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The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell
Nothing is more dangerous than a girl with nothing left to lose.
Dinah Caldwell has been filling her father’s role since he abandoned their family four years ago. She and her grief-stricken mom run their subsistence farm deep in the Ozarks, making sure her younger brother never has to worry. Until the day Gabriel Gates, who owns everyone in Charlotte County, kills her mother to steal her family’s well.
Homeless, heartbroken, and alone, Dinah only has a single razor-sharp goal: revenge. And now that Gates has put a ten-thousand-dollar bounty on her head, she can’t trust anyone, but she also can’t take down the most powerful man in the mountains
by herself.
Her only allies are Kara, Dinah’s best friend and secret crush, and Johnny, a young bootlegger who has as much reason to hate Gates as Dinah does. With their help and resources, and maybe even love, she can spark a revolution and set the whole county free—if their combined secrets don’t get them all killed first.
Dinah Caldwell has been filling her father’s role since he abandoned their family four years ago. She and her grief-stricken mom run their subsistence farm deep in the Ozarks, making sure her younger brother never has to worry. Until the day Gabriel Gates, who owns everyone in Charlotte County, kills her mother to steal her family’s well.
Homeless, heartbroken, and alone, Dinah only has a single razor-sharp goal: revenge. And now that Gates has put a ten-thousand-dollar bounty on her head, she can’t trust anyone, but she also can’t take down the most powerful man in the mountains
by herself.
Her only allies are Kara, Dinah’s best friend and secret crush, and Johnny, a young bootlegger who has as much reason to hate Gates as Dinah does. With their help and resources, and maybe even love, she can spark a revolution and set the whole county free—if their combined secrets don’t get them all killed first.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 23, 2021
About the author
Kate Brauning
3 books196 followersKate Brauning is an author of young adult thrillers with a twist of the unusual, including How We Fall and the short story “Godzilla Girls.” As a child, she spent a lot of time in her local library, wandering the shelves and discovering all kinds of stories about all kinds of people. She grew up in the hills of Missouri on twenty acres with a big pear tree, cats, dogs, chickens, rabbits, and bottle calves. An incurable love for seeing real life through the pages of a book drew her to writing fiction, and at fifteen she decided she wanted someone to find her own books by searching through the shelves of a library. She’s been writing ever since, and she’s not going to stop until she can no longer put one word after another.
Currently Kate lives in Austin, Texas, with her family and her Siberian husky, Willow. In her spare time, she travels, works on her baking skills, hunts down new music, and reads just about everything. Kate loves people, dark chocolate, snorkeling, feminism, everything about autumn, bright colors, grassroots social action, red maple trees, superstitions, advocating for human rights, ghost stories, night skies, equality, pie, and talking about books. She’s working hard on her next few novels, and if you see her, say hello, because she’d love to take you out for coffee and ask you what you’re reading.
For more about Kate, follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or subscribe to her newsletter.
Currently Kate lives in Austin, Texas, with her family and her Siberian husky, Willow. In her spare time, she travels, works on her baking skills, hunts down new music, and reads just about everything. Kate loves people, dark chocolate, snorkeling, feminism, everything about autumn, bright colors, grassroots social action, red maple trees, superstitions, advocating for human rights, ghost stories, night skies, equality, pie, and talking about books. She’s working hard on her next few novels, and if you see her, say hello, because she’d love to take you out for coffee and ask you what you’re reading.
For more about Kate, follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or subscribe to her newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 9, 2022
reading this felt like settling into eat a big ol' brownie and then discovering it has, like, a bunch of zucchini in it, like one of those mommy blogger recipes.
so a mildly unpleasant surprise, but still a brownie.
i signed up for a capitalist revenge arc, but by page count this was more a poly romance? the best thing i can compare it to is if katniss dated both gale AND peeta, and also wasn't spending all that much time on the hunger games part.
it was just odd, pacing-wise - the actual climax happened in the last 25 pages, and this is a pretty long book!!!
and i LIKED the hunger games parts of the hunger games!!
bottom line: teen violence over teen romance any day.
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currently-reading updates
reading an ARC a million years after the release date again. what can i say, i live my life on the edge
----------------
tbr review
an "#ownvoices near-future revenge thriller that tackles capitalism, queerness, and revolution"??? say less
(thanks to the publisher for the ARC)
so a mildly unpleasant surprise, but still a brownie.
i signed up for a capitalist revenge arc, but by page count this was more a poly romance? the best thing i can compare it to is if katniss dated both gale AND peeta, and also wasn't spending all that much time on the hunger games part.
it was just odd, pacing-wise - the actual climax happened in the last 25 pages, and this is a pretty long book!!!
and i LIKED the hunger games parts of the hunger games!!
bottom line: teen violence over teen romance any day.
