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The Stranger
An uncompromising and compelling feminist Western for readers of The Natural Way of Things.
In Darkwater, being female doesn't amount to much. But Chelsea's luckier than most. She's the young lover of the town's feared leader, which she keeps telling herself is a good thing, what with food getting scarce and the wells drying up. She's secure and safe and can almost believe she's happy.
But when a stranger rides into town, gun on one hip, whip on the other, Chelsea can't look away. Especially when it turns out this stranger is a woman.
Nobody can say what the stranger is there for. But she brings talk of an outside perhaps no longer so chaotic, no longer something to hide away from - and she knows far too much about dark choices made in the town when the world outside was falling apart.
As the rumours fly about Darkwater's bloodied past and the murder of a woman twenty years earlier, Chelsea finds herself being drawn into someone else's terrifying quest for justice. Or is it merely deadly revenge?
In a place ruled by fear, Chelsea's going to have to decide whose side she's really on, and how far she's prepared to go to uncover the town's dirty secrets before more blood soaks the ground of Darkwater - this time, perhaps her own.
Original, unflinching, gritty and visionary, The Stranger is a stunning feminist Western for our times.
In Darkwater, being female doesn't amount to much. But Chelsea's luckier than most. She's the young lover of the town's feared leader, which she keeps telling herself is a good thing, what with food getting scarce and the wells drying up. She's secure and safe and can almost believe she's happy.
But when a stranger rides into town, gun on one hip, whip on the other, Chelsea can't look away. Especially when it turns out this stranger is a woman.
Nobody can say what the stranger is there for. But she brings talk of an outside perhaps no longer so chaotic, no longer something to hide away from - and she knows far too much about dark choices made in the town when the world outside was falling apart.
As the rumours fly about Darkwater's bloodied past and the murder of a woman twenty years earlier, Chelsea finds herself being drawn into someone else's terrifying quest for justice. Or is it merely deadly revenge?
In a place ruled by fear, Chelsea's going to have to decide whose side she's really on, and how far she's prepared to go to uncover the town's dirty secrets before more blood soaks the ground of Darkwater - this time, perhaps her own.
Original, unflinching, gritty and visionary, The Stranger is a stunning feminist Western for our times.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2022
5 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Hore
13 books30 followersKathryn is an Australian writer of speculative and twisting fiction. Her short stories have appeared in a variety of anthologies and magazines, but her first love is long form fiction; novellas and novels. Her first novel, The Wildcard, was released from IFWG Publishing in 2021 and is a twisting thriller about card players who take their games a little too far. Her second novel, The Stranger, was released in 2022 from Allen & Unwin and is an unflinching, page-turning, feminist speculative fiction western.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 28, 2022
Surprisingly, this was a win for me. A dystopian feminine western is my take on this, which I thought be a clever and well written book.
There's a great wide world out there, Chelsea, and not all of us live trapped inside a prsion
..towns full of starved-to-death bodies because the people bought the lie..
The bare bones of the serious themes I felt were a vicious and violent control over a collective group led by fear, violence, ignorance, and greed. The fear of an unknown contagion, and rapidly declining food and water makes for a miserable and dusty town. Darkwater is a good name this insipidous place.
At the helm of this mayhem is Granger, he is feared and revered in equal measure; his town is ruled by him, but we so easily see he is weak, ignorant, and mean. He relies on rumour and misinformation to fester, and fester it does to the extreme.
His town is backward, stock and humans die often and we see this loss is a constant, also spurring on the negativity and despair.
Chelsea is the female interest of the ruler, she is barely a woman, taking a false refuge with this man as her father was pushed out of the locked gates after her mother died of the ‘sickness’ these townsfolk assumed was the contagion. This backward place has locked gates, everything is falling apart, the solar panels are supposedly broken and most unusable, as is any outside communication via the radio. Chelsea does not know what a radio is.
Granger’s men and young boys beat, punish, and kill those who do supposed wrong; these followers appear to not be able to think for themselves.
Chelsea needs board and lodging, she is homeless, and Granger seeks a woman to abuse, rape and control. She is his woman child as I see it.
The tavern serves as a central spot where men drink and continue to show their awful selves. A couple of women seem to have elements of good, the schoolteacher and old healing lady. It is very surprising for all when The Stranger rides into town on her horse, strong, determined, fearless and reckless – not a good mix for ignorant and weak men. The Stranger has the knack of winning emotionally, physically, and spiritually, all without using a gun. Unlike the barbaric men. This enigmatic woman delivered every movement of body and of speech with an understated aura. She was quite remarkable.
This strange woman begins to usurp their leaders’ secrets and the fear and lies embedded into the town over decades begin to see light.
Chelsea can have ‘her’ Suzze – my name! – she learns that retribution and revenge are not worth their perceived value and that strength and leadership qualities do not need to hail from a man. She is smart and knows this is her turn, and The Stranger is her gift, as she is to the whole damned town.
Recommended big time – and my sincere thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy which I enjoyed immeasurably and surprisingly which is even better! The books provided by this publisher make me plunge into unkown waters time and time again, and I really believe this is what it's all about.
There's a great wide world out there, Chelsea, and not all of us live trapped inside a prsion
..towns full of starved-to-death bodies because the people bought the lie..
The bare bones of the serious themes I felt were a vicious and violent control over a collective group led by fear, violence, ignorance, and greed. The fear of an unknown contagion, and rapidly declining food and water makes for a miserable and dusty town. Darkwater is a good name this insipidous place.
At the helm of this mayhem is Granger, he is feared and revered in equal measure; his town is ruled by him, but we so easily see he is weak, ignorant, and mean. He relies on rumour and misinformation to fester, and fester it does to the extreme.
His town is backward, stock and humans die often and we see this loss is a constant, also spurring on the negativity and despair.
Chelsea is the female interest of the ruler, she is barely a woman, taking a false refuge with this man as her father was pushed out of the locked gates after her mother died of the ‘sickness’ these townsfolk assumed was the contagion. This backward place has locked gates, everything is falling apart, the solar panels are supposedly broken and most unusable, as is any outside communication via the radio. Chelsea does not know what a radio is.
Granger’s men and young boys beat, punish, and kill those who do supposed wrong; these followers appear to not be able to think for themselves.
Chelsea needs board and lodging, she is homeless, and Granger seeks a woman to abuse, rape and control. She is his woman child as I see it.
The tavern serves as a central spot where men drink and continue to show their awful selves. A couple of women seem to have elements of good, the schoolteacher and old healing lady. It is very surprising for all when The Stranger rides into town on her horse, strong, determined, fearless and reckless – not a good mix for ignorant and weak men. The Stranger has the knack of winning emotionally, physically, and spiritually, all without using a gun. Unlike the barbaric men. This enigmatic woman delivered every movement of body and of speech with an understated aura. She was quite remarkable.
This strange woman begins to usurp their leaders’ secrets and the fear and lies embedded into the town over decades begin to see light.
Chelsea can have ‘her’ Suzze – my name! – she learns that retribution and revenge are not worth their perceived value and that strength and leadership qualities do not need to hail from a man. She is smart and knows this is her turn, and The Stranger is her gift, as she is to the whole damned town.
Recommended big time – and my sincere thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy which I enjoyed immeasurably and surprisingly which is even better! The books provided by this publisher make me plunge into unkown waters time and time again, and I really believe this is what it's all about.
