I was so excited to read this book - I'd never read anything with a similar setting and had high hopes for an exciting, pacey adventure. Sadly, it was none of these things. From a great premise the book dissolved into boring, formulaic, and - to be honest - cringeworthy territory very quickly.
Instead of a tale of revenge, this book swerves into weird romance (?) and steadfastly stays away from any plot that would have actually been exciting. I was especially confused by the characters Swiggs chose to focus on; instead of giving us real time with the band of outlaws, we meet a deathly boring family with an alcoholic dad and the Very Original Beautiful Girl Who Takes The Main Character's Fancy. Nothing good happens from then on, and they arrive in chapter two. Special awfulness mention goes to an unnecessary description of a teenage girl's breasts, which are bared as she is (TW) almost raped. Not a good look, and not a good book.
Instead of a tale of revenge, this book swerves into weird romance (?) and steadfastly stays away from any plot that would have actually been exciting. I was especially confused by the characters Swiggs chose to focus on; instead of giving us real time with the band of outlaws, we meet a deathly boring family with an alcoholic dad and the Very Original Beautiful Girl Who Takes The Main Character's Fancy. Nothing good happens from then on, and they arrive in chapter two. Special awfulness mention goes to an unnecessary description of a teenage girl's breasts, which are bared as she is (TW) almost raped. Not a good look, and not a good book.