----------------
currently-reading updates
reading an ARC a million years after the release date again. what can i say, i live my life on the edge
----------------
tbr review
an "#ownvoices near-future revenge thriller that tackles capitalism, queerness, and revolution"??? say less
(thanks to the publisher for the ARC)
February 2, 2021
I mean. I liked it.
November 17, 2020
I'm pumped this is finally getting a release. I've read various versions of this novel over the last few years as Kate perfected it.
This definitive release version is going to blow your socks off. It's got motorcycle chases, city-block-sized combines, and an anarcho-future-western Ozarks that feels all too possible and dangerous. The main characters are the glue that holds it all together and you're going to root for them as they struggle with big questions and vicious enemies. The love that blossoms in this story very well might change your perspective on the world, too.
Kate comes in guns blazing with this novel, with important things to say and a mission to entertain you every step of the way. Don't miss it.
This definitive release version is going to blow your socks off. It's got motorcycle chases, city-block-sized combines, and an anarcho-future-western Ozarks that feels all too possible and dangerous. The main characters are the glue that holds it all together and you're going to root for them as they struggle with big questions and vicious enemies. The love that blossoms in this story very well might change your perspective on the world, too.
Kate comes in guns blazing with this novel, with important things to say and a mission to entertain you every step of the way. Don't miss it.
October 23, 2021
DRC provided directly by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Representation: pansexual polyamorous white protagonist, queer German-Dominican tertiary character, Dominican tertiary character, white German tertiary character, queer Lakota Oglala tertiary character, Ghanaian tertiary characters, queer Ghanaian tertiary character, tertiary characters of colour, queer tertiary characters, asthmatic tertiary character.
Content Warning: violence, death, grief, loss, alcohol, mention of slavery, mention of genocide, mentions of colonialism, bullying, kidnapping.
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning is an astounding near-future thriller story about grief, loss, guilt and the ways to overcome it, family, love and the forms justice takes.
Dinah Caldwell is a seventeen-year-old girl living in the Ozarks. When her father abandoned the family after the failure of his garage, Dinah felt like she needed to fill the void he created on top of running their farm with her mother. After years of barely surviving, Gabriel Gates, a local profiteer, starts hounding them for their well, even resorting to physically assaulting her mother. When she comes home one day after helping out her neighbours, she finds her mother dead on the floor and that man on her house’s porch. Alone, homeless and with a bounty on her head, she takes refuge on the mountains with the help of a fellow unfortunate soul; her only thought: seeing Gabriel Gates dead.
Frankly, while I expected to enjoy this book, I did not anticipate loving it this much, but I am really happy I did. I was so captivated by the story that I managed to flash through it in only two sittings (I am honestly still unsure how I did it, because I am usually a slowcoach even with my favourites books), which for people who know me as a reader, is an exceptionally unusual event. I loved so much the narration’s fluidity and the alternation of those moments of suspense and emotionality. Dinah is an extraordinary character, a relentless girl who would do anything for her family and friends and who is not going to be subdued by a ruthless and immoral man.
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell is definitely an outstanding story that I recommend with my whole heart!
Representation: pansexual polyamorous white protagonist, queer German-Dominican tertiary character, Dominican tertiary character, white German tertiary character, queer Lakota Oglala tertiary character, Ghanaian tertiary characters, queer Ghanaian tertiary character, tertiary characters of colour, queer tertiary characters, asthmatic tertiary character.
Content Warning: violence, death, grief, loss, alcohol, mention of slavery, mention of genocide, mentions of colonialism, bullying, kidnapping.
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning is an astounding near-future thriller story about grief, loss, guilt and the ways to overcome it, family, love and the forms justice takes.
Dinah Caldwell is a seventeen-year-old girl living in the Ozarks. When her father abandoned the family after the failure of his garage, Dinah felt like she needed to fill the void he created on top of running their farm with her mother. After years of barely surviving, Gabriel Gates, a local profiteer, starts hounding them for their well, even resorting to physically assaulting her mother. When she comes home one day after helping out her neighbours, she finds her mother dead on the floor and that man on her house’s porch. Alone, homeless and with a bounty on her head, she takes refuge on the mountains with the help of a fellow unfortunate soul; her only thought: seeing Gabriel Gates dead.
Frankly, while I expected to enjoy this book, I did not anticipate loving it this much, but I am really happy I did. I was so captivated by the story that I managed to flash through it in only two sittings (I am honestly still unsure how I did it, because I am usually a slowcoach even with my favourites books), which for people who know me as a reader, is an exceptionally unusual event. I loved so much the narration’s fluidity and the alternation of those moments of suspense and emotionality. Dinah is an extraordinary character, a relentless girl who would do anything for her family and friends and who is not going to be subdued by a ruthless and immoral man.