September 4, 2022
Darkwater is an isolated town where the gates are kept locked and visitors tested for viruses before they can enter. Except there haven’t been any visitors or deliveries for ages and the town is running out of supplies and the groundwater is also drying up. The strongman leader Granger says everything’s fine and runs the town with violence and fear. His girl is 16yo Chelsea and she’s the main character. Her mother died and her father was put outside the walls suspected of illness. Then one day a stranger arrives and the rumours begin.
This was a great read, very hard to put down from about halfway in. I’m not really into westerns but this was done well, perhaps the dystopian post viral societal collapse felt all too possible!
This was a great read, very hard to put down from about halfway in. I’m not really into westerns but this was done well, perhaps the dystopian post viral societal collapse felt all too possible!
October 13, 2022
Three and a half stars
Darkwater is a town cut off from the world. The huge gates protect them from intruders and sickness. Or do they? Granger is the man who rules the town with an iron fist. He rules by fear. Sixteen year old Chelsea is ‘Granger’s girl’ and as such she is protected to a certain extent, as long as she obeys him. But there is a price to pay, that includes severe lack of freedom and putting up with whatever Granger dishes out. No one in the town will help her. They are used to turning a blind eye and ear to whatever evils occur.
This is a western but it is also dystopian. Twenty years earlier the town had shut their ears and eyes when a woman who also had been Granger’s girl, was beaten, raped and murdered. At least that is what everyone believed. Until the day a stranger comes into town. Why is this whip and gun toting woman in Darkwater? Is it for revenge? Chelsea is intrigued by this stranger. But what will this stranger mean for Darkwater? How many secrets will be uncovered?
This is a very different sort of read. It is gritty, littered with violence and language and more than a little far fetched. However, it is also thought provoking as it looks at the effects of fear and what can happen when people turn a blind eye to what is happening around them. Given some recent events this is a timely read. It reminds me of the saying that ‘for evil to flourish all it takes is for good men (and women, I might add) to do nothing.’
This book was definitely out of my normal wheelhouse and was hard to read. And yet.... even though some of how it plays out was predictable, it was also a narrative that I had to keep reading. If you are prepared for something that will take you out of your comfort zone and that focuses on women sticking up for themselves, then you will be interested in this one. As I said, a different sort of read.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my ARC to read and review.
Darkwater is a town cut off from the world. The huge gates protect them from intruders and sickness. Or do they? Granger is the man who rules the town with an iron fist. He rules by fear. Sixteen year old Chelsea is ‘Granger’s girl’ and as such she is protected to a certain extent, as long as she obeys him. But there is a price to pay, that includes severe lack of freedom and putting up with whatever Granger dishes out. No one in the town will help her. They are used to turning a blind eye and ear to whatever evils occur.
This is a western but it is also dystopian. Twenty years earlier the town had shut their ears and eyes when a woman who also had been Granger’s girl, was beaten, raped and murdered. At least that is what everyone believed. Until the day a stranger comes into town. Why is this whip and gun toting woman in Darkwater? Is it for revenge? Chelsea is intrigued by this stranger. But what will this stranger mean for Darkwater? How many secrets will be uncovered?
This is a very different sort of read. It is gritty, littered with violence and language and more than a little far fetched. However, it is also thought provoking as it looks at the effects of fear and what can happen when people turn a blind eye to what is happening around them. Given some recent events this is a timely read. It reminds me of the saying that ‘for evil to flourish all it takes is for good men (and women, I might add) to do nothing.’
This book was definitely out of my normal wheelhouse and was hard to read. And yet.... even though some of how it plays out was predictable, it was also a narrative that I had to keep reading. If you are prepared for something that will take you out of your comfort zone and that focuses on women sticking up for themselves, then you will be interested in this one. As I said, a different sort of read.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my ARC to read and review.
September 5, 2022
A stranger rides into town ...
The town of Darkwater, for 24 years an enclave protected from the virals and chaotic anarchy of the outside world by iron gates, stone walls and its taciturn, feared and omnipotent leader Granger. Only the occasional trader, tested for disease prior to entry, bringing supplies and telling stories of ‘before-time’ places: big cities, soaring buildings, glistening cars, aeroplanes, the world a bustling place. But the big city has been abandoned by all but mutants and the deformed. And this town is merely going through the motions left over from that other world. Food is scarce, the water supply drying up, farms barren, stock animals dead.
A stranger, on a horse, with a gun sets the gossips’ tongues wagging – it’s a woman. Might she be the one left for dead, who cursed the town when none came to her aid but all heard her cries for help?
16 year old Chelsea is unschooled, one of the ‘first kids’ born after the town was established. Her mother is dead, her father banished for having a cough, her love confined to a room in the hotel. To survive she has succumbed to Granger’s grooming, dressing in the slinky mis-fitting dresses he gifts her, obeying his every command. But her curiosity at times leads to trouble, she’s witnessed the whipping death of a trader come to collect what’s due and now defies the rules and enters the bar where the woman is drinking alone. The Stranger is coaxed into a game with marked cards but still manages to beat the cheats, win the pot and fend off the men who set upon her. A woman without fear, she’s offering desperately needed trade, but telling about the outside world in a different way. She has a radio, and knows what’s going on beyond Darkwater’s walls. Chelsea is fascinated, some townsfolk are intrigued. Others are watching, refusing to see, but the spooked town elders need to know why this 20 year old ghost is in town. They think she has come for revenge and so set up a deadly ambush.
This book satisfies all the themes of the classic westerns: isolated and uninformed locals; a bloody town history; there’s a showdown but will it result in the overbearing rulers being stripped of their power and the townsfolk set free of their prison?; unlikely heroes are made and underestimated characters will surprise; truths will be revealed and the morals of the story are there for the taking. The magnificent 5 shape ‘The Stranger’ into a feminist western: Miss Kenzie the proper, mannered spinster school marm; Pepper the tender-hearted madam; Mother Jane the mad and ostracized healer who is so much more than she seems; powerless Chelsea who discovers her strength; The enigmatic Stranger who might be able to ensure that ‘All is well’.
Such a brilliant story, on every level. Loved it!
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for an advanced reading copy.
The town of Darkwater, for 24 years an enclave protected from the virals and chaotic anarchy of the outside world by iron gates, stone walls and its taciturn, feared and omnipotent leader Granger. Only the occasional trader, tested for disease prior to entry, bringing supplies and telling stories of ‘before-time’ places: big cities, soaring buildings, glistening cars, aeroplanes, the world a bustling place. But the big city has been abandoned by all but mutants and the deformed. And this town is merely going through the motions left over from that other world. Food is scarce, the water supply drying up, farms barren, stock animals dead.
A stranger, on a horse, with a gun sets the gossips’ tongues wagging – it’s a woman. Might she be the one left for dead, who cursed the town when none came to her aid but all heard her cries for help?
