ ❤
Trigger Warnings: Animal deaths, sexual abuse/incest, rape
May 27, 2022
Note: I received a free copy of this book, in exchange here is my honest review.
This was a pretty hard read. 😬 I appreciated that warning flap cover, so I had a heads up as to what I was getting myself into. 🛑 Trigger warnings: mental/physical/sexual abuse, incest, child abuse, drinking. 🛑 This is definitely in the same category as My Absolute Darling. Like a bad car accident, you shouldn't look, but human nature being what it is, you're there rubber necking on the freeway, too curious to look away. 🤦🏼♀️ This book made me sick to my stomach for so many reasons. It's a very difficult read. 😳 But I felt that pull and need to finish it. I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to.... it's definitely not for the faint of heart. 🤨
Thank you @goodreads @susan_mihalic and @scoutpressbooks #goodreadsgiveaway
This was a pretty hard read. 😬 I appreciated that warning flap cover, so I had a heads up as to what I was getting myself into. 🛑 Trigger warnings: mental/physical/sexual abuse, incest, child abuse, drinking. 🛑 This is definitely in the same category as My Absolute Darling. Like a bad car accident, you shouldn't look, but human nature being what it is, you're there rubber necking on the freeway, too curious to look away. 🤦🏼♀️ This book made me sick to my stomach for so many reasons. It's a very difficult read. 😳 But I felt that pull and need to finish it. I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to.... it's definitely not for the faint of heart. 🤨
Thank you @goodreads @susan_mihalic and @scoutpressbooks #goodreadsgiveaway
December 30, 2020
If someone told me that I'd be giving a book about a teenage girl riding horses 5 stars, I'd tell you that you were crazy. Susan Mihalic's
Dark Horses
is so, so much more than that. I cannot believe this debut has me up until 1 AM, rushing to finish! A powerful coming of age story, Roan Montgomery battles her difficult upbringing, while trying to have it all.
Disclaimer: This book includes serious and sensitive topics involving sexual assault and rape between family.
The Montgomery family is wealthy, famous, and powerful. Roan's father is a former Olympian and her mother is a former model. With Roan's ascent into fame through her horseback riding skills, the family can do no wrong in their town. As Roan's horseback riding skills continue to grow, so does her family's dark secrets. Her mother's drinking becomes too much to handle while her father's inappropriate behavior towards Roan becomes unsettling. Roan believes that her toxic family life is a trade off for the experience she's had with fame and notoriety. She believes that she deserves it. That is, until Will Howard comes along—a fellow student in her school—comes around and changes everything.
Wow, wow, wow. Where do I begin?! With a powerful story and beautifully bingeworthy writing, Susan Mihalic just hooked me in from the first chapter. I was hesitant to pick up this story honestly because it didn't seem that it would be a story that I'd actually resonate with, but I was totally wrong. Susan Mihalic's use of trauma in her storytelling is quite profound. I gravitated towards Roan's development in the story, while also personally feeling affected by the actions done by the characters in this book. I rarely have a visceral reaction to fiction novels, but Dark Horses completely immersed me into the story. I know I mentioned this before, but I cannot simply believe that this is Susan Mihalic's first published novel. I anxiously wait for her next story!
Disclaimer: This book includes serious and sensitive topics involving sexual assault and rape between family.
The Montgomery family is wealthy, famous, and powerful. Roan's father is a former Olympian and her mother is a former model. With Roan's ascent into fame through her horseback riding skills, the family can do no wrong in their town. As Roan's horseback riding skills continue to grow, so does her family's dark secrets. Her mother's drinking becomes too much to handle while her father's inappropriate behavior towards Roan becomes unsettling. Roan believes that her toxic family life is a trade off for the experience she's had with fame and notoriety. She believes that she deserves it. That is, until Will Howard comes along—a fellow student in her school—comes around and changes everything.
Wow, wow, wow. Where do I begin?! With a powerful story and beautifully bingeworthy writing, Susan Mihalic just hooked me in from the first chapter. I was hesitant to pick up this story honestly because it didn't seem that it would be a story that I'd actually resonate with, but I was totally wrong. Susan Mihalic's use of trauma in her storytelling is quite profound. I gravitated towards Roan's development in the story, while also personally feeling affected by the actions done by the characters in this book. I rarely have a visceral reaction to fiction novels, but Dark Horses completely immersed me into the story. I know I mentioned this before, but I cannot simply believe that this is Susan Mihalic's first published novel. I anxiously wait for her next story!
April 14, 2021
Haunting, disturbing, powerful, and completely unforgettable!
Roan has never known life outside of a saddle: her father was an Olympic rider, and has brought her up deeply engrossed and embedded in the equestrian world. She attempts to lead a 'normal' teenage life, but at the tender age of 15, is already buried in secrets that threaten to destroy her. Her mother struggles with alcohol abuse and is having an affair, and Roan's relationship with her father is controlling, demanding, twisted, and close---too close. Trapped in this power struggle, she feels helpless and tides of emotion threaten to consume her...until the day she catches the eye of a boy at school, Will. Feelings between the two blossom quickly, but Roan sees the writing on the wall. Her father cannot and will not allow his dynamic with Roan to change, and will stop at nothing to keep his daughter firmly where he feels she belongs. Can she find the strength to forge her own path and break the toxic cycle before her world, her dreams, and the beautiful possibilities her life has to offer are nothing but a faded memory?
This book is DARK. I mean, the title warns you of this, but much like My Dark Vanessa, I don't know as though there is a way to be adequately prepared mentally or emotionally for this book. The hypnotic language drew me in from the very beginning, and once I was caught up in the world of these characters it was increasingly difficult to stop reading. I am only vaguely familiar with the world of horses and horseback riding, but this book manages to give you just enough terminology and sense of this world to make you feel part of it. Mihalic doesn't mince words and doesn't take any easy outs---this book can be graphic at times and is designed to make you uncomfortable, because in order to understand Roan, this discomfort is necessary. Although several books have been cropping up in the last couple of years especially tackling this sort of subject matter (including the aforementioned MDV), Dark Horses is just different. Tackling the coach/athlete relationship gone wrong while simultaneously including the family dynamic of a toxic father/daughter relationship is a delicate balancing act, but Mihalic handles it with ease.
This is literary fiction at its absolute best: poignant word choices, thoughtful plotting, and stirring emotional undertones that draw you into the story so deeply it's hard to tell where it ends and your reality begins.
After the last page of the epilogue, I actually whispered "Wow." I can't even remember the last time I felt that way after finishing a book, but I was absolutely speechless.
Stunning doesn't begin to cover it.
5 ⭐
Roan has never known life outside of a saddle: her father was an Olympic rider, and has brought her up deeply engrossed and embedded in the equestrian world. She attempts to lead a 'normal' teenage life, but at the tender age of 15, is already buried in secrets that threaten to destroy her. Her mother struggles with alcohol abuse and is having an affair, and Roan's relationship with her father is controlling, demanding, twisted, and close---too close. Trapped in this power struggle, she feels helpless and tides of emotion threaten to consume her...until the day she catches the eye of a boy at school, Will. Feelings between the two blossom quickly, but Roan sees the writing on the wall. Her father cannot and will not allow his dynamic with Roan to change, and will stop at nothing to keep his daughter firmly where he feels she belongs. Can she find the strength to forge her own path and break the toxic cycle before her world, her dreams, and the beautiful possibilities her life has to offer are nothing but a faded memory?
This book is DARK. I mean, the title warns you of this, but much like My Dark Vanessa, I don't know as though there is a way to be adequately prepared mentally or emotionally for this book. The hypnotic language drew me in from the very beginning, and once I was caught up in the world of these characters it was increasingly difficult to stop reading. I am only vaguely familiar with the world of horses and horseback riding, but this book manages to give you just enough terminology and sense of this world to make you feel part of it. Mihalic doesn't mince words and doesn't take any easy outs---this book can be graphic at times and is designed to make you uncomfortable, because in order to understand Roan, this discomfort is necessary. Although several books have been cropping up in the last couple of years especially tackling this sort of subject matter (including the aforementioned MDV), Dark Horses is just different. Tackling the coach/athlete relationship gone wrong while simultaneously including the family dynamic of a toxic father/daughter relationship is a delicate balancing act, but Mihalic handles it with ease.
This is literary fiction at its absolute best: poignant word choices, thoughtful plotting, and stirring emotional undertones that draw you into the story so deeply it's hard to tell where it ends and your reality begins.
After the last page of the epilogue, I actually whispered "Wow." I can't even remember the last time I felt that way after finishing a book, but I was absolutely speechless.
Stunning doesn't begin to cover it.
5 ⭐
August 16, 2021
“You don’t hurt someone you love”
Roan Montgomery is a champion equestrian, coached by her father and Olympic gold medalist, Monty Montgomery. He is controlling, abusive, and blurs the boundaries between father, coach and partner. He manipulates her into obeying his strict rules and being complicit in other activities. She feels like she is living in a jail, and her dad is the warden. However, she must put on a facade of happiness and strength to the world because no one can know what really goes on behind closed doors. If she wants to be the best equestrian, she must do what daddy says. When Roan meets Will, a boy her own age, she must come to terms with the abuse from daddy. How will Roan escape daddy’s hold without losing everything?
Dark Horses is a powerfully gripping and disturbing story which will appeal to those who also enjoyed My Dark Vanessa. The writing is excellent and it hooked me from the first page. While this is a very dark story that is difficult to read, I enjoyed learning about the Eventing sport, and it is evident that the author is either very familiar with horses or did her research. Roan’s struggle to find her identity and voice is both compelling and heart-breaking. It would have been a five star read, but while the ending is satisfying, it is completely unrealistic.