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell is definitely an outstanding story that I recommend with my whole heart!
October 6, 2021
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell lives up to the motorcycles, moonshine, and revenge that was advertised.
Dinah is a relatable character for anyone who has experienced loss or trauma. You can immediately connect with her need for revenge and the all consuming nature of her quest. From start to finish this book grasps your attention and the need to know what will happen next will have you eager to turn the page. Amidst the chaos of plotting to overthrow the man responsible for her predicament is a romance that feels authentic and gives a great solution to the love triangle presented.
The queer representation in Dinah is also phenomenal. It was so nice to see myself on the page.
Highly recommend and thankful that I got an advanced copy to read and review.
Dinah is a relatable character for anyone who has experienced loss or trauma. You can immediately connect with her need for revenge and the all consuming nature of her quest. From start to finish this book grasps your attention and the need to know what will happen next will have you eager to turn the page. Amidst the chaos of plotting to overthrow the man responsible for her predicament is a romance that feels authentic and gives a great solution to the love triangle presented.
The queer representation in Dinah is also phenomenal. It was so nice to see myself on the page.
Highly recommend and thankful that I got an advanced copy to read and review.
January 21, 2021
Kate Brauning captivates both with Dinah's voice and her immersive world. This revenge story twists its way into your heart with a fiery shot of family, perseverance, and a bit of moonshine. The thrills in this one kept me up past my bedtime. Total #bookrec.
November 28, 2021
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Okay, Dinah Caldwell needs a break, y’all. This poor girl has been through it and then some, honestly. She’s living in the Ozarks, in an extremely rural town. And frankly, I didn’t realize how far into the future it was, because it seems fairly true-to-Ozarks, at least as far as I had known in my own head. But basically, what has happened in the decades that have passed since our current one is nothing good. Some big corporation owns literally everything, making the poor even poorer. We as a society clearly learned nothing from COVID and such, and basically things are more dire than ever.
So as if that isn’t a bleak enough picture, Dinah’s family up and dies. Well, is murdered, more like. And Dinah is not going to rest until she avenges their deaths. Which I got, truly. A lot of times I get mad when characters’ whole personalities are based on revenge, but how could she not be!? Her entire world has been taken from her, and so in her eyes, her life means nothing without them, so vengeance she shall seek. Of course, another huge plus of this is keeping everyone else she knows (friends, more-than-friends, even random strangers who simply don’t deserve to live in such hellish conditions) safer. Because the guy who is responsible for her family’s deaths? Yeah, that guy kind of controls everything, and everyone.
She encounters Johnny, a dude from “town” (going to use that term loosely), and they form a reluctant (at first, anyway) partnership. Dinah is maybe catching some feels, but she’s also had a loooong term crush on her best friend, who is still with her family back in the little outpost in which they lived.
It is a bit slower paced in parts, especially since you already know who the Big Bad is here, but the characters are great, and it’s impossible not to feel sympathetic for them. The world building is really interesting as well, and it was great seeing the characters taking back their agency.
Bottom Line: A bleak world, but with a cast of characters who will fight to make it a little brighter.
Okay, Dinah Caldwell needs a break, y’all. This poor girl has been through it and then some, honestly. She’s living in the Ozarks, in an extremely rural town. And frankly, I didn’t realize how far into the future it was, because it seems fairly true-to-Ozarks, at least as far as I had known in my own head. But basically, what has happened in the decades that have passed since our current one is nothing good. Some big corporation owns literally everything, making the poor even poorer. We as a society clearly learned nothing from COVID and such, and basically things are more dire than ever.
So as if that isn’t a bleak enough picture, Dinah’s family up and dies. Well, is murdered, more like. And Dinah is not going to rest until she avenges their deaths. Which I got, truly. A lot of times I get mad when characters’ whole personalities are based on revenge, but how could she not be!? Her entire world has been taken from her, and so in her eyes, her life means nothing without them, so vengeance she shall seek. Of course, another huge plus of this is keeping everyone else she knows (friends, more-than-friends, even random strangers who simply don’t deserve to live in such hellish conditions) safer. Because the guy who is responsible for her family’s deaths? Yeah, that guy kind of controls everything, and everyone.
She encounters Johnny, a dude from “town” (going to use that term loosely), and they form a reluctant (at first, anyway) partnership. Dinah is maybe catching some feels, but she’s also had a loooong term crush on her best friend, who is still with her family back in the little outpost in which they lived.
It is a bit slower paced in parts, especially since you already know who the Big Bad is here, but the characters are great, and it’s impossible not to feel sympathetic for them. The world building is really interesting as well, and it was great seeing the characters taking back their agency.