16 year old Chelsea is unschooled, one of the ‘first kids’ born after the town was established. Her mother is dead, her father banished for having a cough, her love confined to a room in the hotel. To survive she has succumbed to Granger’s grooming, dressing in the slinky mis-fitting dresses he gifts her, obeying his every command. But her curiosity at times leads to trouble, she’s witnessed the whipping death of a trader come to collect what’s due and now defies the rules and enters the bar where the woman is drinking alone. The Stranger is coaxed into a game with marked cards but still manages to beat the cheats, win the pot and fend off the men who set upon her. A woman without fear, she’s offering desperately needed trade, but telling about the outside world in a different way. She has a radio, and knows what’s going on beyond Darkwater’s walls. Chelsea is fascinated, some townsfolk are intrigued. Others are watching, refusing to see, but the spooked town elders need to know why this 20 year old ghost is in town. They think she has come for revenge and so set up a deadly ambush.
This book satisfies all the themes of the classic westerns: isolated and uninformed locals; a bloody town history; there’s a showdown but will it result in the overbearing rulers being stripped of their power and the townsfolk set free of their prison?; unlikely heroes are made and underestimated characters will surprise; truths will be revealed and the morals of the story are there for the taking. The magnificent 5 shape ‘The Stranger’ into a feminist western: Miss Kenzie the proper, mannered spinster school marm; Pepper the tender-hearted madam; Mother Jane the mad and ostracized healer who is so much more than she seems; powerless Chelsea who discovers her strength; The enigmatic Stranger who might be able to ensure that ‘All is well’.
Such a brilliant story, on every level. Loved it!
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for an advanced reading copy.
August 23, 2024
‘When the Stranger rode into town, everybody took notice.’
In a small isolated and gated town called Darkwater, somewhere in an unnamed country we meet Chelsea. She is sixteen years old, and as the young lover of the town’s feared leader Granger, she is luckier than most. Food is becoming scarce, and the wells are drying up. The gates, people are told, are to protect them from outsiders carrying a virus that kills. Everyone who enters the town (and there are very few visitors) is tested.
But Chelsea’s life changes when a stranger rides into town. She has a gun on one hip and a whip on the other and talks of life outside Blackwater. She also seems to know a lot about Blackwater’s past. Chelsea is curious and as the story shifts between past and present, we learn something of Chelsea’s life before her mother died and her father became an outcast.
There are rumours in Blackwater: about the past, including a murder of a woman twenty years earlier. But everyone fears Granger and his gang control the people of Blackwater, with violence if needed. Chelsea must make a choice: does she try to find out the truth, which seems to mean supporting the stranger, or does she try to stay safe under Granger’s protection?
‘But I’d never know the truth if I didn’t try to find out and nobody from Darkwater was going to help me.’
As the story unfolds and Chelsea’s view of the world widens, we see that Darkwater has dark secrets. Granger’s control is based on fear and ignorance. Why has the Stranger come to Darkwater? Could there be a future outside? Will Chelsea (and other townsfolk) have the courage to find out?
I really enjoyed this novel, with its strong female characters finding the courage to start tackling a chauvinistic dystopian world. Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In a small isolated and gated town called Darkwater, somewhere in an unnamed country we meet Chelsea. She is sixteen years old, and as the young lover of the town’s feared leader Granger, she is luckier than most. Food is becoming scarce, and the wells are drying up. The gates, people are told, are to protect them from outsiders carrying a virus that kills. Everyone who enters the town (and there are very few visitors) is tested.
But Chelsea’s life changes when a stranger rides into town. She has a gun on one hip and a whip on the other and talks of life outside Blackwater. She also seems to know a lot about Blackwater’s past. Chelsea is curious and as the story shifts between past and present, we learn something of Chelsea’s life before her mother died and her father became an outcast.
There are rumours in Blackwater: about the past, including a murder of a woman twenty years earlier. But everyone fears Granger and his gang control the people of Blackwater, with violence if needed. Chelsea must make a choice: does she try to find out the truth, which seems to mean supporting the stranger, or does she try to stay safe under Granger’s protection?
‘But I’d never know the truth if I didn’t try to find out and nobody from Darkwater was going to help me.’
As the story unfolds and Chelsea’s view of the world widens, we see that Darkwater has dark secrets. Granger’s control is based on fear and ignorance. Why has the Stranger come to Darkwater? Could there be a future outside? Will Chelsea (and other townsfolk) have the courage to find out?
I really enjoyed this novel, with its strong female characters finding the courage to start tackling a chauvinistic dystopian world. Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
September 28, 2022
“An uncompromising and compelling feminist Western for readers of The Natural Way of Things.”
……………………………………..
This book is a truly modern take on a page turning Western!
Darkwater is a community in lockdown, walled and gated to keep the outsiders out and the insiders in…presumably for their own protection.
Darkwater is also a small community with a dark past and many secrets, which few of its residents remember anything about…
That is, until the day a stranger rides in…a stranger who’s very existence threatens to expose more than just their dirty past. This stranger bears news that will shatter some of the things these locals have believed forever.
Darkwater gets very few visitors these days, so when this stranger brazenly rides up to the gates and is allowed to enter, the town openly stares. The stranger appears to be a woman! Fully armed with a whip on one side and a gun on the other, she casually rides her horse into town as if she lived there.
Tighten your saddles folks, because things are about to get full on!
I love a good story with a kickass woman at the forefront, and The Stranger delivers big time!
This is a very well plotted read, and such a departure from your usual type of Western…it’s good!
4⭐️s
Many thanks to Allen & Unwin and the author for my copy to read and review.
September 20, 2022
“… reckoning is on its way”.
A feminist Western. This description alone said “read me”!!! The setting is in Darkwater, a town in an un-named country with limited resources and water access. It is locked away from the world outside its walls. It sounds like it is a long time ago, yet there are mentions of solar panels, electricity and a PA set up across the town. This is a deliberate skill by Kathryn Hore to keep up guessing, and to realise that the topics and situations we encounter in this book traverse time, location and generation. There is a dystopian element to this as well, with an isolated town cut off from the rest of the world, with virals being stockpolied and tested within the walls of Darkwater.
A stranger rides into Darkwater on a horse. The stranger is a woman, mistaken for a man, draped in weapons. Everyone is whispering about the Stranger’s entrance, and they capture the attention of Chelsea. The Stranger, herself, is a character full of mystery, and this seems to unfold in fragments through the story. Chelsea is known as “Granger’s Girl” in Darkwater. Granger is the “head’ of this town, and controls what and who comes in and out. He also has controlled Chelsea since she was 16 year of age, after her mother dies and her father was forced out of the town. Chelsea does not have any role models left, apart from her once teacher, and now, the Stranger. Until the Stranger’s arrival, she has succumbed to the power of Granger, a man that has taken advantage of many young girls and women in the town. Granger has been running the town with a number of old men for many years. Here he meets his nemesis – a woman had been in this very town before.
This is not about revenge, but justice, transparency and equity for all, and this is a very hard lesson for Chelsea to learn as she connects more and more to the Stranger. It is also a long standing lesson that I think Granger really knew he would need to face, when the past came back to the present to set the future free. I think this book is a standout for 2022 for me.
A feminist Western. This description alone said “read me”!!! The setting is in Darkwater, a town in an un-named country with limited resources and water access. It is locked away from the world outside its walls. It sounds like it is a long time ago, yet there are mentions of solar panels, electricity and a PA set up across the town. This is a deliberate skill by Kathryn Hore to keep up guessing, and to realise that the topics and situations we encounter in this book traverse time, location and generation. There is a dystopian element to this as well, with an isolated town cut off from the rest of the world, with virals being stockpolied and tested within the walls of Darkwater.