*This book contains many triggers including animal cruelty, rape and incest.
#Only Me
4/5 stars
Roan Montgomery is a champion equestrian, coached by her father and Olympic gold medalist, Monty Montgomery. He is controlling, abusive, and blurs the boundaries between father, coach and partner. He manipulates her into obeying his strict rules and being complicit in other activities. She feels like she is living in a jail, and her dad is the warden. However, she must put on a facade of happiness and strength to the world because no one can know what really goes on behind closed doors. If she wants to be the best equestrian, she must do what daddy says. When Roan meets Will, a boy her own age, she must come to terms with the abuse from daddy. How will Roan escape daddy’s hold without losing everything?
Dark Horses is a powerfully gripping and disturbing story which will appeal to those who also enjoyed My Dark Vanessa. The writing is excellent and it hooked me from the first page. While this is a very dark story that is difficult to read, I enjoyed learning about the Eventing sport, and it is evident that the author is either very familiar with horses or did her research. Roan’s struggle to find her identity and voice is both compelling and heart-breaking. It would have been a five star read, but while the ending is satisfying, it is completely unrealistic.
*This book contains many triggers including animal cruelty, rape and incest.
#Only Me
4/5 stars
February 28, 2021
Perhaps it was because of having four daughters and going through the turbulent teenage years that made this story resonate with me. Perhaps it as because I had liked My Dark Vanessa, where the author so well understood a teenage girl's fragility. This well written saga, allowed the reader to climb into the mind and soul of its young protagonist as well as the blackened soul of her father. It is one that comes with a caution because it presents a very dark side to the world we inhabit.
Roan Montgomery seems to have it all. She is equestrian champion probably headed to the Olympics following in her father's footsteps, slated to become something. She is loved by her father, the only love she has known since she was four years old, for her father is a predator, a molester, a vile monster who preys on his daughter psychologically and sexually.
He controls every aspect of her life, she is guarded, protected from the outside world kept in a literal cage by a man who takes her whenever he wants. She is trapped in a world that is frightening and ever so afraid to tell someone what is happening. Her mother has left the marriage, another extremely flawed character who only loves and cares for herself, and even though she is aware of her husband's perversion, she leaves Roan to her father's devices.
Her father, Monty, is a highly decorated former Olympian, wealthy, handsome, charismatic, and despicable. He is a predator snake who twists and turns on Roan leaving her off balanced and always anxious to do what he desires. She satisfies him sexually because that is what she knows. Even given opportunities to tell the immoral and repulsive things that go on, Roan shies away in fear, a fear deeply ingrained in her as she witnesses her father's cruelty. She is trapped in a world that seems to offer her no escape.
In all of this there is a bright spot and that is the love Roan has for her horses, especially for one, but here is another level of control her father exerts. He is her coach and doesn't let her have an inch of personal space. In school, on a special schedule, she is attracted to Will Howard and he to her. She doesn't know how one proceeds in a normal relationship so this one becomes sexual quickly, for poor Roan knows little else. She is so afraid of telling Will her heinous story and as they develop more feelings towards one another, her vile father sees to it that they have little to no contact. He watches her like a hawk and when tragedy comes to her when her beloved horse dies, she finds the courage to stand up see herself in the mirror of life as she is, a brave, courageous young women.
What makes this story excellent is the keen understanding the author, Susan Mihalic, brings to its telling. She well portrays the dependency young people often place on their parents, coaches, teachers etc., the intricate way in which an adolescent's mind works, and the power of control that can be exerted covering up contemptible behavior. I know some will find this story repulsive (as I did in My Absolute Darling), but the story, this story, does shine a positive light on resiliency and taking steps to become a better person, developing trust, knowing there are people who care and a life worth living where one can hold their head up for being human.
A definite recommendation for this new author's story, with a warning that there are some disturbing sexual scenes.
Roan Montgomery seems to have it all. She is equestrian champion probably headed to the Olympics following in her father's footsteps, slated to become something. She is loved by her father, the only love she has known since she was four years old, for her father is a predator, a molester, a vile monster who preys on his daughter psychologically and sexually.
He controls every aspect of her life, she is guarded, protected from the outside world kept in a literal cage by a man who takes her whenever he wants. She is trapped in a world that is frightening and ever so afraid to tell someone what is happening. Her mother has left the marriage, another extremely flawed character who only loves and cares for herself, and even though she is aware of her husband's perversion, she leaves Roan to her father's devices.
Her father, Monty, is a highly decorated former Olympian, wealthy, handsome, charismatic, and despicable. He is a predator snake who twists and turns on Roan leaving her off balanced and always anxious to do what he desires. She satisfies him sexually because that is what she knows. Even given opportunities to tell the immoral and repulsive things that go on, Roan shies away in fear, a fear deeply ingrained in her as she witnesses her father's cruelty. She is trapped in a world that seems to offer her no escape.
In all of this there is a bright spot and that is the love Roan has for her horses, especially for one, but here is another level of control her father exerts. He is her coach and doesn't let her have an inch of personal space. In school, on a special schedule, she is attracted to Will Howard and he to her. She doesn't know how one proceeds in a normal relationship so this one becomes sexual quickly, for poor Roan knows little else. She is so afraid of telling Will her heinous story and as they develop more feelings towards one another, her vile father sees to it that they have little to no contact. He watches her like a hawk and when tragedy comes to her when her beloved horse dies, she finds the courage to stand up see herself in the mirror of life as she is, a brave, courageous young women.
What makes this story excellent is the keen understanding the author, Susan Mihalic, brings to its telling. She well portrays the dependency young people often place on their parents, coaches, teachers etc., the intricate way in which an adolescent's mind works, and the power of control that can be exerted covering up contemptible behavior. I know some will find this story repulsive (as I did in My Absolute Darling), but the story, this story, does shine a positive light on resiliency and taking steps to become a better person, developing trust, knowing there are people who care and a life worth living where one can hold their head up for being human.
A definite recommendation for this new author's story, with a warning that there are some disturbing sexual scenes.
November 3, 2020
Dark Horses could have been a compelling novel if it had rung true or let readers think for themselves. Every response to horrific acts of sexual abuse were described graphically and the narrator exhilarated in giving the reader the 'correct' emotional and rational response to each incident.
Roan is 15 years old, almost 16, and lives with her parents on a large Virginia horse ranch that specializes on breeding the best of horses. Roan's mother is an substance abuser and alcoholic and is emotionally absent. Roan's father has sexually abused Roan since she was six and no one has intervened to put a stop to in. Roan even told her mother about the abuse but her mother chose not to act.
Roan's goal is to be a fantastic horse rider and someday make it to the Olympics. Her father is her coach and she obeys him with fear and loathing.
Of course, I found the graphic sexual scenes disturbing but what I found more disturbing was the 'rational hat' that Roan wore as she analyzed the outcome of each act, exploring what she might gain or lose based on her father's action and mood. Her father is a malignant narcissist whose self-worth comes from illusions of how grand and wonderful he is.
As a clinical social worker, I found the whole book troubling. The writing was melodramatic and, for the most part, did not portray what real victims of abuse go through.
Victims of abuse become so traumatized that they become confused about the role of their abuser. I have worked with hundreds of sexually abused people and Roan demonstrates that she is different from all of them. She maneuvers her father for her own gain and her pain appears superficial except at the end.
I wish the author had allowed me to make my own assumptions about the book rather than have Roan endure her abuse and then tell me what she felt afterwards and what it all meant. It was almost like a Greek chorus.
I have recently read My Dark Vanessa and that novel spoke more to the truth of sexual abuse than Dark Horses did.
Roan is 15 years old, almost 16, and lives with her parents on a large Virginia horse ranch that specializes on breeding the best of horses. Roan's mother is an substance abuser and alcoholic and is emotionally absent. Roan's father has sexually abused Roan since she was six and no one has intervened to put a stop to in. Roan even told her mother about the abuse but her mother chose not to act.
Roan's goal is to be a fantastic horse rider and someday make it to the Olympics. Her father is her coach and she obeys him with fear and loathing.
Of course, I found the graphic sexual scenes disturbing but what I found more disturbing was the 'rational hat' that Roan wore as she analyzed the outcome of each act, exploring what she might gain or lose based on her father's action and mood. Her father is a malignant narcissist whose self-worth comes from illusions of how grand and wonderful he is.
As a clinical social worker, I found the whole book troubling. The writing was melodramatic and, for the most part, did not portray what real victims of abuse go through.
Victims of abuse become so traumatized that they become confused about the role of their abuser. I have worked with hundreds of sexually abused people and Roan demonstrates that she is different from all of them. She maneuvers her father for her own gain and her pain appears superficial except at the end.
I wish the author had allowed me to make my own assumptions about the book rather than have Roan endure her abuse and then tell me what she felt afterwards and what it all meant. It was almost like a Greek chorus.
I have recently read My Dark Vanessa and that novel spoke more to the truth of sexual abuse than Dark Horses did.
June 25, 2021
Behold my unpopular opinion for a book that currently, inexplicably has a 4.01 rating on Goodreads:
This book reads like a cross between YA romance and "hot daddy punishes naughty daughter" porny Wattpad story. That is a problem. The main character/victim frequent refers to how attractive her father is, sometimes initiates sex, and uses every porny word imaginable, including describing the strength of her orgasms. Seriously?!