Bottom Line: A bleak world, but with a cast of characters who will fight to make it a little brighter.
October 2, 2021
"He had bought everything and paid for nothing, but he would pay for her family.
She'd stop his heart. She'd take his lungs. She'd break his neck for what he'd done."
This is a powerful story of grief caused by a money hungry titan who has all the power in his hands over Dinah's community. Her family, friends, neighbors - they can all barely survive with his hand in any profits they can create.
Dinah struggles to take care of her family and puts so much weight on her shoulders. Every day is a struggle, but she loves her family and would fight to the bitter end for them.
When all of that is taken from her, she is ravaged by grief and seeks revenge, but has no care for her own survival and goes down a reckless path.
Needless to say, I was gripping my copy tight as I journeyed with her down a path of discovering her true strengths, survival skills, and love. Love for herself, for her best friend, for the one who saved her when nobody else would.
I will be reading more of Brauning's work thanks to the experience I had with Dianh's Ballad.
She'd stop his heart. She'd take his lungs. She'd break his neck for what he'd done."
This is a powerful story of grief caused by a money hungry titan who has all the power in his hands over Dinah's community. Her family, friends, neighbors - they can all barely survive with his hand in any profits they can create.
Dinah struggles to take care of her family and puts so much weight on her shoulders. Every day is a struggle, but she loves her family and would fight to the bitter end for them.
When all of that is taken from her, she is ravaged by grief and seeks revenge, but has no care for her own survival and goes down a reckless path.
Needless to say, I was gripping my copy tight as I journeyed with her down a path of discovering her true strengths, survival skills, and love. Love for herself, for her best friend, for the one who saved her when nobody else would.
I will be reading more of Brauning's work thanks to the experience I had with Dianh's Ballad.
October 18, 2021
2.5 Stars
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
I wanted to like this one. I really did. Set in the near future, in the Ozarks, and featuring a heavy revenge plot: it should have been fun, interesting, hard-hitting. Instead, it was plot-driven floundering that was soon overcome by romance. Explicit romance (i.e. not the kind of romance one expects in a book marketed as YA). And that romance subplot really became the main plot, revenge mostly forgotten along the way. Which is really, really unfortunate.
It had good bones. I'll give it that. My full review will be available November 26, 2021 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
I wanted to like this one. I really did. Set in the near future, in the Ozarks, and featuring a heavy revenge plot: it should have been fun, interesting, hard-hitting. Instead, it was plot-driven floundering that was soon overcome by romance. Explicit romance (i.e. not the kind of romance one expects in a book marketed as YA). And that romance subplot really became the main plot, revenge mostly forgotten along the way. Which is really, really unfortunate.
It had good bones. I'll give it that. My full review will be available November 26, 2021 at Gateway Reviews.
September 17, 2021
What a thought provoking novel about a brave group of people taking back their town and county from a bully. I use the word bully because that's precisely what Gabriel Gates is. He is power hungry, greedy, wants everything and leaves the rest with very little or nothing. If he doesn't get what he wants he and his cohorts get violent. The novel starts when Dinah's mother is assaulted and then murdered by Gates all for a water well on their property. This sets off a chain of events that drive the story all the way to the end. This is definitely a book to root for the underdogs. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a very well thought out story. I won this book through Goodreads and Page Street Publishing. This is an advanced reader copy.
October 27, 2022
A tightly-crafted, very character-driven revenge narrative set in a dystopian near-future. I'm impressed at how smoothly the romance elements were woven into Dinah's story (present, important, but not overbearing).
February 3, 2021
I read an early version and it’s so original and immersive and brilliant, with characters you definitely root for — watch out for this one.
April 15, 2022
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read. Futuristic mixed with dust bowl era historical fiction, a dash of young adult queer romance, a love triangle, and a revenge western. It was gritty and sad but there was lots of love sprinkled throughout.
April 26, 2022
LOVED the setting, especially as someone who's lived in Oklahoma and frequently visits family in the ozarks. polyamory destroying the love triangle was everything I've always yelled at a book to do, and it was so gratifying to finally have that happen!
January 30, 2022
I loved this book! Beautifully written, with all-too-believable near future dystopian aspects and fun romance.
May 31, 2022
4.5 rounded up. Suspenseful and engaging, and a refreshing resolution to a love triangle.
Note to self: on-page sex makes it upper YA.
Note to self: on-page sex makes it upper YA.