A stranger rides into Darkwater on a horse. The stranger is a woman, mistaken for a man, draped in weapons. Everyone is whispering about the Stranger’s entrance, and they capture the attention of Chelsea. The Stranger, herself, is a character full of mystery, and this seems to unfold in fragments through the story. Chelsea is known as “Granger’s Girl” in Darkwater. Granger is the “head’ of this town, and controls what and who comes in and out. He also has controlled Chelsea since she was 16 year of age, after her mother dies and her father was forced out of the town. Chelsea does not have any role models left, apart from her once teacher, and now, the Stranger. Until the Stranger’s arrival, she has succumbed to the power of Granger, a man that has taken advantage of many young girls and women in the town. Granger has been running the town with a number of old men for many years. Here he meets his nemesis – a woman had been in this very town before.
This is not about revenge, but justice, transparency and equity for all, and this is a very hard lesson for Chelsea to learn as she connects more and more to the Stranger. It is also a long standing lesson that I think Granger really knew he would need to face, when the past came back to the present to set the future free. I think this book is a standout for 2022 for me.
October 27, 2022
All I knew about this book going in was the tagline "a feminist western". That was enough to get me! Is it historical, contemporary, reality? I won't say much about it, but it's an interesting novel, a bit of plot and a bit of character.
September 13, 2022
The Stranger is Kathryn Hore’s debut novel and it’s a wild ride!
In the town of Darkwater the residents stay protected behind the locked gates safe from the contagion that has destroyed much of the world. For the last twenty years the community has got by under the leadership of Granger whose word is law and whose word can also lead to bloodshed. Sixteen year old Chelsea was chosen by the much older Granger to be his lover and in his house she lives uneasily. With food and water becoming scarcer and months passing since anyone came to trade the future is uncertain. Until one day a stranger rides in on a horse with a gun and a whip and talk of the outside world.
Wow! What an original book! It was unlike anything I've read before. Billed as a feminist western it's also speculative fiction with a pandemic has taken over the world vibe.
I thought this was very well done. I will say straight up that there is obviously an inappropriate relationship between the middle aged Granger and Chelsea who is a teenager. This is important for the storyline but take care if this might concern you.
Overall The Stranger was very compelling and I flew through it in no time. Give it a try if you like a dystopian novel but want something a bit different.
Thank you to @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
In the town of Darkwater the residents stay protected behind the locked gates safe from the contagion that has destroyed much of the world. For the last twenty years the community has got by under the leadership of Granger whose word is law and whose word can also lead to bloodshed. Sixteen year old Chelsea was chosen by the much older Granger to be his lover and in his house she lives uneasily. With food and water becoming scarcer and months passing since anyone came to trade the future is uncertain. Until one day a stranger rides in on a horse with a gun and a whip and talk of the outside world.
Wow! What an original book! It was unlike anything I've read before. Billed as a feminist western it's also speculative fiction with a pandemic has taken over the world vibe.
I thought this was very well done. I will say straight up that there is obviously an inappropriate relationship between the middle aged Granger and Chelsea who is a teenager. This is important for the storyline but take care if this might concern you.
Overall The Stranger was very compelling and I flew through it in no time. Give it a try if you like a dystopian novel but want something a bit different.
Thank you to @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
October 6, 2022
I knew I had to read this book as soon as I heard about it. Westerns and dystopian fiction are two of my favourite genres, combine that with a feminist bent and you have a winner. If you enjoyed Outlawed by Anna North, I daresay you’d enjoy this too.
October 24, 2022
A damn good post-apocalyptic Western from an author who knows all the tropes, and knows when to subvert them them.
Great characters, gripping drama and plenty to say about politics, the patriarchy and the pandemic.
You should read this book.
Great characters, gripping drama and plenty to say about politics, the patriarchy and the pandemic.
You should read this book.
November 2, 2022
I'm a long term fan of Kathryn Hore's work, and The Stranger did not disappoint! Darkwater is a town of secrets - some permeating the residents' present, some that will shape their future, and some that were thought buried in the past. That is until The Stranger rides into town to shake things up. She's seen things, she's lived things, and more importantly (especially to young protag, Chelsea) she knows things. And what she knows could blow Darkwater's male-governed community apart.
If you love well-written, page turning books that overturn tropes and seamlessly blend genres, you're going to want to add The Stranger to your bookshelf.
If you love well-written, page turning books that overturn tropes and seamlessly blend genres, you're going to want to add The Stranger to your bookshelf.
October 23, 2022
Isolated from a world destroyed by a rampant virus, a group of survivors has taken refuge behind the high wall of Darkwater for the past two decades. Terrified by what lies beyond, the townspeople limit contact with the outside world to avoid contagion, deformity and chaos. Sixteen year old Chelsea has known no other world but will do whatever it takes to survive this one. She takes up with the town leader Granger, a much older man, who rules with the sort of fear and violence that ensures the locals are blind and deaf to the suffering of others. However, when the Stranger – a woman – rides into town, Chelsea understands there are other ways to wield power and other ways to survive.
Promoted as a feminist western, I was hooked from the beginning. Combining dystopian elements with the traditional western allows for the creation of a dark world teetering on the edge of catastrophe. Hore captures the isolation of a town far from hope while simultaneously creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where it’s all but impossible to escape the view of prying eyes. Chelsea is my favourite sort of protagonist, unapologetic about the choices she makes to survive a brutal world, while doing her best to seek out something better; and the Stranger is the feminist hero we’ve been waiting for.
With a strong narrative voice and a compelling setting, this was a novel I couldn’t put down.
Promoted as a feminist western, I was hooked from the beginning. Combining dystopian elements with the traditional western allows for the creation of a dark world teetering on the edge of catastrophe. Hore captures the isolation of a town far from hope while simultaneously creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where it’s all but impossible to escape the view of prying eyes. Chelsea is my favourite sort of protagonist, unapologetic about the choices she makes to survive a brutal world, while doing her best to seek out something better; and the Stranger is the feminist hero we’ve been waiting for.
With a strong narrative voice and a compelling setting, this was a novel I couldn’t put down.
July 23, 2023
I think this should be classified as a YA novel. I’m not sure if the reason it isn’t is because of the depictions of coercive control, adult/ minor “relationships”, rape, and murder. However there is no explicit description of sex/ rape at all, and only brief descriptions of violence. The abuse is all described through implication and, in my opinion, is suited to a teenage reader. The reason I think this should be reclassified as YA is that the story itself, and it’s message of feminism, is written in quite an obvious and straightforward way. This novel would be a great provocation for a discussion with teens about what it means to be a woman in relationship to the patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and the ‘male gaze’. However, the story is possibly too predictable for adult readers.
December 11, 2023
The Stranger
Listened to as an audiobook. Dystopian world. Potentially lots of triggers for readers … but a story of survival, righting wrongs, and new beginnings. I’m not sure I enjoyed the book, but it certainly kept me interested, and wanting to listen to more. Great performance by the narrator. Well written book.
Listened to as an audiobook. Dystopian world. Potentially lots of triggers for readers … but a story of survival, righting wrongs, and new beginnings. I’m not sure I enjoyed the book, but it certainly kept me interested, and wanting to listen to more. Great performance by the narrator. Well written book.
November 3, 2025
Loved it. Need more!
