Friday, September 7, 2012

Review: Believing in Horses

Another move for Sadie, and another deployment for her dad. Sadie is sure this will be a very dismal time in her life until her parents agree to let her buy her own horse after the move. Dreams of riding and caring for her horse fill Sadie's mind, but she soon realizes there is hard work involved. Finding the right horse and the best place to board, learning how to be a real horse owner, and most surprising of all...learning that unwanted horses are being abandoned or sold overseas for there meat. Changing this may be impossible, but Sadie is determined to try. 

Sadie's journey to save the unwanted horses is clearly a book for any horse enthusiast, but don't shy away if you've never so much as been within ten feet of a real horse. Valerie Ormond does a great job of making sure those readers who are unfamiliar with horses are given explanations of terms and walked through the basics of horse ownership right along with Sadie. Readers won't feel out of place in the barn thanks to this, as well as the realistic atmosphere created. You see the barn through Sadie's eyes and take the journey right along with her. 

While this book is labeled as a young adult novel, I would say it is more of a middle grade level. The character is twelve years old, and the pacing is more in line with middle grade readers. Young readers won't have any trouble keeping up with the story at it progresses, but the moderate pace won't keep older readers waiting, either. 

The story of Sadie not only finding the perfect horse for herself, but giving her heart and soul over to rescuing the unwanted horses being sold at auction is an endearing tale. Sadie has such a  sweet nature that you can't help but route for her. Her courage is inspiring, and those that rally around her only add to the feeling of belief and hope. Sadie's story provides good lessons many children this age need. So many tweens are about to step into a world of peer pressure, challenges to their self-esteem, and questioning or their morals. This book provides reassurance that you can still have faith in yourself and your beliefs and make a difference in the world. 

The only small issue I had with this story that Sadie didn't face more complications than what were presented. At one point her horse, Lucky, is stolen, but in regards to her quest to save the auction horses everything works out quite well. I thought having a few more stumbling blocks would have been more realistic and given Sadie a chance to really show her strength by pushing though a difficult trial. Aside from that, I did wonder why the police didn't use the GPS in Sadie's phone to track down Lucky, but that was a very small thing. 

Overall, Believing in Horses is an inspiring story that truly highlights how even a child can make a difference in the lives of others, equine or human. Sadie not only affects the horses she becomes involved with, but she touches the lives of those who join with her. It's a lesson every young reader could stand to be reminded of more often. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It's a sweet story that readers will love and be uplifted by.

Who would I recommend this book to? It's definitely geared toward the 9-12 age group, and it's a great, easy read for that readership, but teens and adults would still be able to appreciate Sadie's story. 

Believing in Horses is available now through Valerie's website as well as Amazon

You can also enter to win a paperback copy of Believing in Horses by leaving a comment this week or following Valerie Ormond on Facebook or Twitter. Don't forget to click on the Rafflecopter button to make sure your entry is counted. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

22 comments:

  1. I like how balanced your rview is - not all roses :)
    Anyway this book sounds like a movie that I would watch.
    Leigh

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    1. I could definitely see this being turned into a movie, and lots of little girls sitting around watching it! Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. Thank you, Leigh, and I agree that I like a balanced review. I have to agree with DelSheree that I consider the book more Middle Grade than Young Adult, but I see that as a good thing. Interestingly, I am currently working on the sequel, hearing feedback about more challenges for Sadie is very helpful, so thank you. And we'll see what we can do about that movie! :)

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  2. This movie sounds right up my daughter's alley. Thank you for the review.

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    1. It's somewhere between American Girl and The Saddle Club. If your daughter likes either one she'll enjoy this!

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    2. Thank you, mail4rosey, and I wish it was a movie for your daughter, but not yet. But here's a link to the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvA-HcQz7ak - a small movie. :)

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  3. it's things like this that make me wish i had a daughter! i had horses as a little girl and always imagined having a girl of mine own to talk about horses with and watch black stallion with over and over. but i have boys and it's all about dinosaurs ; ) i do have a friend with a daughter - i will have to recommend this, they love to read books together.

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    1. The lack of dinosaurs does make it more of a girl book ;-) I'm sure your friend and her daughter will enjoy it! Thanks for reading and recommending.

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    2. My brother SWEARS it is not just a girl's book. But thank you for recommending it to your friend.

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  4. This sounds like a book my 4th grader would really enjoy. Thank you for the review!

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    1. This is a great book for a fourth grader. Valerie does a great job of introducing young readers to the world or horses and the idea of believing in yourself. Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Hi Melanie, yes, I would hope your 4th grader would enjoy this. Here's an blog post about a group of 4th graders that picked Believing In Horses as their first book club book. Turned out to be a great year with these young ladies! Here's the link: http://believinginhorses.com/blog/2011/11/30/horse-book-club/

      We had our "final ride" at the end of the year, and did end up putting the 50+ librarian on a horse for the first time on her life. These are the things that make life grand.

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  5. I really enjoy your reviews. This would have been a perfect book for my when I was 13.

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    1. Thanks! And I can related to what you said. I was addicted to the Saddle Club books at that age.

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    2. Army of Moms, I agree - DelSheree is awesome. And yes, I do have to admit that horse books were, and still are, a focus of my attention.

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  6. It sounds wonderful, but unfortunately all my daughter (11) cares about is something called Black Veil Brides. I was she would be into this.

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    1. I've never heard of Black Veil Brides, but it seems like little girls hold onto princesses and horses for longer than we realize. They just stop talking about it in public! Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. Hi Lonna, I tried to write a book that was a bit different...about a girl who finds out about something very bad that she wants to fix...and does something about it. Sorry to say that I don't know of Black Veil Brides either, so can't compare. But Believing In Horses does instill some hope (I hope!).

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  7. Thanks for the review! Unfortunately there are about 20 books on my to read list... :)

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    1. I know what you mean! My blog is booked until February at this point. Squeezing in a book not on that list is a challenge :-)

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    2. Well, DelSheree, I'm not sruprised that your blog is booked six months out! Thank you for what you do!

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