Retribution Rails by: Erin Bowman

Greetings and Salutations my fellow book lovers and welcome to my first book review on this blog!

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." ~Confucius

   Retribution Rails is a companion novel to Bowman's other novel Vengeance Road, which has become one of my favorite books since I read it last April. While you don't necessarily have to read Vengeance Road in order to follow along with Retribution Rails, two of the main characters do appear in this book as well as some references are made.  

  Retribution Rails is a YA western novel that takes place ten years after the events of Vengeance Road. This is a duel perspective book that tells the stories of Reece Murphy and Charlotte Vaughn. Reece Murphy is an outlaw who is forced  to ride with a gang called, The Rose Riders and waits for the day he can find a way to be rid of them and be free. Charlotte Vaughn is an aspiring journalist who's father recently passed away of an illness and is trying to save her mother from an unwanted marriage with her uncle who is trying to gain access to the fortune her father has made. After their paths cross and they both have to work together in order to get what they want.

  One of the things I love about the book is the writing style. It it is written in the way that people in the wild west actually spoke as opposed to a traditional writing style which, I thought was very unique and made me able to picture everyone's voice clearly in my head. I really liked the characters in this story as well. Reese probably being my favorite. I just really felt for him throughout the story and my heart went out to him as we learn more and more about his situation. Charlotte is another likable character. She is strong driven when it comes to her family and will do anything to try and help her mother. I also liked how her views on reporting and journalism are and it should be done changes from the beginning to the end of the story.

  The setting of this book is also slightly different than in the first one. It still takes place in the wild west like Vengeance Road did however it focuses on different elements of it. So while I got some of the vibes of the gun-slinging rough and tough world, it wasn't as much as I did in the first one where I could practically feel the grit and roughness of the world. This one felt mostly a bit tamer with the exception of some parts. Like I mentioned before Retribution Rails takes place ten years after Vengeance Road and because of that you really get to see how ten years changes the world around you.

   For example in the first book railways were not a really common way of traveling and were barely mentioned at all. However, skip ahead ten years and almost every city has a railway system connecting towns and cities in a way that was never able to be done before. Robberies started moving away from stage coaches and focused more on robbing the rails. In this way you do still get to see some of elements in the first one like shootouts, and plans of deception and retribution. 

  Another thing I liked about this book is that it had some elements that were actually taken from history in it, like how Nellie Bly, a reporter at the time who is most known for going undercover in an asylum to report how inhumane the patients were treated, is talked about quite a lot as Charlotte's role model and inspiration for wanting to be a journalist. After reading this book I give this it a 3/5 stars. I did really like this book, but not as much as I liked Vengeance Road. 

  WARNING: Don't read past this point if you are planning to read Retribution Rails and would not like any spoilers!

  One thing I wish we could have seen in this book was a chapter from Kate or Jesse's perspective. I really loved seeing them in the story, as it felt like seeing two old friends again and I would have enjoyed a chapter in there voice talking about how they felt about how they felt about what was going on. 

  While I really liked the ending and am so glad Reese was alive, (I was literally threatening my book after his death hoping it wasn't true and if I hadn't been in the car at the time probably would have thrown it at the wall as a cried and mourned for Reese) I kind of hope that Reese and Charlotte become and stay just really good friends (Dare I even say best friends) as opposed to an actual couple. I just don't ship them as much as I shipped Jesse and Kate who I was basically like:

  Don't get me wrong, I loved the chemistry the two had together and their witty, sarcastic banter together but for some reason I only saw the two as friends rather than an actual couple. 

  Well, that's it from me today, let me know what you thought of Retribution Rails!

                    

                                                                                                         Sincerely,

                                                                                                                       me