Book Review Nightflower of Comanche Mound

 Book Review of Nightflower of Comanche Mound. 

Beneath the wide-open skies and the stark, dusty landscape of West Texas, a story unfolds filled with tension, buried grief, and emotional risk. Charlotte, aka Charley, is a girl who finds herself adrift, trying to figure out who she is and where she really belongs. Feeling overlooked in the midst of her parents’ divorce, she recklessly decides to invite herself to her Pap's sheep ranch in Texas for the summer. He is a grandfather she has never met and a man her mother keeps her distance from. Pap is cantankerous and hardened by life, which has dealt him many losses. And he certainly has no time for a young 16-year-old. Just when Charley realizes she has made a mistake coming and should return to the city life of Seattle, a mysterious Appaloosa horse shows up on the ranch. Charley is certain it's fate this horse should be hers, especially after learning the horse is blind and needs special training to survive. She finds an ally in Sabino, a ranch hand who nourishes her spirit and helps her adjust to ranch life.  When a succession of events spirals out of control, Paps vows to shoot the blind, useless horse. Charley's decision to protect the animal pulls her into her family's mysterious past. An impulsive decision puts Charley and her horse, Radar, in real danger, showing Charley's grit and sense of urgency to survive. Indeed, the story becomes a quiet thriller that presses the reader to turn the pages quickly.

There were some things in this YA  novel by Katlyn Bates that stood out to me. One is the descriptive sentences. They weave vivid sensory details, emotions, and context into a tapestry, bringing the Texas landscape to life for the reader, as well as using figurative language to paint evocative images. Another noteworthy point is the emotional depth of characters, which Bates creates, intertwining Comanche heritage, their spiritual practices, and family interactions. The narrative is one filled with compassion and courage. For a debut YA novel, this one will really stick with you long after you close the book.  

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

https://katlynbates.com/

Katlyn Bates writes contemporary fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, Nightflower of Comanche Mound, was named a 2025 Spur Finalist by Western Writers of America (WWA) in the Juvenile-Young Adult Fiction category. The recognition, along with multiple 5-Star book reviews from Readers’ Favorite, encouraged her to dust off old pieces she had written just for fun and look at them with fresh eyes.

Drawn to action and adventure that is grounded in real life, Katlyn finds inspiration in the wildness of the world around us. “Nature doesn’t care what we think. It’s wild and ferocious and unpredictable—a good reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. The downright ridiculous seems to call for a twist of humor. What I can’t see, I can imagine.”

A native Texan, Katlyn Bates lives near Dallas, TX, outside a small town that—like so many interconnected communities- is quickly becoming absorbed by the sprawl. “As for me, it’s open skies and nature and landscape that frame a plot, and lend power to a story.”