February 7, 2023
A western set in a dystopian future, following a huge viral outbreak.
October 7, 2022
*Disclaimer: I know the author personally*
I don't have much experience with Westerns, but here is one with twists enough to ensnare even the most casual reader. Set in the grim, declining little town of Darkwater in the midst of arid plains, The Stranger takes us on a rollicking ride through the nasty politics of a town ruled by fear and violence. Central to this exploration is the protagonist Chelsea, the teenage lover of the town's tyrannical boss, whose ignorance of the past and the outside world allows the reader to fill in the blanks alongside her as her defiant curiosity drives her to slowly unpick the pall of complicit silence that hangs over this novel like a heavy blanket. Her personal journey is spurred by the arrival of the eponymous Stranger, a woman with an agenda and a bevy of impressive skills, but a sizeable cast of supporting characters all have their roles to play as the Stranger barrels her way through the misogynistic power structures of the town with Chelsea hurrying in her wake.
Intense, violent and at times confronting, Hore pulls no more punches than the Stranger as she leads readers on a dance between the present and the past, deftly weaving numerous flashbacks into the gradually unfolding narrative, delving into people's past actions and relationships to more deeply etch the lines of their portraits before holding them up to the present in greater detail than before. Usually this is done to underscore the desperation and tragedy that define Darkwater's people or to further reinforce the brutality of the villains, but sometimes, and particularly towards the end, it is to show us a contradictory, more humanising side of someone. It is a hallmark of Hore's writing skill (and perhaps twisted sense of humour?) that the past will show someone's redeeming characteristics right before the present narrative delivers their just desserts.
The true genius of this story, however, is how is plays with and subverts expectations. This is done most strongly through the relationship between Chelsea and The Stranger, with the former projecting her hopes and fantasies onto the latter even as The Stranger remains as inscrutable and mysterious as any classic Man in Black. The Stranger's motivations are kept tantalisingly opaque right until the end, with each of her actions and revelations carefully crafted to show Chelsea - and the reader - that there is more to the events than the narrow tale of brutality and revenge in which Chelsea comes to believe she is caught up. Hore's master-stroke is to make The Stranger's true mission yet another example of the novel's core lesson: that violent retribution against abusers only plays into the same mechanisms of fear that they themselves employ, and that true power comes from destroying the power structures upon which tyrants lean and exposing to others how brittle and hollow their authority was. The Stranger (both the character and the novel) tempts us with vengeance and then shows us how to transcend. My only gripe is that it left me wanting more, and right at the very moment that the world (literally) lays itself out at Chelsea's feet. Brilliant.
I don't have much experience with Westerns, but here is one with twists enough to ensnare even the most casual reader. Set in the grim, declining little town of Darkwater in the midst of arid plains, The Stranger takes us on a rollicking ride through the nasty politics of a town ruled by fear and violence. Central to this exploration is the protagonist Chelsea, the teenage lover of the town's tyrannical boss, whose ignorance of the past and the outside world allows the reader to fill in the blanks alongside her as her defiant curiosity drives her to slowly unpick the pall of complicit silence that hangs over this novel like a heavy blanket. Her personal journey is spurred by the arrival of the eponymous Stranger, a woman with an agenda and a bevy of impressive skills, but a sizeable cast of supporting characters all have their roles to play as the Stranger barrels her way through the misogynistic power structures of the town with Chelsea hurrying in her wake.
Intense, violent and at times confronting, Hore pulls no more punches than the Stranger as she leads readers on a dance between the present and the past, deftly weaving numerous flashbacks into the gradually unfolding narrative, delving into people's past actions and relationships to more deeply etch the lines of their portraits before holding them up to the present in greater detail than before. Usually this is done to underscore the desperation and tragedy that define Darkwater's people or to further reinforce the brutality of the villains, but sometimes, and particularly towards the end, it is to show us a contradictory, more humanising side of someone. It is a hallmark of Hore's writing skill (and perhaps twisted sense of humour?) that the past will show someone's redeeming characteristics right before the present narrative delivers their just desserts.
The true genius of this story, however, is how is plays with and subverts expectations. This is done most strongly through the relationship between Chelsea and The Stranger, with the former projecting her hopes and fantasies onto the latter even as The Stranger remains as inscrutable and mysterious as any classic Man in Black. The Stranger's motivations are kept tantalisingly opaque right until the end, with each of her actions and revelations carefully crafted to show Chelsea - and the reader - that there is more to the events than the narrow tale of brutality and revenge in which Chelsea comes to believe she is caught up. Hore's master-stroke is to make The Stranger's true mission yet another example of the novel's core lesson: that violent retribution against abusers only plays into the same mechanisms of fear that they themselves employ, and that true power comes from destroying the power structures upon which tyrants lean and exposing to others how brittle and hollow their authority was. The Stranger (both the character and the novel) tempts us with vengeance and then shows us how to transcend. My only gripe is that it left me wanting more, and right at the very moment that the world (literally) lays itself out at Chelsea's feet. Brilliant.
September 18, 2022
Gripping, horrifying and ultimately deeply satisfying, this is the story of 16 yo Chelsea, who's the only one asking questions in a misogynistic, violent town on the brink of collapse. Then a stranger rides into town. A woman.
Great writing, wonderful characterisation. I pretty much read it in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down. Thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy, and congrats to Kathryn Hore for a book that not only takes us into a whole new genre, but also subverts the old one so satisfyingly.
Great writing, wonderful characterisation. I pretty much read it in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down. Thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy, and congrats to Kathryn Hore for a book that not only takes us into a whole new genre, but also subverts the old one so satisfyingly.
January 1, 2023
"When the Stranger rode into town, everybody took notice...It's been a right long time since we saw anyone...pass through the great iron gates..." "Granger...[warned] that things on the outside were growing ever worse...we were self-sufficient and didn't need constant contact with a frightening outside full of contagion, deformity and chaos."
Sixteen year old Chelsea was "Granger's girl", not by choice, but by necessity. Mama had died of illness, Pa was forced outside the iron gates and Chelsea made an unthinkable choice to save her true love. Granger offered lodging, food, and security for a price. His rules were iron clad. His brutality could erupt for the smallest infraction.
When the Stranger came to town packing a gun and a whip, she was revisiting the town she had fled two decades ago. She once was "Granger's girl". Was revenge on the menu?
Chelsea, our narrator, was one of the first babies in the town of Darkwater. "My friends and me, we didn't know much about the time before...What we knew was what the old timers told us, their stories of big cities and towering buildings...shiny cars...water...safe and clean. Plentiful food in a fertile earth...The world had once been a crowded place, noisy and alive. Not like what we knew now, our town quiet behind its gates, holding together against an outside full up with sickness and chaos...We weren't a welcoming community, embracing our suspicions, not strangers. Inside our walls we were safe. Granger had made us so...Everyone in this town owed him their lives." All tradesmen offering supplies to the town were screened for viral infection before being allowed to conduct business. The last trader to enter Darkwater demanded payment for prior supplies. He was never seen again.
The town of Darkwater was run on rumor. Rumor supported Granger's elevated status. He believed that women were devils. Even the pastor preached about the devilry of women, anything to please Granger. Many young men followed Granger faithfully, performing unspeakable tasks, anything to "curry favor". The elders running the isolated town for the past two decades adhered to the letter of Granger's agenda until the Stranger came to town.
