Bass Reeves was an awe-inspiring man: a runaway slave, a cattle rancher, the most successful Texas Marshal in history. His story is should be included in the general history of the West, and no one should have to find out about him from a brief appearance in an alternate-reality TV show (2019's Watchmen). I understand Gary Paulsen wanting to tell Reeves's story to the world, but this fictitious version of his life isn't nearly as cool as his real life. It just doesn't do it justice. I did like that Paulsen broke down some of the other Western legends and put Reeves' life in context, because I think that it's good for people to know the real history of the West instead of the romanticized version, but I feel like Paulsen somehow missed the mark when it came to Reeves in general.

I loved it so much...and then the ending was such a letdown that I don't feel like I can recommend to anyone. I liked the setting of a women's mental hospital in the 1950s; it's not a common setting. I like Dorothy's rebellious nature and her cautious movements as she tries to find her place. It was gripping and fun and different. It really made me sad that it didn't end well.

I know we can't put movies as recommendations, but if you enjoyed this, watch The Snake Pit with Olivia de Havilland. The movie came out in 1948 and was a contemporary look at women patients in mental hospitals. (It's based on a book, but I haven't read the book, and I always feel weird telling people to read books that I haven't read, but I have seen the movie and it's fantastic!)

Also, perhaps small spoiler, but when there is already a kickass sci fi heroine with mental issues including some amnesia, you don't get to name your character the same thing, especially when it's a very distinctive name. "Bix" belongs to the Star Wars TV series Andor. The end.

I made it about 2/3 of the way through before I realized that I didn't like any of the characters and didn't really care how the mystery turned out. Since life is too short to read books that you don't like, this one is a DNF for me.