August 3, 2024
I really liked this. I didn’t know going in that it was dystopian, but it was really well explained. The characters were so easy to fall in love with. The plot for Dinah wanting revenge was so well set up. Loved Johnny. Looking back a lot of this book is her and him going back and forth about whether she should get revenge but it didn’t feel repetitive. I was excited for the final plan they came up with with the help of everyone. I feel like they let her escape from the bunkhouse too easy. Cole really frustrated me but I felt so bad for him at the end. Loved seeing everyone come together in her house to fight back. I do feel like the ending was a little quick. We didn’t get to hear much about the current and future state of the county now that Gates and all of his guys were gone. That was such a big aspect, how the future would be different and more fair but we didn’t get to see any of it. I was also very confused about whether she ended up with Johnny or Kara. Overall, I really liked it and liked Dinah’s character.
Also this book was rated YA, and I definitely don’t think it’s YA.
Also this book was rated YA, and I definitely don’t think it’s YA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2022
This YA novel is set in the Ozarks in a future where the United States has suffered through a world war and a depression that is only briefly mentioned. Advanced technology is mentioned but seems to only be available to the wealthy and the poor have regressed centuries giving this dystopian? book the feel of a historical fiction. The title character Dinah must take on the counties wealthy landowner and his corrupt regime in order to save her family home with its valuable well which has kept her family and neighbors going during years of severe drought. An awkward love triangle and on page sex make this a book more appropriate for older teens.
May 28, 2022
3.75 🌟
I would've given this book 4.5 or even 5 stars if the last 6 pages didn't want me to rip out my hair. You don't build up a romance and END IT LIKE THAT. FRIENDS ARE A THING, BEST FRIENDS CAN LIKE EACH OTHER AND STILL STAY F R I E N D S.
I would've given this book 4.5 or even 5 stars if the last 6 pages didn't want me to rip out my hair. You don't build up a romance and END IT LIKE THAT. FRIENDS ARE A THING, BEST FRIENDS CAN LIKE EACH OTHER AND STILL STAY F R I E N D S.
July 28, 2022
It's been a while since I let myself sink deep into a YA thriller, but wow was this a breath of fresh Ozark air.
(Full disclosure, I purchased this book because I know the author professionally, but this is an honest review that she won't know about until she sees it.)
The entire time reading this, I kept imagining what the eight-episode Netflix series would be like (in a good way). It really does have that bingeable quality, where the thread of Dinah scrapping by after a traumatizing situation in order to get her revenge builds and grows from the early chapters, which do a lot to set the atmosphere and near-future/post-neo-depression time period without lingering there and overdoing the exposition. Like any solid YA thriller, it just gets the ball rolling from Chapter 1, which I always appreciate.
I go back and forth on how the social issues are handled in the narrative. It's easy to tell that Kate developed this story during the Trump years, because this small town is constantly besieged by desperation fueling strongman sociopath leaders. She smartly tones down the comparisons so you don't have it blasting into your eyes page after page, but she captures that seething hatred for one person and how it festers over time and clouds all other relationships. It's more a vibe or feeling than a direct comparison, which is why it works. The only thing missing for me is a wider net for the rest of the town, which we really don't spend much time in, so the stakes often flattened for me whenever Dinah's neighbors started to evoke grander motivations for what ultimately goes down.
The prose is on point, and I absolutely love that Kate chose close third person POV for this instead of first. It's subtle, but the choice allows for the reader to stay rooted in our present day versus the soft/quasi-dystopic setting more reminiscent of Interstellar (in the first act obviously).
(Light spoilers from here, but mostly relating to romance)
The queer representation is natural and graceful and actually informs so much of the story. Little things like a love interest having two dads and not shying away from how that shapes his own romantic expectations. Just really hits hard when it needs to, and across the board, the romance in this is sweet and does its job. This does have basic framing of a love triangle, but don't worry, it doesn't make a dramatic spectacle out of any of it.
Definitely one of those moments where putting down the book elicited some sadness, which is my main rubric for a 5-star. Flaws are pretty easy to overlook, and I'm so happy Kate managed to get a book like this out there, particularly in such a tough publishing environment right now. Absolutely recommend!
(Full disclosure, I purchased this book because I know the author professionally, but this is an honest review that she won't know about until she sees it.)
The entire time reading this, I kept imagining what the eight-episode Netflix series would be like (in a good way). It really does have that bingeable quality, where the thread of Dinah scrapping by after a traumatizing situation in order to get her revenge builds and grows from the early chapters, which do a lot to set the atmosphere and near-future/post-neo-depression time period without lingering there and overdoing the exposition. Like any solid YA thriller, it just gets the ball rolling from Chapter 1, which I always appreciate.