The unnamed female Stranger, toting a gun and a whip, piqued Chelsea's interest. Warnings were issued to stay away. The populace blindly followed Granger's lead, his rules meted out though fear and violence. It seemed easier to look away, to be indifferent. Helplessness and compliance were the norm. This community darkened by the presence of greed, violence and lack of knowledge of life lived outside the gates, would be enlightened by the revelation of long suppressed secrets.
"The Stranger" by Kathryn Hore is a dystopian feminist Western. Place and time frame were left ambiguous, however, there were broken speakers on Darkwater's towers and broken solar panels. The young'uns had never seen a radio. Without the use of weaponry, the Stranger demonstrated her self worth, independence and determination. Chelsea took a leap of faith. Would she find her voice? Highly recommended.
Sixteen year old Chelsea was "Granger's girl", not by choice, but by necessity. Mama had died of illness, Pa was forced outside the iron gates and Chelsea made an unthinkable choice to save her true love. Granger offered lodging, food, and security for a price. His rules were iron clad. His brutality could erupt for the smallest infraction.
When the Stranger came to town packing a gun and a whip, she was revisiting the town she had fled two decades ago. She once was "Granger's girl". Was revenge on the menu?
Chelsea, our narrator, was one of the first babies in the town of Darkwater. "My friends and me, we didn't know much about the time before...What we knew was what the old timers told us, their stories of big cities and towering buildings...shiny cars...water...safe and clean. Plentiful food in a fertile earth...The world had once been a crowded place, noisy and alive. Not like what we knew now, our town quiet behind its gates, holding together against an outside full up with sickness and chaos...We weren't a welcoming community, embracing our suspicions, not strangers. Inside our walls we were safe. Granger had made us so...Everyone in this town owed him their lives." All tradesmen offering supplies to the town were screened for viral infection before being allowed to conduct business. The last trader to enter Darkwater demanded payment for prior supplies. He was never seen again.
The town of Darkwater was run on rumor. Rumor supported Granger's elevated status. He believed that women were devils. Even the pastor preached about the devilry of women, anything to please Granger. Many young men followed Granger faithfully, performing unspeakable tasks, anything to "curry favor". The elders running the isolated town for the past two decades adhered to the letter of Granger's agenda until the Stranger came to town.
The unnamed female Stranger, toting a gun and a whip, piqued Chelsea's interest. Warnings were issued to stay away. The populace blindly followed Granger's lead, his rules meted out though fear and violence. It seemed easier to look away, to be indifferent. Helplessness and compliance were the norm. This community darkened by the presence of greed, violence and lack of knowledge of life lived outside the gates, would be enlightened by the revelation of long suppressed secrets.
"The Stranger" by Kathryn Hore is a dystopian feminist Western. Place and time frame were left ambiguous, however, there were broken speakers on Darkwater's towers and broken solar panels. The young'uns had never seen a radio. Without the use of weaponry, the Stranger demonstrated her self worth, independence and determination. Chelsea took a leap of faith. Would she find her voice? Highly recommended.
October 29, 2022
http://jessjustreads.com
Kathryn Hore’s The Stranger is a dystopian feminist Western story, set in the secluded and caged Darkwater community and centring around the arrival of a mysterious but defiant female who enters the town.
Whilst we never learn the country or time period, we don’t necessarily need to. There’s something in the unknown that allows us to stay focused on this incredibly secluded and claustrophobic community.
Our protagonist, 16-year-old Chelsea, grows curious when a woman enters into her town with mysterious intentions. Since the death of her mother and the expulsion of her father, Chelsea’s world has largely been confined by Granger and so we witness as she grows more determined and independent.
“The entire table shifted uneasily. Glances were exchanged, the men confused and frowning. It was akin to asking why a new well should be dug when the old one went bad. There were just some things necessary for survival and surely that was obvious.”
There’s a strong dystopian element to the book, as we learn Darkwater is fenced in because of a raging virus that plagues the world outside. Anyone who leaves Darkwater faces certain death, and so the inhabitants feel both gracious to be in Darkwater and resentful that they must rely on this place.
Kathryn’s exploration of gender is multi-layered. Women are treated as sub-par to men – they’re used and abused, ignored and gaslit. As men group together to lead the town, women are divided, until this stranger arrives and opportunity presents itself for the women to band together and overthrow their oppressors.
“Five months later I was in his bed, his home and under his protection. For what else could I have done? They’d taken everything else from me. I might be young and I might be a girl, but I’m not stupid. I know how to survive. Whatever that takes.”
As we near the end of the novel, and the stranger’s true intentions are divulged, it does at times feel a tad too didactic in its messaging. The stranger explains her actions and her motivations a little too clearly, and so the reader feels spoon-fed.
I think there was room to leave a bit of this dialogue out of the book to give the reader a chance to join the dots themselves.
“Only this stranger needed no protection from anybody. She stood stiff in the middle of the men now staggering to find their feet. Bloodied lip and hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, breath coming in controlled exhales.”
Highly original and addictive, Kathryn Hore’s The Stranger is highly recommended. Readership skews female, 25+
Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Kathryn Hore’s The Stranger is a dystopian feminist Western story, set in the secluded and caged Darkwater community and centring around the arrival of a mysterious but defiant female who enters the town.
Whilst we never learn the country or time period, we don’t necessarily need to. There’s something in the unknown that allows us to stay focused on this incredibly secluded and claustrophobic community.
Our protagonist, 16-year-old Chelsea, grows curious when a woman enters into her town with mysterious intentions. Since the death of her mother and the expulsion of her father, Chelsea’s world has largely been confined by Granger and so we witness as she grows more determined and independent.
“The entire table shifted uneasily. Glances were exchanged, the men confused and frowning. It was akin to asking why a new well should be dug when the old one went bad. There were just some things necessary for survival and surely that was obvious.”
There’s a strong dystopian element to the book, as we learn Darkwater is fenced in because of a raging virus that plagues the world outside. Anyone who leaves Darkwater faces certain death, and so the inhabitants feel both gracious to be in Darkwater and resentful that they must rely on this place.
Kathryn’s exploration of gender is multi-layered. Women are treated as sub-par to men – they’re used and abused, ignored and gaslit. As men group together to lead the town, women are divided, until this stranger arrives and opportunity presents itself for the women to band together and overthrow their oppressors.
“Five months later I was in his bed, his home and under his protection. For what else could I have done? They’d taken everything else from me. I might be young and I might be a girl, but I’m not stupid. I know how to survive. Whatever that takes.”
As we near the end of the novel, and the stranger’s true intentions are divulged, it does at times feel a tad too didactic in its messaging. The stranger explains her actions and her motivations a little too clearly, and so the reader feels spoon-fed.
I think there was room to leave a bit of this dialogue out of the book to give the reader a chance to join the dots themselves.
“Only this stranger needed no protection from anybody. She stood stiff in the middle of the men now staggering to find their feet. Bloodied lip and hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, breath coming in controlled exhales.”
Highly original and addictive, Kathryn Hore’s The Stranger is highly recommended. Readership skews female, 25+
Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2023
Chelsea knows she's got it good being Granger's girl. Without him taking a liking to her, then calling her his, she would still be hungry and homeless in their small gated town of Darkwater.