In addition, if more is needed, though it is eventually revealed that the abuse has been occurring since the main character was six, only one particularly violent incident in response to her "cheating" is identified as rape. I find that tremendously unsettling.
Finally, here are the last few lines:
And now, his punishment was to continue to watch me: Watch me be free. Watch me be in love. Watch me hold the reins. Watch me make my own legacy. Watch me-and never have me again.
What??? I'm literally speechless...and not in a good way. Terrible writing, terrible messaging, terrible ending. I can't in good faith give this more than the single star because I did not like it at all.
This book reads like a cross between YA romance and "hot daddy punishes naughty daughter" porny Wattpad story. That is a problem. The main character/victim frequent refers to how attractive her father is, sometimes initiates sex, and uses every porny word imaginable, including describing the strength of her orgasms. Seriously?!
In addition, if more is needed, though it is eventually revealed that the abuse has been occurring since the main character was six, only one particularly violent incident in response to her "cheating" is identified as rape. I find that tremendously unsettling.
Finally, here are the last few lines:
And now, his punishment was to continue to watch me: Watch me be free. Watch me be in love. Watch me hold the reins. Watch me make my own legacy. Watch me-and never have me again.
What??? I'm literally speechless...and not in a good way. Terrible writing, terrible messaging, terrible ending. I can't in good faith give this more than the single star because I did not like it at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2021
This is the second intense book I have read lately on the subject of sexual abuse, and I've definitely had enough of that subject for the time being. I had the same feeling when I finished reading this book as I did years ago after I went to a Britney Spears concert - like I should bleach my eyeballs (and I love my girl Britney lol). I'm not trying to make light of the subject matter, as it horrifying and reprehensible; but this book was troublesome to me in that it is almost presented as YA (especially the writing style), and it is basically graphic, incestual porn.
The plot is centered around teenage equestrian prodigy, Roan Montgomery. Roan's father is a former Olympian gold medalist in equestrian, and as such, Roan has only ever known the world inside the riding arena. Her mother resents her, and her father adores her, but also demands her obedience in every area of her life - not just in the arena. It doesn't take long to catch on that the relationship between her father and Roan is wildly inappropriate. She has always been able to compartmentalize the darkness of that relationship though by concentrating wholeheartedly on achieving Olympic gold like her father; however, a budding relationship with a boy her own age that she attempts to keep hidden threatens everything in her life.
So, no doubt there should be a ginormous trigger warning on this book about the graphic sexual assault/abuse, incest, animal death, etc. It was all over-the-top. The way in which Roan rationalized the outcome of each sexual act - she would calculatingly weigh the pros and cons of what she might gain or lose from each act - and then goes into great detail at times about how the sex was with her father disturbed me the most. I get it that rape victims, especially children, can develop Stockholm syndrome-type feelings for their rapists, but the rape descriptions (resplendent with references to her orgasms) are so graphic that it almost gave off a flippant feel as it relates to abuse. I don't know how to say it, other than there is a lot of shock value, but no real depth. I also found the teenage relationship between Roan and Will to be too mature in many ways that also diminished the book's credibility. My final gripe is that the conclusion is also over-the-top and not believable in the least, although somewhat satisfying, I must admit.
This subject matter is very timely and important, and I respect that Mihalic tackled something so intense and dark, but I couldn't get past the graphic descriptions that were just unnecessary. Not to mention, for the love of God, authors, please stop killing animals! In my opinion, the two books I have read on this subject of late do not compare with My Dark Vanessa, which also dealt with horrifying abuse, but did it in a way that did not just feel like a revenge porn read. 2 stars.
The plot is centered around teenage equestrian prodigy, Roan Montgomery. Roan's father is a former Olympian gold medalist in equestrian, and as such, Roan has only ever known the world inside the riding arena. Her mother resents her, and her father adores her, but also demands her obedience in every area of her life - not just in the arena. It doesn't take long to catch on that the relationship between her father and Roan is wildly inappropriate. She has always been able to compartmentalize the darkness of that relationship though by concentrating wholeheartedly on achieving Olympic gold like her father; however, a budding relationship with a boy her own age that she attempts to keep hidden threatens everything in her life.
So, no doubt there should be a ginormous trigger warning on this book about the graphic sexual assault/abuse, incest, animal death, etc. It was all over-the-top. The way in which Roan rationalized the outcome of each sexual act - she would calculatingly weigh the pros and cons of what she might gain or lose from each act - and then goes into great detail at times about how the sex was with her father disturbed me the most. I get it that rape victims, especially children, can develop Stockholm syndrome-type feelings for their rapists, but the rape descriptions (resplendent with references to her orgasms) are so graphic that it almost gave off a flippant feel as it relates to abuse. I don't know how to say it, other than there is a lot of shock value, but no real depth. I also found the teenage relationship between Roan and Will to be too mature in many ways that also diminished the book's credibility. My final gripe is that the conclusion is also over-the-top and not believable in the least, although somewhat satisfying, I must admit.
This subject matter is very timely and important, and I respect that Mihalic tackled something so intense and dark, but I couldn't get past the graphic descriptions that were just unnecessary. Not to mention, for the love of God, authors, please stop killing animals! In my opinion, the two books I have read on this subject of late do not compare with My Dark Vanessa, which also dealt with horrifying abuse, but did it in a way that did not just feel like a revenge porn read. 2 stars.
February 12, 2021
Dark Horses is a shocking, heart-pounding debut; it’s both a coming-of-age novel and an unflinching story of resilience and survival. Fifteen-year-old Roan Montgomery is an equestrian prodigy; she attends a private high school, where she is given a special schedule allowing her to miss afternoon classes to train for her horseback riding events, which are a stepping stone to her plan of one day riding in the Olympics. In spite of her shortened class schedule, Roan receives straight As, and isn’t allowed to date or attend any social events outside of school. The reason why, the reader soon finds out, is disturbing and sinister: Roan’s father, also her riding coach, is in complete control of every facet of her life, and on top of the daily emotional abuse he inflicts on her, he has been sexually abusing her since early childhood.
You can read my full review HERE on BookBrowse, and you can read a piece I wrote about equestrian eventing HERE.
You can read my full review HERE on BookBrowse, and you can read a piece I wrote about equestrian eventing HERE.
April 19, 2021
Triggers: child abuse, explicit sex, mental health, phycological abuse, sexual abuse (including rape), pedophilia, incest, substance abuse, death of animal.
This one really wasn’t for me.
But you know the drill. Books speak differently to each one.
I know that I’m in the minority, so do not mind me.
It pains me to say that I was extremely disappointed with this one.
I was expecting a groundbreaking drama, but unfortunately the writing did not work for me.
The subject matter is a hard and disturbing one, but I was not shocked, just bored.
Yes, I was outraged by the mother’s attitude.
Yes, the father is despicable and I wouldn’t mind skinning him alive.
The little girl is clueless and self centred, and I just could not believe in her character.
I can’t even say that this book was overly dramatic.
And that ending was an easy way out.
What did I miss?
I guess that the main thing is that I did not find the storyline convincing or believable.
I do blame it on the writing, which I thought was very amateurish.
And forgiveness is not always the answer.
Yes, this one fell flat for me.
This one really wasn’t for me.
But you know the drill. Books speak differently to each one.
I know that I’m in the minority, so do not mind me.
It pains me to say that I was extremely disappointed with this one.
I was expecting a groundbreaking drama, but unfortunately the writing did not work for me.
The subject matter is a hard and disturbing one, but I was not shocked, just bored.
Yes, I was outraged by the mother’s attitude.
Yes, the father is despicable and I wouldn’t mind skinning him alive.
The little girl is clueless and self centred, and I just could not believe in her character.
I can’t even say that this book was overly dramatic.
And that ending was an easy way out.
What did I miss?
I guess that the main thing is that I did not find the storyline convincing or believable.
I do blame it on the writing, which I thought was very amateurish.
And forgiveness is not always the answer.
Yes, this one fell flat for me.
March 29, 2021
•Description•
Very Dark
Horse Competition
Desperation
•Rating•
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5 stars
Must Read
•Review•
So right away, I need to say that this has some dark subject matter....but realistic subject matter. This book was so well written that I really felt I understood Roan. As a parent, it is hard to comprehend such hell that another parent could inflict on their child and the author really gave us very well balanced characters. This book was a page turner from the start.
Very Dark
Horse Competition
Desperation
•Rating•
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5 stars
Must Read
•Review•
So right away, I need to say that this has some dark subject matter....but realistic subject matter. This book was so well written that I really felt I understood Roan. As a parent, it is hard to comprehend such hell that another parent could inflict on their child and the author really gave us very well balanced characters. This book was a page turner from the start.
June 2, 2023
My Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ devastating, depressing and heartbreaking stars!!!
Fifteen year old Roan Montgomery is a prodigy living in the constant shadow of her fathers equestrian career, but if shes trains hard enough and does all the right things just maybe she can make it to the Olympics her ultimate goal.
Roan only knows two things in life inside the arena and outside the arena and both of those worlds are ruled by her father who demands strict obedience in every facet of her life. Roan’s father “Daddy” is her coach, her father, her mentor and her abuser.
Things have long since been Ok in the Montgomery household but the abuse is commonplace and Roan is slowly but surely being eaten alive by the suffocating knowledge that her life is absolutely not how she hoped it would be.
Roan finds a glimmer of hope in a boy at school but her father can absolutely never find out… Will Howard cannot sway her focus… but things just never go to plan.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual Assault, Incest, Neglect, Abuse and a bunch of other - know your limits!!!