I go back and forth on how the social issues are handled in the narrative. It's easy to tell that Kate developed this story during the Trump years, because this small town is constantly besieged by desperation fueling strongman sociopath leaders. She smartly tones down the comparisons so you don't have it blasting into your eyes page after page, but she captures that seething hatred for one person and how it festers over time and clouds all other relationships. It's more a vibe or feeling than a direct comparison, which is why it works. The only thing missing for me is a wider net for the rest of the town, which we really don't spend much time in, so the stakes often flattened for me whenever Dinah's neighbors started to evoke grander motivations for what ultimately goes down.
The prose is on point, and I absolutely love that Kate chose close third person POV for this instead of first. It's subtle, but the choice allows for the reader to stay rooted in our present day versus the soft/quasi-dystopic setting more reminiscent of Interstellar (in the first act obviously).
(Light spoilers from here, but mostly relating to romance)
The queer representation is natural and graceful and actually informs so much of the story. Little things like a love interest having two dads and not shying away from how that shapes his own romantic expectations. Just really hits hard when it needs to, and across the board, the romance in this is sweet and does its job. This does have basic framing of a love triangle, but don't worry, it doesn't make a dramatic spectacle out of any of it.
Definitely one of those moments where putting down the book elicited some sadness, which is my main rubric for a 5-star. Flaws are pretty easy to overlook, and I'm so happy Kate managed to get a book like this out there, particularly in such a tough publishing environment right now. Absolutely recommend!
December 4, 2021
Highly recommend adding this to your reading list! It’s a futuristic Ozarks thriller that’ll keep you rooting for Dinah and her community as they set out to conquer their enemies. It’s about Dinah getting her revenge, but more than just revenge. You get to be immersed in Dinah’s world, questioning what’s worth fighting for, if it’s possible for oppressive structures to be dismantled and replaced, how to acknowledge and prevail over trauma and grief, and what romantic love can look like beyond traditional monogamy. I especially appreciated how authentic the characters are and the queer and BIPOC representation.
December 30, 2021
It is an infrequent pleasure that I find a book whose twists and turns are entirely unpredictable, whose language forces me to slow down and savor every word, and whose characters are so human.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I found myself unwillingly blinking back into reality, so thrilled and enthralled with what I had just read that I couldn’t fall asleep.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I found myself unwillingly blinking back into reality, so thrilled and enthralled with what I had just read that I couldn’t fall asleep.
December 10, 2022
First off, I really loved this book. The writing style felt like I was talking to a friend and the pace was just right. Was this book perfect? No but the point isn’t to be perfect it’s to be real. It being true to yourself. That’s what I got out of this book, oh, and there was murder and revenge and love and heartbreak. Fuck yea.
November 4, 2021
* this arc was given to be by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
This was such an amazing book which is about Dinah who lives on the farm and her mother is killed by a rich man. Now she is out for revenge. This was a great thriller and own voice novel. I love the plot which is the type of story I usually read when it comes to thrillers. I enjoyed the author's writing which had many twists and turns that I didn't expect. This was a powerful story where it shows Dinah's journey as she is grieving and will do anything to get justice for her mother. The story was well structured and the pacing was perfect. The author did an amazing job with bringing this story alive as it felt so pure and real. This was an amazing thriller where it would be considered a mystery but you already know the killer so you don't have to focus on that.
I enjoyed the main character Dinah. She is such a brave character who is grieving and is looking for revenge. Her character goes into a survival mode characteristic and you can see how much she improves throughout the novel. I loved how her journey was not only getting revenge but it was also finding love for herself. There are also some side character's in this novel but sadly not as many as I thought. The ones that were featured were great but I wish there were more minor characters that were more involved in the story. Also I was sad that there wasn't really romance in this book. Our main character is Queer so I was expecting there to be something as there isn't much LGBTQ+ romance in thrillers.
The ending was well done and I enjoyed the outcome of the story. When I first started the book, I wasn't expecting it to be this amazing. I was totally wowed. I did have some problems with the book like with the characters and the romance but other then that the story was great. I totally recommend reading this book as it's a great thriller novel with queer rep. This book is perfect for fans of April Henry and Karen M. McManus.
This was such an amazing book which is about Dinah who lives on the farm and her mother is killed by a rich man. Now she is out for revenge. This was a great thriller and own voice novel. I love the plot which is the type of story I usually read when it comes to thrillers. I enjoyed the author's writing which had many twists and turns that I didn't expect. This was a powerful story where it shows Dinah's journey as she is grieving and will do anything to get justice for her mother. The story was well structured and the pacing was perfect. The author did an amazing job with bringing this story alive as it felt so pure and real. This was an amazing thriller where it would be considered a mystery but you already know the killer so you don't have to focus on that.
I enjoyed the main character Dinah. She is such a brave character who is grieving and is looking for revenge. Her character goes into a survival mode characteristic and you can see how much she improves throughout the novel. I loved how her journey was not only getting revenge but it was also finding love for herself. There are also some side character's in this novel but sadly not as many as I thought. The ones that were featured were great but I wish there were more minor characters that were more involved in the story. Also I was sad that there wasn't really romance in this book. Our main character is Queer so I was expecting there to be something as there isn't much LGBTQ+ romance in thrillers.
The ending was well done and I enjoyed the outcome of the story. When I first started the book, I wasn't expecting it to be this amazing. I was totally wowed. I did have some problems with the book like with the characters and the romance but other then that the story was great. I totally recommend reading this book as it's a great thriller novel with queer rep. This book is perfect for fans of April Henry and Karen M. McManus.
December 19, 2021
I knew going in it was a near future dystopian, which I'm a complete sucker for. I didn't realize it was queer, and I was totally surprised by the romantic ending.
Readers should know that there is a fair amount of traumatic death as well as several memorable instances of explicit violence. There's also on page sex that is, in my personal opinion, a really good example of how YA sex should be handled when an author chooses to include it. It felt like an earnest exploration of sexual agency that was vulnerable and real, and teens deserve that kind of honesty.
Setting-wise, I really appreciate a slow apocalypse, and that's what you get here. A real apocalypse is most likely going to be this kind of gradual acceptance of inexorably worsening conditions that you don't have any real control over, even as some of the trappings of prosperity persist. Tablets and mesh WiFi networks alongside cold showers because you don't have the fuel to heat water, prescription medicine and bootleg moonshine. And of course, some rich asshole with zero empathy to exploit everyone around.
Dinah's helpless rage is palpable and honestly, it resonates with me. I'm mad every day about the cruelty and callousness that is built in to capitalism, and Charlotte County is that system just shrunk down. I'm also really glad Gates died at the end. There was a moment where it seemed like it would take the high road and try to shoehorn in the sanitized kind of court justice that doesn't really exist, and it would have soured me on the whole book. Even though I think the ending was a little neat and optimistic in a couple ways (at least where it came to the shifting of power in St. George) it was still a pretty satisfying wrap up.
Readers should know that there is a fair amount of traumatic death as well as several memorable instances of explicit violence. There's also on page sex that is, in my personal opinion, a really good example of how YA sex should be handled when an author chooses to include it. It felt like an earnest exploration of sexual agency that was vulnerable and real, and teens deserve that kind of honesty.
Setting-wise, I really appreciate a slow apocalypse, and that's what you get here. A real apocalypse is most likely going to be this kind of gradual acceptance of inexorably worsening conditions that you don't have any real control over, even as some of the trappings of prosperity persist. Tablets and mesh WiFi networks alongside cold showers because you don't have the fuel to heat water, prescription medicine and bootleg moonshine. And of course, some rich asshole with zero empathy to exploit everyone around.
Dinah's helpless rage is palpable and honestly, it resonates with me. I'm mad every day about the cruelty and callousness that is built in to capitalism, and Charlotte County is that system just shrunk down. I'm also really glad Gates died at the end. There was a moment where it seemed like it would take the high road and try to shoehorn in the sanitized kind of court justice that doesn't really exist, and it would have soured me on the whole book. Even though I think the ending was a little neat and optimistic in a couple ways (at least where it came to the shifting of power in St. George) it was still a pretty satisfying wrap up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2022
🛁 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 🛁
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning
“I dunno, wings are pretty risky.”
“Legs are risky, too, though.”
Synopsis: In a near distant future that feels a lot more like the Wild West, Dinah Caldwell lives with her mom and brother in the Ozarks. Gabriel Gates controls everything, having most of the tri-state areas justice system on his payroll. When he decides to take the Caldwell family well, and kills Dinah’s mom in the process, she sets out on a journey of revenge that not even a $10,000 reward on her head can squander.
I went into this book not expecting to be wowed and man was I wrong. I devoured this book in three long sittings because I simply could not put it down. I loved the way the author made this future world feel like it reverted to the ways of the past. It just goes to show that no matter how much we advance, never is everyone gonna get a piece of the pie.
Dinah was the baddest of bitches and I loved her. So wise beyond her years because she had to be. I loved how strong willed she was but also very pragmatic. I loved the pairing of her with Johnny, and that would be my ONLY gripe with this book is the way the love story ended. I don’t read romance often, so when it doesn’t end the way I want it to, I THROW A FIT ABOUT IT.😂
Other than that, this story is packed with drama, action, and LGBTQIA+ representation which I adored. If you’re a fan of YA with a punch to the gut (and a not-so fade-to-black sex scene) this one’s for you. I give The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell an 8.5/10 bubble baths!🛁📚
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning
“I dunno, wings are pretty risky.”
“Legs are risky, too, though.”
Synopsis: In a near distant future that feels a lot more like the Wild West, Dinah Caldwell lives with her mom and brother in the Ozarks. Gabriel Gates controls everything, having most of the tri-state areas justice system on his payroll. When he decides to take the Caldwell family well, and kills Dinah’s mom in the process, she sets out on a journey of revenge that not even a $10,000 reward on her head can squander.
I went into this book not expecting to be wowed and man was I wrong. I devoured this book in three long sittings because I simply could not put it down. I loved the way the author made this future world feel like it reverted to the ways of the past. It just goes to show that no matter how much we advance, never is everyone gonna get a piece of the pie.
Dinah was the baddest of bitches and I loved her. So wise beyond her years because she had to be. I loved how strong willed she was but also very pragmatic. I loved the pairing of her with Johnny, and that would be my ONLY gripe with this book is the way the love story ended. I don’t read romance often, so when it doesn’t end the way I want it to, I THROW A FIT ABOUT IT.😂
Other than that, this story is packed with drama, action, and LGBTQIA+ representation which I adored. If you’re a fan of YA with a punch to the gut (and a not-so fade-to-black sex scene) this one’s for you. I give The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell an 8.5/10 bubble baths!🛁📚
January 22, 2024
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning left me with mixed feelings as a librarian who generally enjoys young adult novels. While the premise promised an intriguing exploration of family secrets and the complexities of small-town life, I found the execution to be lacking. The protagonist, Dinah Caldwell, felt underdeveloped, and her motivations often seemed unclear. The narrative, though attempting to build suspense, fell flat in its pacing, making it challenging to stay engaged with the unfolding mystery. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced at times, lacking the authentic and relatable conversations that usually characterize well-crafted young adult fiction. Unfortunately, The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell failed to captivate me and fell short of the expectations set by other works in the genre.
Despite my reservations, I recognize that individual reading preferences vary, and some readers may appreciate the novel's attempt to blend family drama with a mysterious small-town atmosphere. The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell may find its audience among those who enjoy a slower-paced narrative and are more forgiving of character development inconsistencies. While it didn't resonate with me personally, I would encourage readers to explore the book for themselves and form their own opinions based on their tastes in young adult fiction.
Despite my reservations, I recognize that individual reading preferences vary, and some readers may appreciate the novel's attempt to blend family drama with a mysterious small-town atmosphere. The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell may find its audience among those who enjoy a slower-paced narrative and are more forgiving of character development inconsistencies. While it didn't resonate with me personally, I would encourage readers to explore the book for themselves and form their own opinions based on their tastes in young adult fiction.
December 16, 2021
I really tried to like this book…but so many things made it very difficult to read at times. I felt the main character was hard for me to connect with because she acted like “woe is me,” for nearly the entire book. On top of it, her decision making was terrible and it irked me of the choices she made for just about every major event. Yes, I understand that the main character is flourishing into an adult, but seriously, being this naïve about things is absolutely astounding and quite frustrating to read over and over again. On another note, I felt that there wasn’t a definitive plot point. Was it a book on revenge or her romance life? I just couldn’t pin it down by the end. Lastly, for my final point…for a YA book, it certainly had a pretty explicit sex scene. The physicality of the act was described far too much and felt out of place with the rest if the book. I would have been able to relate much better with the characters having a deeper emotional connection.
March 28, 2022
A rare 2-star review is generous, and it has everything to do with how genre-fluid this book becomes as it progresses. What was billed as a mystery/thriller quickly became a hot and heavy romance, thus distracting from the revenge plot that it should have been building toward. Had the book been solely focused on the romance, then I could have probably bought a revenge sub-plot, but the romance dominated toward the second half and negated any build up that should have occurred with the plot.
A disappointment to say the least. I'm not sure who will be reading this in my library, as my "sales pitch" will have to encompass quite a variety of genres and readers...and not in the traditional sense...
A disappointment to say the least. I'm not sure who will be reading this in my library, as my "sales pitch" will have to encompass quite a variety of genres and readers...and not in the traditional sense...
August 29, 2024
"Strong", ”independent" bisexual female main character hellbent on "vengeance" for her family spends most of the story whining internally about her crush on her straight female best friend, gets rescued by a hot loner boy who conveniently lives in a cave with a hot spring and slowly and predictably falls in love with him while still pining over her best friend crush who doesn't like her back because she's straight. This book is not a revenge story but a drawn out juvenile whiny "romance" that takes way too long to get to the actual promised point. The fact that this independent girl uses everyone around her to help get her unearned revenge and then somehow conveniently wins BOTH her love interests who don't even know each other to form a trouple made me literally gag.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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