Under Granger's care, she's also safe from any harm. No one would ever stand up to the leader of their town. After all, isn't it only because of Granger that they survived the outside contagions and sickness. Aren't his gates, the town council and his rules - law?
Chelsea at 16, knows no other life than behind the high gates and fence surrounding Darkwater, so when a new trader is allowed in, she is intrigued. This stranger has a whip on their hip, a rifle slotted down their horses' flank and a pistol on the other hip. Life has been tough in Darkwater lately with supplies low, and the water they are named for getting scarce. Maybe this trader can help?
When Chelsea learns the trader is a woman, there is no keeping away from her, even if it is breaking Granger's rules. Granger has strong opinions on how women should behave, dress, look and speak, and to see a woman doing the opposite is thrilling. Rumours begin to fly within hours on who she might be? Granger seems on edge as he refuses to see her, which strengthens the possibility the stranger has been in Darkwater before.
Is she back for revenge?
Chelsea soon sees and learns more about Darkwater and its history since the stranger arrived than in her sixteen years living there. She also sees a difference in the townsfolk too. Instead of avoiding her eye and possible trouble, they speak to her as they never have before. Who is The Stranger?
Set behind high walls in the middle of red, parched land in the middle of nowhere, this reads like a Wild West novel. Learn about the history of why these people are there and you have a post-apocalypse story. A contagion wiped out half the human race many decades before, and people are still rebuilding society.
Darkwater however has fallen back into misogynist rule of the past under their leader in his mid 50's. His rule is law. But his lies and weaknesses are about to be revealed - by a woman.
The Stranger has been called a Feminist Western and I really enjoyed a woman coming in and kicking butt - and more than one at a time. We never learn her real name, but actions speak so much more than names, labels or rules, and main character Chelsea's narrow controlled world is opened beyond belief.
Like The Emperor's New Clothes, it only takes one person to point out the obvious - Granger is not all he says he is. His layers are peeled back slowly and decisively through courage, action, knowledge and reason. It's not straight forward and is positively life threatening, but watching Darkwater unravel alongside is satisfying to read.
Age - 16+
Under Granger's care, she's also safe from any harm. No one would ever stand up to the leader of their town. After all, isn't it only because of Granger that they survived the outside contagions and sickness. Aren't his gates, the town council and his rules - law?
Chelsea at 16, knows no other life than behind the high gates and fence surrounding Darkwater, so when a new trader is allowed in, she is intrigued. This stranger has a whip on their hip, a rifle slotted down their horses' flank and a pistol on the other hip. Life has been tough in Darkwater lately with supplies low, and the water they are named for getting scarce. Maybe this trader can help?
When Chelsea learns the trader is a woman, there is no keeping away from her, even if it is breaking Granger's rules. Granger has strong opinions on how women should behave, dress, look and speak, and to see a woman doing the opposite is thrilling. Rumours begin to fly within hours on who she might be? Granger seems on edge as he refuses to see her, which strengthens the possibility the stranger has been in Darkwater before.
Is she back for revenge?
Chelsea soon sees and learns more about Darkwater and its history since the stranger arrived than in her sixteen years living there. She also sees a difference in the townsfolk too. Instead of avoiding her eye and possible trouble, they speak to her as they never have before. Who is The Stranger?
Set behind high walls in the middle of red, parched land in the middle of nowhere, this reads like a Wild West novel. Learn about the history of why these people are there and you have a post-apocalypse story. A contagion wiped out half the human race many decades before, and people are still rebuilding society.
Darkwater however has fallen back into misogynist rule of the past under their leader in his mid 50's. His rule is law. But his lies and weaknesses are about to be revealed - by a woman.
The Stranger has been called a Feminist Western and I really enjoyed a woman coming in and kicking butt - and more than one at a time. We never learn her real name, but actions speak so much more than names, labels or rules, and main character Chelsea's narrow controlled world is opened beyond belief.
Like The Emperor's New Clothes, it only takes one person to point out the obvious - Granger is not all he says he is. His layers are peeled back slowly and decisively through courage, action, knowledge and reason. It's not straight forward and is positively life threatening, but watching Darkwater unravel alongside is satisfying to read.
Age - 16+
March 7, 2024
A feminism book of how women can even the odds
This book makes me feel that being a woman does have significance, and we do carry weight. Women do matter; that’s what Kathryn made me feel as I read this book. Set in an unnamed continent, but this story of a small town brings a big impact to me. This isn’t a fight about who is physically stronger, between men vs. women. Instead, it's about courage and bravery to challenge the status quo in a world that’s ruled by fear.
This book has an eerie and mysterious atmosphere, sometimes suspenseful because is quite similar to Julia, 1984 but it is definitely alot lighter than that.
A gist of thoughts
Strong female character with courage and bravery challenges societal norms, sparking change in a twisted society
Favourite quotes, words & others
“Five months later I was in his bed, his home and under his protection. For what else could I have done? They’d taken everything else from me. I might be young and I might be a girl, but I’m not stupid. I know how to survive. Whatever that takes.”
‘When the Stranger rode into town, everybody took notice.’
“Only this stranger needed no protection from anybody. She stood stiff in the middle of the men now staggering to find their feet. Bloodied lip and hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, breath coming in controlled exhales.”
My reflections
In Darkwater town, being female doesn’t amount to much. But Chelsea, a 16-year-old protagonist, is considered lucky in this town. She is basically in her teen years but she was owned (young lover) by the town’s leader, named Granger. As long as she is in bed with him, Chelsea’s situation is considered a good thing (she doesn’t know it was a bad thing), well-fed, well-dressed, secure, and almost believed that she’s happy. At least that was what Chelsea thought she was, until one day, the town was visited by a stranger who rides on a horse, gun on one hip and a whip on the other. No one knows how the stranger managed to cross the fence that borders Darkwater from the outside world (that had experienced a raging virus that plagues the world ~ they are basically lockdown). Anybody who crosses the fence certainly faces death, so all the people in the town feel both grateful and resentful of the leader that they somehow rely on in this place. There’s something about this stranger that Chelsea is drawn to. Chelsea grows curious about this stranger and nobody knows what her intention was; she finds the stranger fascinating and we witness as Chelsea grows more determined, her courage of becoming more independent in her thinking with the help and influence of the stranger.
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5 Stars, not quite 4 star. Borderline between 3 and 4 stars~ a clever and still a magic for me! This is a memorable feminist book that was a win reading experience, the kick-ass woman is awesome. Surprisingly, I found myself thoroughly enjoying this book ( I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it at first). It’s deffo a page-turner! The only reason I gave it a 1.5 less star is because, although the stranger bravery is admirable, at some point the stranger’s intentions unfold too clearly (she explains her actions and goals too much), which felt like too easy, like I am just being spoon-fed without even the needs of connecting the dots myself.
This review is also posted on my blog : www.wawahals.com
February 10, 2023
The Stranger is probably the most unique book I’ve read in a while, but I also found it pretty predictable at the same time, which is probably why I struggled with its review for weeks after finishing it.
Chelsea has only ever known the town of Darkwater, wondering what the outside world is like outside the walls and gates. What the world is like without having to give her seventeen year old body to the old man who runs the town, Granger, to survive. The town is running on rations. The wells which provide the water are now contaminated. They haven’t seen a delivery with much needed supplies for months. All visitors are required to provide a vile of blood to make sure they aren’t carrying the infection which ruined the world twenty years ago.