First of all this book is a story of abuse and control… but neglect from all the people that touch the lives of poor lovely Roan. You may read this and say but how can she let this happen… Roan is 16 and this has not just begun happening. This is her life this is her reality day in day out and her greatest fan, her so called protector and the person that loves her most is the one betraying her trust, her body and her soul every single day… what a confusing and devastating life for a young girl… it just broke me.
Second of all, this is not a thriller - so my GR friends if you follow me for the thriller books I read this is absolutely not one of them. This is depression and heartache and all kinds of f*cked up!!! If you’re looking for a fast paced action packed thrill a minute look away. This one is slow and it progressively gets more and more graphic as it goes along… it was a difficult read because the subject matter is just so heartbreaking.
Having said all that, it was excellent, the writing was wonderful - fully told from POV of Roan and in the current timeline but we get a sense for all the main and secondary characters just exactly as it should be. There is edge of your seat moments when you think this or that might be found out … or this or that might happen and I think if I didn’t paint my nails in STOP BITE nail poison I would have no nails left from this book.
The other really surprising thing about this book for me is the level of detail the author goes into about the sport equestrian and horses and riding in general. Now I am no horse fan - don’t trust them and I wouldn’t ride one. But I found this incredibly interesting - it was slow slow paced and sometimes there would be three chapters in a row about Roan and riding and horses and equestrian but I had trouble putting it down… I kept reading and reading and I was up late with this one.
If the facts that were shared in this book were researched as well as they appeared to be then I learnt a lot about horses and the sport and it was actually very interesting…. Competitive and cutthroat. I liked Roan a lot, she was a true victim that did not want to be a vicim and she tried to continue living her life but … her life was not meant to be lived… in the end… well I am not going to give away the ending but it was satisfying enough… it is absolutely not how I would have played it in real life but every action made perfect sense and I get why the author did what she did and I appreciated it.
Will Howard was a great character and perfect for Roan - oooh the tension between these two well that was pulled of really well and they are teenagers too… so you know sometimes you’re like meh teenage love barf - but I liked it. AND my god!!! Roan’s mother what an absolutely piece of sh*t - I dunno what it is but I seem to find all the books with the bad mothers… although in this case the dad is the devil himself and I wanted to stab his face off throughout the entire book.
Overall - I would only recommend this to people who an handle their trigger warnings and to my GR friends who like me enjoy the depression novels. I know thats not an actual genre but if you know me and my book choices then you will know what I mean. It wont be for everyone and if you really truly hate horses I don’t recommend it either. Everyone else if this sounds like something you can handle then I highly recommend it!!
I got this one of Kindle Unlimited so if you have that and are on the fence you can always try it without much fuss!!!
Fifteen year old Roan Montgomery is a prodigy living in the constant shadow of her fathers equestrian career, but if shes trains hard enough and does all the right things just maybe she can make it to the Olympics her ultimate goal.
Roan only knows two things in life inside the arena and outside the arena and both of those worlds are ruled by her father who demands strict obedience in every facet of her life. Roan’s father “Daddy” is her coach, her father, her mentor and her abuser.
Things have long since been Ok in the Montgomery household but the abuse is commonplace and Roan is slowly but surely being eaten alive by the suffocating knowledge that her life is absolutely not how she hoped it would be.
Roan finds a glimmer of hope in a boy at school but her father can absolutely never find out… Will Howard cannot sway her focus… but things just never go to plan.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual Assault, Incest, Neglect, Abuse and a bunch of other - know your limits!!!
First of all this book is a story of abuse and control… but neglect from all the people that touch the lives of poor lovely Roan. You may read this and say but how can she let this happen… Roan is 16 and this has not just begun happening. This is her life this is her reality day in day out and her greatest fan, her so called protector and the person that loves her most is the one betraying her trust, her body and her soul every single day… what a confusing and devastating life for a young girl… it just broke me.
Second of all, this is not a thriller - so my GR friends if you follow me for the thriller books I read this is absolutely not one of them. This is depression and heartache and all kinds of f*cked up!!! If you’re looking for a fast paced action packed thrill a minute look away. This one is slow and it progressively gets more and more graphic as it goes along… it was a difficult read because the subject matter is just so heartbreaking.
Having said all that, it was excellent, the writing was wonderful - fully told from POV of Roan and in the current timeline but we get a sense for all the main and secondary characters just exactly as it should be. There is edge of your seat moments when you think this or that might be found out … or this or that might happen and I think if I didn’t paint my nails in STOP BITE nail poison I would have no nails left from this book.
The other really surprising thing about this book for me is the level of detail the author goes into about the sport equestrian and horses and riding in general. Now I am no horse fan - don’t trust them and I wouldn’t ride one. But I found this incredibly interesting - it was slow slow paced and sometimes there would be three chapters in a row about Roan and riding and horses and equestrian but I had trouble putting it down… I kept reading and reading and I was up late with this one.
If the facts that were shared in this book were researched as well as they appeared to be then I learnt a lot about horses and the sport and it was actually very interesting…. Competitive and cutthroat. I liked Roan a lot, she was a true victim that did not want to be a vicim and she tried to continue living her life but … her life was not meant to be lived… in the end… well I am not going to give away the ending but it was satisfying enough… it is absolutely not how I would have played it in real life but every action made perfect sense and I get why the author did what she did and I appreciated it.
Will Howard was a great character and perfect for Roan - oooh the tension between these two well that was pulled of really well and they are teenagers too… so you know sometimes you’re like meh teenage love barf - but I liked it. AND my god!!! Roan’s mother what an absolutely piece of sh*t - I dunno what it is but I seem to find all the books with the bad mothers… although in this case the dad is the devil himself and I wanted to stab his face off throughout the entire book.
Overall - I would only recommend this to people who an handle their trigger warnings and to my GR friends who like me enjoy the depression novels. I know thats not an actual genre but if you know me and my book choices then you will know what I mean. It wont be for everyone and if you really truly hate horses I don’t recommend it either. Everyone else if this sounds like something you can handle then I highly recommend it!!
I got this one of Kindle Unlimited so if you have that and are on the fence you can always try it without much fuss!!!
December 22, 2023
This is a freaking phenomenally written novel. The fact that this is Susan Mihalic's debut makes it even more impressive and daunting as a fellow author working on a subpar debut of my own. I listened to this one in the car, and Narrator Alex Allwine was the perfect pick to tell this story. Audiobooks in my car take me longer to get through and give me copious amounts of time to sit with the narrative and really think about the story and the characters. I was lost and heartbroken for Roan and all she withstood.
The dark sexual abuse is written in a disturbing and dark escalatory manner that is both painful to read and also leaves you rooting for Roan to escape in some way from her lack of confidence and harboring of complicit guilt. Mihalic's depiction is horrifyingly realistic but also produces powerful imagery. It is quite a large part of the story and could quickly be triggering for readers.
The immense detail into equestrian eventing and Roan's relationship with her horses is also superbly illustrated and made me feel like I was there training with her and her father. Mihalic did a superb job of showing the other side of Roan's father in the horse relationship he harbors and showing Roan's complete lack of control over any part of her life, especially her image.
When Roan discovers that a boy named Will is interested in her and also a bit broke on the inside, it is only a matter of time before the meticulously woven cocoon life Monty has created for the inappropriate and mentally stunted relationship between him and his daughter Roan starts to unravel at an egregious cost to all involved rapidly.
This is just a WOW novel, and in the top five of the more than 200 I have read this year in terms of spectacular narration, proper editing, excellent pacing, and leaving me with a feeling that Roan's story will never entirely leave me.
My biggest trigger was animal-related... I was gutted.
Easy 5 Stars
The dark sexual abuse is written in a disturbing and dark escalatory manner that is both painful to read and also leaves you rooting for Roan to escape in some way from her lack of confidence and harboring of complicit guilt. Mihalic's depiction is horrifyingly realistic but also produces powerful imagery. It is quite a large part of the story and could quickly be triggering for readers.
The immense detail into equestrian eventing and Roan's relationship with her horses is also superbly illustrated and made me feel like I was there training with her and her father. Mihalic did a superb job of showing the other side of Roan's father in the horse relationship he harbors and showing Roan's complete lack of control over any part of her life, especially her image.
When Roan discovers that a boy named Will is interested in her and also a bit broke on the inside, it is only a matter of time before the meticulously woven cocoon life Monty has created for the inappropriate and mentally stunted relationship between him and his daughter Roan starts to unravel at an egregious cost to all involved rapidly.
This is just a WOW novel, and in the top five of the more than 200 I have read this year in terms of spectacular narration, proper editing, excellent pacing, and leaving me with a feeling that Roan's story will never entirely leave me.
My biggest trigger was animal-related... I was gutted.
Easy 5 Stars
May 2, 2021
I was lucky enough to have won an ARC of Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic in a goodread’s give away. Knowing what this book was about, I knew that the subject matter was going to be very hard to read about. Although there have been several cases over the past several years where young female athletes have come forward and admitted and accused their coaches of sexually abusing them, it was disheartening to discover that these trusted coaches violated their young and impressionable athletes. However, Dark Horses, took the act of sexual abuse to a whole other level. Roan Montgomery had the misfortune of being born to a mother that did not care about her, love her enough to save her or protect her and that felt jealous of her relationship with her father and was more often than not drunk and wasted and to a father who loved her too much and in all the wrong and appropriate ways. Dark Horses explored incest, sexual abuse, power over another, threats, rape, ambition, lies, anger, being abandoned, making choices and resilience. It was hard to read at times but I couldn’t seem to put it down either. Dark Horses was Susan Mihalic’s debut novel.
Roan Montgomery was only ten years old when she admitted to her mother that her own father was sexually abusing her. Her mother chose to do nothing to stop it. That was when her mother began to drink in earnest instead of protecting Roan from her father. Her mother chose to hide behind the influence of alcohol. Roan had learned to live with this secret. Her father had threatened her from the very beginning with selling her horses if she ever told anyone. Roan learned to compartmentalize her life into two distinct worlds. The one in the arena where she rode her horses and trained was her good and happy place. Outside the arena, where her father threatened her and took her innocence was her dark place and where she could not escape. Now fifteen years old, her father, the famous equestrian Olympic gold medal winner, was both her coach and father. His relationship with Roan had been inappropriate for way too long. Roan was now an equestrian prodigy herself. Her greatest dream had always been to compete in the Olympics. Roan lived an isolated life. She had no friends and never socialized with anyone from school or from anywhere. Her life was structured and her father made sure she kept to his strict rules. Roan went to school and came home, did her chores, trained and did homework and studied. Then one day, her father was late to pick her up after school and Will Howard, a boy from one of her classes, offered her a ride home. After much trepidation, Roan accepted his offer. That unplanned act would allow Roan over time to see that she had choices. Would Roan be able to take control of her own destiny? Could she stop her father from sexually abusing her? Would Roan heal enough to allow Will to help her and would she find room in her heart for Will?
Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic was an extremely difficult book to read, absorb and accept. It was hard to accept that a mother could be so cold and complacent toward her own daughter knowing that she was being sexually abused by her father right under her nose. How could a mother abandon her own daughter under those circumstances? The road Roan faced to try and alter and fix her life was not easy. She was faced with more losses and cruelty while she traveled on this path than any young girl should have had to witness and experience in a lifetime. The characters in Dark Horses were complex and far from perfect but that was what helped make them believable. I look forward to reading more books by Susan Mihalic and recommend this book very highly if you can stomach the subject matter.
Thank you to Scout Press and Susan Mihalic for sending me this copy of Dark Horses through goodreads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Roan Montgomery was only ten years old when she admitted to her mother that her own father was sexually abusing her. Her mother chose to do nothing to stop it. That was when her mother began to drink in earnest instead of protecting Roan from her father. Her mother chose to hide behind the influence of alcohol. Roan had learned to live with this secret. Her father had threatened her from the very beginning with selling her horses if she ever told anyone. Roan learned to compartmentalize her life into two distinct worlds. The one in the arena where she rode her horses and trained was her good and happy place. Outside the arena, where her father threatened her and took her innocence was her dark place and where she could not escape. Now fifteen years old, her father, the famous equestrian Olympic gold medal winner, was both her coach and father. His relationship with Roan had been inappropriate for way too long. Roan was now an equestrian prodigy herself. Her greatest dream had always been to compete in the Olympics. Roan lived an isolated life. She had no friends and never socialized with anyone from school or from anywhere. Her life was structured and her father made sure she kept to his strict rules. Roan went to school and came home, did her chores, trained and did homework and studied. Then one day, her father was late to pick her up after school and Will Howard, a boy from one of her classes, offered her a ride home. After much trepidation, Roan accepted his offer. That unplanned act would allow Roan over time to see that she had choices. Would Roan be able to take control of her own destiny? Could she stop her father from sexually abusing her? Would Roan heal enough to allow Will to help her and would she find room in her heart for Will?
Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic was an extremely difficult book to read, absorb and accept. It was hard to accept that a mother could be so cold and complacent toward her own daughter knowing that she was being sexually abused by her father right under her nose. How could a mother abandon her own daughter under those circumstances? The road Roan faced to try and alter and fix her life was not easy. She was faced with more losses and cruelty while she traveled on this path than any young girl should have had to witness and experience in a lifetime. The characters in Dark Horses were complex and far from perfect but that was what helped make them believable. I look forward to reading more books by Susan Mihalic and recommend this book very highly if you can stomach the subject matter.
Thank you to Scout Press and Susan Mihalic for sending me this copy of Dark Horses through goodreads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 15, 2021
В нашем детстве был такой латиноамериканский сериал «Богатые тоже плачут», где у людей были деньги, а проблемы от этого никуда не девались, правда проблемы это были из серии «амнезия Хуаниты передалась половым путем архитектору Мендисабалю». Вот это, на самом деле, примерно такой роман: с одной стороны, это масс-маркетная версия «Темной Ванессы» и таллентовской My Absolute Darling, в которой все нюансы и неоднозначности сглажены до готовых, тщательно проговоренных решений, что само по себе неплохо для того, чтобы хотя бы начать разговор о семейном насилии. Но, с другой стороны, это история об очень богатой девочке, у которой был папа-абьюзер, и она такая – может, заявить на него уже, а потом - ну нет, как же тогда мои лошадки и олимпийское будущее, и хотя девочку по сюжету безмерно жалко, но все же семья буйного алкоголика из, допустим, ново-бирюлево глядит на нее с недоумением. И дело не в том, что богатая девочка страдает как-то проще, или что ее страдания не заслуживают сострадания. Проблема этого романа как раз в том, что это история о лошадях, и лошади - это всегда очень дорого, это всегда мир привилегий, и эта дорогая точка отсчета, эта искренняя боязнь девочки потерять не жизнь, не конечности, не рассудок, не свободу, а именно что – возможность быть олимпийской чемпионкой и кататься на лошадках – это ужасно мешает как-то проникнуться романом полностью.
October 20, 2020
*I was sent a free ARC of this book by Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review*
Soapy and melodramatic, Susan Mihalic’s Dark Horses follows Roan, a high school junior and equestrian prodigy navigating an absent mother and a long history of sexual abuse at the hands of her father in the midst of preparing to join the olympic equestrian team.
I have a few issues with this book, rooted in its being pretty clear-cut tragedy porn, a la Flowers in the Attic for over 90% of its (very long) duration. The rape is graphic, the sex is graphic (and unrealistic), the conclusion is graphic - but these images don’t lend much to the story other than shock value and fall flatter the longer they go on. This book really wants to illustrate sex, but never seems to really want to discuss or explore the depths of why Roan is so troubled with her sexuality, what it means for her truly.
The prose falls flat and deprives the story of much nuance, so while the subject matter is incredibly adult the writing feels very YA, in a bad way. Roan’s clear and certain shirking of the so-called “victim mentality,” a dismissive and violent word in itself, feels annoying and unsympathetic given the emotional turmoil that this story drags its reader through. The situation of the mother seems all too convenient, not to mention that I don’t believe for a second that a fifteen-year-old, no matter how dedicated they are to their sport, would have genuinely no interest in having a cell phone or social media, I mean come on.
I was going to say this book is 100 pages too long, but ultimately, it’s 350 pages too long if you’re looking for more than a weak horse-girl-trauma-porn romp.
Soapy and melodramatic, Susan Mihalic’s Dark Horses follows Roan, a high school junior and equestrian prodigy navigating an absent mother and a long history of sexual abuse at the hands of her father in the midst of preparing to join the olympic equestrian team.
I have a few issues with this book, rooted in its being pretty clear-cut tragedy porn, a la Flowers in the Attic for over 90% of its (very long) duration. The rape is graphic, the sex is graphic (and unrealistic), the conclusion is graphic - but these images don’t lend much to the story other than shock value and fall flatter the longer they go on. This book really wants to illustrate sex, but never seems to really want to discuss or explore the depths of why Roan is so troubled with her sexuality, what it means for her truly.
The prose falls flat and deprives the story of much nuance, so while the subject matter is incredibly adult the writing feels very YA, in a bad way. Roan’s clear and certain shirking of the so-called “victim mentality,” a dismissive and violent word in itself, feels annoying and unsympathetic given the emotional turmoil that this story drags its reader through. The situation of the mother seems all too convenient, not to mention that I don’t believe for a second that a fifteen-year-old, no matter how dedicated they are to their sport, would have genuinely no interest in having a cell phone or social media, I mean come on.
I was going to say this book is 100 pages too long, but ultimately, it’s 350 pages too long if you’re looking for more than a weak horse-girl-trauma-porn romp.
Read
February 24, 2021I am the wrong reader for this book—call it occupational hazard, as I’ve been a pediatric psychiatric nurse for twenty years, and can’t help comparing the teen protagonist, Roan, to the actual children and teens I’ve worked with in her situation. Mihalic sets up a suspenseful narrative, as far as keeping the reader on edge throughout the novel. The story is not boring--it is rather exciting--although melodramatic--and I suspect that any reader will be turning the pages with anticipation and horror, as the author intended. My concern is that the text and voice do not contain the gravitas and nuance that would be necessary to convey for a child such as this one, abused repeatedly since age six by the person she should trust the most. That is what kept me out of the realm of believing that this was credible.
A friend suggested that perhaps Roan is an outlier, with her ability to keep it together; moreover, she is able to have a healthy relationship with a loving boyfriend. He isn’t just a caring, compassionate, attractive teenager—he is wise beyond his years. Girls such as Roan are plausibly unable to have a healthy relationship, especially with no therapy, no emotional/familial support, no security, and, in DARK HORSES, the expectation to win every horse riding competition that she is in (and often does). I suppose that there are a few blind people who can drive—but is that the stakes that this author is trying to set up?
If I were a sexually abused teen, and I read this book, I would feel even worse about myself for failing to accomplish what Roan does. There’s no screed that obligates the author to write this in a specific way, but I was still hoping that she would aim at a more realistic portrait of what to expect of this protagonist. She’s more than a mere survivor in DARK HORSES. Every day, she gets stronger (and again, without the help of therapy or family support) and more capable. She hasn’t told her boyfriend about her father raping her on a daily basis, but she straddles both worlds carefully.
Roan describes the pain, physically and psychically, and some of her more complex, incongruous emotions, but it felt author-inserted rather than authentic. But, if you have never encountered someone like Roan, you may be piqued, as Mihalic excels at pacing and structure. It also leans toward a YA voice and approach, even thought the content is for mature audiences—perhaps it is meant to be inclusive.
What the author lacks in subtlety and credibility, she makes up by being more graphic as we move to the latter part of the novel. However, these graphic events happened to Roan for the past ten years (she is 16), but by saving the most harrowing scenes for later in the story, the reader is manipulated into feeling that the stakes are higher and more urgent toward the climax, when they have been just as emergent all along.
Story-wise, the only reason that Roan doesn’t report her father is that she doesn’t want to give up her goals of being a professional champion horse rider. Her father is wealthy and owns this horse farm, which allows her to pursue her dream. So—but for her aspirations, she would turn her father into the authorities? In actuality, girls don’t report their fathers for more complicated reasons of guilt, shame, and fear. This reduced it to a rich girl’s problem, even though the author didn’t intend that.
Considering Roan’s circumstances, and how damaged she is, she is way more level-headed and emotionally appropriate than most girls her age that aren’t abused. No problem with boundaries, no cutting or other self-harm, no actual suicide attempts. Even when she drinks, it doesn’t exceed amounts of many rebellious teens. It feels contrived so that Roan can possess some kind of verified self-destructive behavior. Ironically, however, when Roan is triggered, she usually gets more determined and resolute as the pages turn, even though she hasn’t had an ounce of expert help.
The interval that she keeps her boyfriend at arm’s length is to keep the secret, and she keeps the secret so she can be a champion. There’s compartmentalizing, sure, but that survival instinct that kicks in often leads to disassociation in girls suffering this ritual abuse; but with Roan, it keeps her externally poised, sufficiently enough to continue the charade. The author wants too reductive a dissonance between her truth and the fiction she lives. To depict contrast? She’s just too unflappable to the wider world. Notwithstanding the abuse, she successfully achieves at just about everything. It doesn’t bleed over messily as it should to be convincing. No adults see any signs—the social worker at the hospital was a plot ploy more than substantive.
I don’t know who to recommend this book to, other than young, naïve teens, to introduce them to this subject matter. I’m conflicted there, too, since I didn’t feel it was genuine—Roan had the cynosure of all eyes. The author was attempting to demonstrate that Roan was perceived as an envied teen although a victim of daily assault--the contrast. And then a Hollywood ending, a Cinderella finale, which is disingenuous and undermines the subject matter. I just didn’t buy it. Mihalic has talent, and I would like to read a novel by her with a different premise. She certainly has a gift for pacing, rhythm, and structure of a suspense story.
Thank you to Scout Press and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy
A friend suggested that perhaps Roan is an outlier, with her ability to keep it together; moreover, she is able to have a healthy relationship with a loving boyfriend. He isn’t just a caring, compassionate, attractive teenager—he is wise beyond his years. Girls such as Roan are plausibly unable to have a healthy relationship, especially with no therapy, no emotional/familial support, no security, and, in DARK HORSES, the expectation to win every horse riding competition that she is in (and often does). I suppose that there are a few blind people who can drive—but is that the stakes that this author is trying to set up?
If I were a sexually abused teen, and I read this book, I would feel even worse about myself for failing to accomplish what Roan does. There’s no screed that obligates the author to write this in a specific way, but I was still hoping that she would aim at a more realistic portrait of what to expect of this protagonist. She’s more than a mere survivor in DARK HORSES. Every day, she gets stronger (and again, without the help of therapy or family support) and more capable. She hasn’t told her boyfriend about her father raping her on a daily basis, but she straddles both worlds carefully.
Roan describes the pain, physically and psychically, and some of her more complex, incongruous emotions, but it felt author-inserted rather than authentic. But, if you have never encountered someone like Roan, you may be piqued, as Mihalic excels at pacing and structure. It also leans toward a YA voice and approach, even thought the content is for mature audiences—perhaps it is meant to be inclusive.
What the author lacks in subtlety and credibility, she makes up by being more graphic as we move to the latter part of the novel. However, these graphic events happened to Roan for the past ten years (she is 16), but by saving the most harrowing scenes for later in the story, the reader is manipulated into feeling that the stakes are higher and more urgent toward the climax, when they have been just as emergent all along.
Story-wise, the only reason that Roan doesn’t report her father is that she doesn’t want to give up her goals of being a professional champion horse rider. Her father is wealthy and owns this horse farm, which allows her to pursue her dream. So—but for her aspirations, she would turn her father into the authorities? In actuality, girls don’t report their fathers for more complicated reasons of guilt, shame, and fear. This reduced it to a rich girl’s problem, even though the author didn’t intend that.
Considering Roan’s circumstances, and how damaged she is, she is way more level-headed and emotionally appropriate than most girls her age that aren’t abused. No problem with boundaries, no cutting or other self-harm, no actual suicide attempts. Even when she drinks, it doesn’t exceed amounts of many rebellious teens. It feels contrived so that Roan can possess some kind of verified self-destructive behavior. Ironically, however, when Roan is triggered, she usually gets more determined and resolute as the pages turn, even though she hasn’t had an ounce of expert help.
The interval that she keeps her boyfriend at arm’s length is to keep the secret, and she keeps the secret so she can be a champion. There’s compartmentalizing, sure, but that survival instinct that kicks in often leads to disassociation in girls suffering this ritual abuse; but with Roan, it keeps her externally poised, sufficiently enough to continue the charade. The author wants too reductive a dissonance between her truth and the fiction she lives. To depict contrast? She’s just too unflappable to the wider world. Notwithstanding the abuse, she successfully achieves at just about everything. It doesn’t bleed over messily as it should to be convincing. No adults see any signs—the social worker at the hospital was a plot ploy more than substantive.
I don’t know who to recommend this book to, other than young, naïve teens, to introduce them to this subject matter. I’m conflicted there, too, since I didn’t feel it was genuine—Roan had the cynosure of all eyes. The author was attempting to demonstrate that Roan was perceived as an envied teen although a victim of daily assault--the contrast. And then a Hollywood ending, a Cinderella finale, which is disingenuous and undermines the subject matter. I just didn’t buy it. Mihalic has talent, and I would like to read a novel by her with a different premise. She certainly has a gift for pacing, rhythm, and structure of a suspense story.
Thank you to Scout Press and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy
December 30, 2020
I almost never read literary fiction, but I was curious when looking at the GR description on this and entered a Goodreads Giveaway. I won it and was able to experience this incredible book. What a lucky stroke of chance, because it was powerful.
TLDR Tropes
- CW : sexual/physical/emotional abuse
- Dark family drama
- Female centered storyline of overcoming trauma
- Quick read
- very dark.
Roan comes from a family of equestrians and herself is very accomplished. At home she lives with a mother who wishes she was never born, and her coach father, who sexually abuses her. She's been living a hollow existence for years until she starts to get closer to a boy her own age, and her fragile reality begins to shatter.
This is a tough read y'all. In terms of writing it's absolutely brilliant. It's easy to pick up and follow, and the plot moves at a speedy pace even with a somber and slow tone. In terms of content though, there are some very detailed scenes of father daughter sexual abuse, leaving absolutely no detail out.
The bulk of this book really centers on Roan's relationship with both of her parents, and how she escapes those relationships in different ways.
Somehow, my most visceral responses were towards Roan's mother, who you find out very early on never wanted to have her. Roan's mother is an alcoholic and has body image issues. She is not a victim of abuse, but rather, Roan's father does not particularly care about her. She knows that Roan is being abused but doesn't particularly care, instead, blaming her for monopolizing her father's affections.
Roan's father of course, has a significantly more twisted relationship with her, both wanting to mold her into an extension of his legacy and wanting to treat her like a girlfriend. His detachment from a healthy reality is easily enabled by his celebrity status, as well as his strict control over ever aspect of Roan's life, which has limited her ability to fight back.
Its impossible not to feel for this young girl, this book is so intimate and personal and takes you through every single mindset of an abuse victim. There is a morbid fascination element at play yes, and if you have experienced any capacity of abuse by an authority figure, Roan's internal thoughts are all too relatable.
I can not recommend Dark Horses enough, but ONLY knowing what you are getting into. Speaking as directly as possible, this book will likely trigger you if you have been sexually abused. That being said, its boldness; its frank discussion of the topic, and its realistic portrayal of abusers is a much needed and welcome voice. With the topic of the abuse of children being such a hot topic these days, its worth remembering that most sexual abuse of minors happens within the home. Abusers are often charismatic and charming and know how to hold onto power. They aren't boogeymen in the night coming to snatch kids, not usually.
With that being said, please consider reading this book and donating to SAFE, which provides rape test kits, trauma assistance, housing, etc for victims all over central Texas.
https://www.safeaustin.org/get-involv...
TLDR Tropes
- CW : sexual/physical/emotional abuse
- Dark family drama
- Female centered storyline of overcoming trauma
- Quick read
- very dark.
Roan comes from a family of equestrians and herself is very accomplished. At home she lives with a mother who wishes she was never born, and her coach father, who sexually abuses her. She's been living a hollow existence for years until she starts to get closer to a boy her own age, and her fragile reality begins to shatter.
This is a tough read y'all. In terms of writing it's absolutely brilliant. It's easy to pick up and follow, and the plot moves at a speedy pace even with a somber and slow tone. In terms of content though, there are some very detailed scenes of father daughter sexual abuse, leaving absolutely no detail out.
The bulk of this book really centers on Roan's relationship with both of her parents, and how she escapes those relationships in different ways.
Somehow, my most visceral responses were towards Roan's mother, who you find out very early on never wanted to have her. Roan's mother is an alcoholic and has body image issues. She is not a victim of abuse, but rather, Roan's father does not particularly care about her. She knows that Roan is being abused but doesn't particularly care, instead, blaming her for monopolizing her father's affections.
Roan's father of course, has a significantly more twisted relationship with her, both wanting to mold her into an extension of his legacy and wanting to treat her like a girlfriend. His detachment from a healthy reality is easily enabled by his celebrity status, as well as his strict control over ever aspect of Roan's life, which has limited her ability to fight back.
Its impossible not to feel for this young girl, this book is so intimate and personal and takes you through every single mindset of an abuse victim. There is a morbid fascination element at play yes, and if you have experienced any capacity of abuse by an authority figure, Roan's internal thoughts are all too relatable.
I can not recommend Dark Horses enough, but ONLY knowing what you are getting into. Speaking as directly as possible, this book will likely trigger you if you have been sexually abused. That being said, its boldness; its frank discussion of the topic, and its realistic portrayal of abusers is a much needed and welcome voice. With the topic of the abuse of children being such a hot topic these days, its worth remembering that most sexual abuse of minors happens within the home. Abusers are often charismatic and charming and know how to hold onto power. They aren't boogeymen in the night coming to snatch kids, not usually.
With that being said, please consider reading this book and donating to SAFE, which provides rape test kits, trauma assistance, housing, etc for victims all over central Texas.
https://www.safeaustin.org/get-involv...
February 8, 2021
Take Jaimy Gordon’s award-winning Lord of Misrule and combine it with Kate Elizabeth Russell’s startling My Dark Vanessa and you’ll have a clue as to what awaits you in Susan Mihalic’s dark and disturbing new novel.
But just a clue. This author has a voice, style and story that’s all her own. It’s not for the faint-hearted. The topic of incest never is. But for those who can handle the subject material, the pages can’t turn fast enough.
Our narrator, Roan Montgomery, is 15 years old when we meet her and is well on her way to becoming an Olympic gold-medal winner someday. Her father and coach is Monty Montgomery—a handsome, virile, famed equestrian in his own right with all the medals to prove it. Her unreliable mother is a self-centered and damaged alcoholic. Roan lives the life of privilege in an estate in the Shenandoah Valley, with servants and horses and her own heavily followed blog.
But despite her fairy-tale like life, Roan is hiding a devastating secret. From the time she was a young girl, her father, a raging narcissist and control freak, has been sexually abusing her…and the abuse threatens to continue indefinitely until Roan meets a boy with whom she feels a genuine connection.
Most incest victims become permanently damaged by their isolation, shame, guilt and need for secrecy. We learn early on in this novel that Roan has a spine; she fights back when a classmate leaves a smutty cartoon of her mother in the arms of the headmaster on the classroom easel. Her equestrian career has also taught her to not state or portray her emotions and to dissimulate when she’s not coming out on top. All this serves Roan well. But Roan is no match for a master of manipulation who has the physical strength, money, and power to take her down if she disobeys him even in the smallest ways.
Her feelings are multi-layered: for example, like most incest victims, she feels that she is at fault for not stopping and even enjoying at times the forbidden sexual relationship. It takes some excruciating occurrences for Roan to claim her strength and there are scenes that are very difficult to read. But incest shouldn’t be an easy beach read. Susan Mihalic made me cry and cheer for Roan and she made me not want to come up for air. The ultimate theme is resilience, which should make this a winner in both the commercial and literary reading circles. I'm concerned, though, that Roan's outlier experience with incest—the typical incest victim is unable to compartmentalize or triumph quite so easily as Roan—might offer unrealistic expectations of how hard it is for most incest victims to ever put it behind them.
A big thanks to Scout, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for providing me with an advance reader’s copy in exchange for a most decidedly honest review.
But just a clue. This author has a voice, style and story that’s all her own. It’s not for the faint-hearted. The topic of incest never is. But for those who can handle the subject material, the pages can’t turn fast enough.
Our narrator, Roan Montgomery, is 15 years old when we meet her and is well on her way to becoming an Olympic gold-medal winner someday. Her father and coach is Monty Montgomery—a handsome, virile, famed equestrian in his own right with all the medals to prove it. Her unreliable mother is a self-centered and damaged alcoholic. Roan lives the life of privilege in an estate in the Shenandoah Valley, with servants and horses and her own heavily followed blog.
But despite her fairy-tale like life, Roan is hiding a devastating secret. From the time she was a young girl, her father, a raging narcissist and control freak, has been sexually abusing her…and the abuse threatens to continue indefinitely until Roan meets a boy with whom she feels a genuine connection.
Most incest victims become permanently damaged by their isolation, shame, guilt and need for secrecy. We learn early on in this novel that Roan has a spine; she fights back when a classmate leaves a smutty cartoon of her mother in the arms of the headmaster on the classroom easel. Her equestrian career has also taught her to not state or portray her emotions and to dissimulate when she’s not coming out on top. All this serves Roan well. But Roan is no match for a master of manipulation who has the physical strength, money, and power to take her down if she disobeys him even in the smallest ways.
Her feelings are multi-layered: for example, like most incest victims, she feels that she is at fault for not stopping and even enjoying at times the forbidden sexual relationship. It takes some excruciating occurrences for Roan to claim her strength and there are scenes that are very difficult to read. But incest shouldn’t be an easy beach read. Susan Mihalic made me cry and cheer for Roan and she made me not want to come up for air. The ultimate theme is resilience, which should make this a winner in both the commercial and literary reading circles. I'm concerned, though, that Roan's outlier experience with incest—the typical incest victim is unable to compartmentalize or triumph quite so easily as Roan—might offer unrealistic expectations of how hard it is for most incest victims to ever put it behind them.
A big thanks to Scout, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for providing me with an advance reader’s copy in exchange for a most decidedly honest review.
May 3, 2022
Dark Horses... where to begin? First of all I want to mention that I absolutely loved this book. Loved might not be the correct word. But it gripped me, held me and tore me apart.
In the book we follow Roan Montgomery. She is participating in horse competitions. Her father is very famous, has won several gold olympic medals and is training her every single day.
Roan is having a bladder infection and her father forces her to compete. When she takes a bath, he walks in, and kisses her on her mouth. And that is the first inkling we know that something is terribly wrong between the two of them.
At first I really had to get into this book. Maybe even for the first half. I was wondering when the feelings would start to assault me. But when the second half started, my heart broke apart.
And that is when I realised how important the first half of the book was. Roan is really trying to normalize what happens to her and her father. Well, not normalize. But she has sorted what happens between her and her father in a certain box. And that box has a certain place in her brain. A place that allows her to handle the ongoing sexual abuse, and to keep functioning. So it is has somewhat 'normalized'. Even in the sense that she sometimes initiates sex, or seems to enjoy it. She is even able to come. I read in a few reviews how horrible they found that. But I could scream at people who write that down. Like when boys get raped, they get a hard on - they come - AGAINST their wills. And the same goes for girls. Roan's father started abusing and raping her since she was only six years old. He knows her body, he knows how to play it, adjust it - make it seem like she wants it, enjoys it. She has absolutely no choice in the matter apart from coming.
She told her mother about the abuse. And her mother does absolutely nothing. She is a drunk, an addict. She doesn't like Roan. She hates it that her daughter loves her horses beyond anything, loves to compete and go for the win. And when her mother cheats. She easily takes the bribe money from her husband and leaves her daughter alone with a fucking sadist.
And then Will enters the picture. A boy who is kind, truly interested and slowly captures her heart. Monty (Roan's father) is sickeningly jealous and does everything in his power to break them apart. And that is when the story truly takes off. That is when Roan starts to realize she really didn't have a choice, that her father always forced himself upon her.
She finds love in Will. Even the housekeeper senses that something is wrong. Slowly but surely her father becomes nastier, meaner and even more narcissistic.
My heart broke several times during the second half of the book. What happens to the horse she is most close to. What her father does when he loses it.
How Roan tries to shake him off. I am so proud of her in certain parts.
And what she does in the barn near the end. I think everybody would have done the same. And how she responded. That coldness she describes, I felt the emotions rushing through my body.
And near the end, how it ends. A part of me wants to say. That way he suffers more than death ever could.
This is a heartbreaking, stunning book that will always stay with me.
5 BIG stars from me! ♥
In the book we follow Roan Montgomery. She is participating in horse competitions. Her father is very famous, has won several gold olympic medals and is training her every single day.
Roan is having a bladder infection and her father forces her to compete. When she takes a bath, he walks in, and kisses her on her mouth. And that is the first inkling we know that something is terribly wrong between the two of them.
At first I really had to get into this book. Maybe even for the first half. I was wondering when the feelings would start to assault me. But when the second half started, my heart broke apart.
