In her debut novel, Erika T. Wurth drops readers into an underworld of drug-using teens and abusive parents and explores life among mixed-race families who are trying to eke out a living off the reservation. Margaritte is a 16-year-old pot smoker who turns to dealing drugs with her cousin Jake, so the two can save up enough money to get the heck out of Idaho Springs, Colo. What unfolds for Margaritte, Jake and the rest of her family is revealed in spunky, fast-paced prose full of expletives and sharp details that snap and crackle.
Barely making passing grades in school, Margaritte sneaks out her bedroom window to attend weekend parties where drugs and alcohol are readily available, to sell drugs with Jake and to spend time with her new boyfriend, Mike. What she longs for is freedom from her messed-up surroundings, and she vows not to become stuck like so many other teen girls she knows: pregnant and living on welfare. But as often happens, Margaritte slips down the rabbit hole, along with Jake and Mike. The three fall into conventional roles, but Wurth's portrayal of these characters breathes new life into quasi-stereotypical parts as she splatters the heartfelt emotions and the inner conflicts of this trio of teens across the page. Powerful in its sentiments, Crazy Horse's Girlfriend brings a dose of much-needed diversity to the world of fiction. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer