Saturday, June 21, 2025

Horror, Megadeath, and Stephen King: The Ideal Character

 White Horse by Ericka T. Wurth

White Horse book cover

White Horse was a fun and entertaining ride by Erika T Wurth. I had been looking forward to reading this book for some time. The title and cover looked really cool, but what sealed the deal for me was the character of Kari James. I loved her narration, and she seemed like such a cool character to hang out with. Not only was she a big Stephen King fan (the Shining plays an important role in the book), but she also loves Megadeath and Dave Mustaine among other really interesting qualities. She also cared a lot about finding out more about her mother’s story and what happened to her father. Wurth’s story not only manages to entertain, but also highlights the issues of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) as her mother’s “disappearance” when she was a child is tied up in the neglected pursuit of missing indigenous women. Furthermore, Wurth intertwines myths of indigenous people, like the Lofa, to help explain the missing story. I really liked this creature and there’s a great spin on the nature of this creature and how it factors into Kari’s story. Ultimately Kari is someone who is not only haunted by her mother’s absence, but also by other events in her past and she uses the mystery of the Lofa and her missing mother as a means to come to terms with her past and issues of identity that some urban indigenous people must face. I loved how Kari even ends up in the Overlook Hotel and this kind of pokes fun at the haunted burial ground often used in 80s horror books and movies. This was a fun read, yet addresses some serious issues about trauma and the injustice of missing and murdered indigenous women. I’m not sure if Kari will have other adventures, possibly running the White Horse or kicking more ass, but I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Wurth. Looking forward to her future stories. 



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