Then, the stranger arrives. A bad arse woman who isn’t afraid of the misogynistic men who run the town of Darkwater.
When I first picked up this book, I assumed it was based in the Wild West, when in fact it’s based in a post apocalyptic world. When I discovered the sci-fi theme my first thought was, “oh no 😟”. I don’t do sci-fi. The language and terms used in the genre confuse me. I’m just too dumb for that 😂 Plus I have an embedded fear of viruses wiping us out after a show which used to be on Australian TV called The Tribe. I was into the bad arse women just trying to survive in a man’s world though. One of the reasons why I love westerns is because of the animals - particularly the pretty ponies. Unfortunately though all the animals died in Darkwater…so that was depressing. As I mentioned earlier, I’m too dumb for sci-fi 😂 so maybe that’s why I finished the book still not understanding why Granger kept the town locked up even though the virus has gone twenty years prior. In saying that, it’s the only sci-fi type book that I’ve enjoyed but would I read it again? Probably not.
Chelsea has only ever known the town of Darkwater, wondering what the outside world is like outside the walls and gates. What the world is like without having to give her seventeen year old body to the old man who runs the town, Granger, to survive. The town is running on rations. The wells which provide the water are now contaminated. They haven’t seen a delivery with much needed supplies for months. All visitors are required to provide a vile of blood to make sure they aren’t carrying the infection which ruined the world twenty years ago.
Then, the stranger arrives. A bad arse woman who isn’t afraid of the misogynistic men who run the town of Darkwater.
When I first picked up this book, I assumed it was based in the Wild West, when in fact it’s based in a post apocalyptic world. When I discovered the sci-fi theme my first thought was, “oh no 😟”. I don’t do sci-fi. The language and terms used in the genre confuse me. I’m just too dumb for that 😂 Plus I have an embedded fear of viruses wiping us out after a show which used to be on Australian TV called The Tribe. I was into the bad arse women just trying to survive in a man’s world though. One of the reasons why I love westerns is because of the animals - particularly the pretty ponies. Unfortunately though all the animals died in Darkwater…so that was depressing. As I mentioned earlier, I’m too dumb for sci-fi 😂 so maybe that’s why I finished the book still not understanding why Granger kept the town locked up even though the virus has gone twenty years prior. In saying that, it’s the only sci-fi type book that I’ve enjoyed but would I read it again? Probably not.
July 27, 2025
2.25 stars - It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I do have to give it a bonus point right off the bat for the fact that I’m fairly certain it’s the first ever novel I’ve read with a protagonist called Chelsea - seriously, it’s a relatively common name in reality but seldom appears in fiction! Secondly, I wasn’t expecting a post-apocalyptic Western, I was expecting a historical Western - and weirdly I enjoyed that aspect, even if it was a bit out of the ordinary. I spent most of the book picturing some variation of Hill Valley in Back To The Future III but with big iron walls around it, and somehow yes that did help bring a sense of realism and immersion to it for me (mainly because I’ve seen that film so many bloody times I know it like the back of my hand). It was fast-paced with good plot beats, and I read it in two sittings across less than 24 hours. It took a little while for me to get used to the narration style, with the occasional incorrect-grammar Western cowboy style writing within the description. I did try listening to the audiobook at first as well, and I was surprised to find the audiobook narrator was an Aussie because I’d presumed going into this that it was an American Western so the Australian narration was quite jarring and I opted to switch to the physical book. I’m glad I finally read this, another book that’s been sitting on the physical TBR for years ticked off!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2022
I picked this book up expecting it to be a Worthy Feminist Tome. Boring but important. I was going to feel really virtuous for reading it. I was not expecting a fun, fast-paced action-packed romp that both celebrates and subverts Western tropes.
The Stranger is playful and it is clever.The characters are compelling and the speculative worldbuilding is intriguing. It can be read as a fun, plot-driven action narrative or picked apart for its insight into patriarchy and societal structures. Either way, it’s unputdownable. I really need someone else to read it so I can unpack it with them!
What roles do we play in order to survive? What is the nature of revenge? When do we trust outsiders? When are cool swirly coats coming back into fashion?
Also, this would make an excellent film. It already feels very cinematic. I want to dress up as The Stranger for Book Week next year. I am not a teacher or a librarian. I just want to do it.
The Stranger is playful and it is clever.The characters are compelling and the speculative worldbuilding is intriguing. It can be read as a fun, plot-driven action narrative or picked apart for its insight into patriarchy and societal structures. Either way, it’s unputdownable. I really need someone else to read it so I can unpack it with them!
What roles do we play in order to survive? What is the nature of revenge? When do we trust outsiders? When are cool swirly coats coming back into fashion?
Also, this would make an excellent film. It already feels very cinematic. I want to dress up as The Stranger for Book Week next year. I am not a teacher or a librarian. I just want to do it.
September 20, 2022
I was looking forward to reading this book as it sounded interesting, A Feminist Western, something a bit different. But I must say I was sadly not impressed and didn't find it at all interesting or very much western.
I tried to persist but just ended up skipping and flicking through it and eventually just gave up.
It might be for some but for me I just didn't enjoy it.
The Stranger
Kathryn Hore
Allen & Unwin Australia Pty. Ltd.
I tried to persist but just ended up skipping and flicking through it and eventually just gave up.
It might be for some but for me I just didn't enjoy it.
The Stranger
Kathryn Hore
Allen & Unwin Australia Pty. Ltd.
August 9, 2023
Aussie author Kathryn Hore’s second book, The Stranger is a feminist based western. With dystopian overtones, Darkwater is a gated town in America, struggling with food shortages, shrinking water supplies and a deadly virus. Chelsea is the young lover of the town's feared leader, a sinister controlling man. When a stranger rides into town, Chelsea is intrigued to discover that not only is she a woman but also a former resident. Her curiosity comes at great personal cost and the town’s deference to their leader is challenged. Initially, the narrative has a sinister tone as the secrets of the locked-in town build toward an inevitable climactic confrontation of the past and present. An interesting blend of genres that makes for an enjoyable speculative dark thriller with a four stars read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.
January 9, 2023
My 1st impression was OTT, as some old westerns could be, (yes “tongue in cheek” 1 review suggested ). By mid way point I was enjoying some of the nuanced character development eg between protagonist, Chelsea, & brothel madam. When the fight scenes became detailed & repetitive (reminded me why I didn’t enjoy westerns in my younger years), I skimmed the final chapters. An original premise and a promising author so hope there will be other interesting reads. Passing this library book onto my husband - he enjoyed some westerns so might appeal more.
July 7, 2023
This read like Fallout New Vegas fanfic, which was honestly the best part. How do we have a "feminist" book that still doesn't say the word menstruation. And please don't tell me that calling it "bleedings" is world building, because it's not. How can they have the word permaculture and not menstruation.
The second star is only for the bisexual protagonist.
I hope Kathryn Hore writes more, because I do think there was a good story in here somewhere. I just found the cliche and rudimentary take on misogyny and female oppression so lame. You can do better, girl.
The second star is only for the bisexual protagonist.
I hope Kathryn Hore writes more, because I do think there was a good story in here somewhere. I just found the cliche and rudimentary take on misogyny and female oppression so lame. You can do better, girl.
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