And that is when I realised how important the first half of the book was. Roan is really trying to normalize what happens to her and her father. Well, not normalize. But she has sorted what happens between her and her father in a certain box. And that box has a certain place in her brain. A place that allows her to handle the ongoing sexual abuse, and to keep functioning. So it is has somewhat 'normalized'. Even in the sense that she sometimes initiates sex, or seems to enjoy it. She is even able to come. I read in a few reviews how horrible they found that. But I could scream at people who write that down. Like when boys get raped, they get a hard on - they come - AGAINST their wills. And the same goes for girls. Roan's father started abusing and raping her since she was only six years old. He knows her body, he knows how to play it, adjust it - make it seem like she wants it, enjoys it. She has absolutely no choice in the matter apart from coming.
She told her mother about the abuse. And her mother does absolutely nothing. She is a drunk, an addict. She doesn't like Roan. She hates it that her daughter loves her horses beyond anything, loves to compete and go for the win. And when her mother cheats. She easily takes the bribe money from her husband and leaves her daughter alone with a fucking sadist.
And then Will enters the picture. A boy who is kind, truly interested and slowly captures her heart. Monty (Roan's father) is sickeningly jealous and does everything in his power to break them apart. And that is when the story truly takes off. That is when Roan starts to realize she really didn't have a choice, that her father always forced himself upon her.
She finds love in Will. Even the housekeeper senses that something is wrong. Slowly but surely her father becomes nastier, meaner and even more narcissistic.
My heart broke several times during the second half of the book. What happens to the horse she is most close to. What her father does when he loses it.
How Roan tries to shake him off. I am so proud of her in certain parts.
And what she does in the barn near the end. I think everybody would have done the same. And how she responded. That coldness she describes, I felt the emotions rushing through my body.
And near the end, how it ends. A part of me wants to say. That way he suffers more than death ever could.
This is a heartbreaking, stunning book that will always stay with me.
5 BIG stars from me! ♥
May 28, 2021
Dark Horses is the incredibly dark story of fifteen-year-old equestrian prodigy Roan Montgomery. She’s the daughter of an Olympian & a model, with a bright future ahead of her. Ever since she was four, her father has been sexually abusing her, and he controls every aspect of her life. Her mom is a drunk & aware of the abuse but never does anything to stop it. She’s able to endure it all until she meets Will Howard, a classmate from school, and falls in love for the first time. She soon finds herself at a crossroads...does she eliminate the distraction (Will) & follow the path that has been set for her? Or does she speak out and put an end to the abuse, even if it means losing everything she’s worked so hard for?
My heart broke into a million pieces reading this novel. There are many incredibly tough scenes of rape & emotional abuse, but I rooted for Roan & was extremely satisfied with how it all wraps up in the end. There are obviously quite a few trigger warnings that you may want to be aware of; the ones I can think of are incestuous rape, physical & emotional abuse, death of animals. If you can get past those, run out and grab yourself a copy because I guarantee this is going to nominated for awards this year, with Best Debut among them. Absolutely incredible 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
My heart broke into a million pieces reading this novel. There are many incredibly tough scenes of rape & emotional abuse, but I rooted for Roan & was extremely satisfied with how it all wraps up in the end. There are obviously quite a few trigger warnings that you may want to be aware of; the ones I can think of are incestuous rape, physical & emotional abuse, death of animals. If you can get past those, run out and grab yourself a copy because I guarantee this is going to nominated for awards this year, with Best Debut among them. Absolutely incredible 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
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October 20, 2021This gripping novel is by no means an easy read, but none-the-less compelling.
Teen Roan Montgomery appears to have it all; a privileged life, a top-notch prep school education, a stable of horses and the opportunity to train to become a member of a future Olympics equestrian team. She also has a controlling father who has been sexually abusing her since childhood and a distant, self-involved mother who knows of the abuse but does nothing to help her daughter. It's both fascinating and disturbing as Roan tries various ways to seek help from others, even as she depends upon her father's attention, and the lengths to which the man will go to keep her silent and under his control.
The novel is very well-written, which much to say about the strange dance between an abuser and the abused. - Louisa A.
Teen Roan Montgomery appears to have it all; a privileged life, a top-notch prep school education, a stable of horses and the opportunity to train to become a member of a future Olympics equestrian team. She also has a controlling father who has been sexually abusing her since childhood and a distant, self-involved mother who knows of the abuse but does nothing to help her daughter. It's both fascinating and disturbing as Roan tries various ways to seek help from others, even as she depends upon her father's attention, and the lengths to which the man will go to keep her silent and under his control.
The novel is very well-written, which much to say about the strange dance between an abuser and the abused. - Louisa A.
August 29, 2021
I've had this book on my shelf for over a year now. My book club friend gave me this copy and insisted that I read it. I politely took the book thinking to myself, “what could be interesting about a girl that rides horses?”
Fast forward to a week ago and the same friend asked if I had ever read it. I confessed to her that I had totally forgotten about it because I didn't think I would like it. She insisted that I was wrong and since she and I share a similar taste in books I thought I would at least read the first chapter. Fast forward to 6 hours later and I found myself finishing this book in one sitting.
At 15 years old, Roan Montgomery is training to become an equestrian Olympic gold medalist. Roan is coached and trained by her father, a 3 time Olympic gold medalist winner Monty Montgomery. Monty is well revered in the equestrian world but no one knows the real Monty except for Roan. Monty has been sexually abusing Roan her entire life. When Roan meets a boy from school, Will Howard, Roan's entire world changes.
Full disclosure, some parts of this book are very hard to get through. There are several graphic portrayals of sexual abuse and incest to a child. If this is triggering, then this book isn’t for you.
I found myself completely immersed in Dark Horses. What drew me into this story and made me like it was the accurate portrayal of dependency that young girls have on authority figures, parents, teachers, coaches, etc., and the tendency to cover up detestable behaviors from authority figures. Susan Mihalic flawlessly portrayed the delicate way a teenager's mind works, and the unconditional love they hold.
This book is the perfect characterization of a victim of child abuse. I'm not sure I've ever had my heartbreak for a fictional character more than it did for Roan. Roan was so manipulated and controlled and brainwashed by her father. She had so many self-deprecating thoughts and even blamed herself for her father's actions.
The ending was so powerful and poignant.
I'm not sure that I will ever forget Roan and this incredible story.
This book is not for everyone. I completely understand why so many people are repulsed by this book. I felt this story was both unbearable and spectacular at the same time. If you liked My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Talent or My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell then I would recommend Dark Horses.
Fast forward to a week ago and the same friend asked if I had ever read it. I confessed to her that I had totally forgotten about it because I didn't think I would like it. She insisted that I was wrong and since she and I share a similar taste in books I thought I would at least read the first chapter. Fast forward to 6 hours later and I found myself finishing this book in one sitting.
At 15 years old, Roan Montgomery is training to become an equestrian Olympic gold medalist. Roan is coached and trained by her father, a 3 time Olympic gold medalist winner Monty Montgomery. Monty is well revered in the equestrian world but no one knows the real Monty except for Roan. Monty has been sexually abusing Roan her entire life. When Roan meets a boy from school, Will Howard, Roan's entire world changes.
Full disclosure, some parts of this book are very hard to get through. There are several graphic portrayals of sexual abuse and incest to a child. If this is triggering, then this book isn’t for you.
I found myself completely immersed in Dark Horses. What drew me into this story and made me like it was the accurate portrayal of dependency that young girls have on authority figures, parents, teachers, coaches, etc., and the tendency to cover up detestable behaviors from authority figures. Susan Mihalic flawlessly portrayed the delicate way a teenager's mind works, and the unconditional love they hold.
This book is the perfect characterization of a victim of child abuse. I'm not sure I've ever had my heartbreak for a fictional character more than it did for Roan. Roan was so manipulated and controlled and brainwashed by her father. She had so many self-deprecating thoughts and even blamed herself for her father's actions.
The ending was so powerful and poignant.
I'm not sure that I will ever forget Roan and this incredible story.
This book is not for everyone. I completely understand why so many people are repulsed by this book. I felt this story was both unbearable and spectacular at the same time. If you liked My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Talent or My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell then I would recommend Dark Horses.
August 31, 2021
Thus book was at times almost painful to read. 15 Roan does not in any circumstances have an happy family, even though it might seem like that from the outside. Being a child prology in horse riding and being a teenager should have been enough. But with her mom being very distans from her and her very abusive and controlling father, she has to much on her plate. I was so angry at times that she had to live with such worthless parents. The book truly tucked on my emotions and I couldn't stop reading. Had to know what was going to happen to Roan in the end. Higly recommend this book but a big warning for child mental/sexual abuse. It's not an easy read
July 14, 2020
Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic could almost be YA but has such a sensitive topic, I would be hesitant to classify it as such. It is a breathtaking and gripping look at a teen girl’s life in a wholly dysfunctional family. To say the writing is masterful would be an understatement. There are no words for this debut. It is a one-sit reading, completely impossible to leave for interruptions. The story is destined to stay with you, even change you. At times I had to remind myself to breathe. This is a stunning book.
January 1, 2021
What an intense debut novel from this author! I like to toss in an occasional work of fiction to keep things different now and then, and this was quite a random choice, wow. It started off rather easy and built the tension throughout. There are some difficult, painful things going on in the story, to be sure, and I was curious to see how the various storylines would play out. Very readable, some shock factor built in. Not for the faint hearted. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Susan Mihalec, and the publisher.
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