Author: Aryn KyleGenre: FictionPublished: 2007Personal Rating: 3/5Yearly Count: 124
A lonely, 12-year-old girl named Alice, narrates her life on a horse farm. Alice has to deal with not only her own inner rumblings, but those of her flawed family, as they try to maintain their livelihood of the horse stable.
The book contained many interesting characters that caused me to become very curious as to where the plot was going. Unfortunately, most of the book focused on struggling lives and unfulfilled dreams of almost every character in the book, so it really didn't go anywhere. Some of the relationships didn't make any sense - causing it to feel unbelievable. The brutal treatment of the horses was utterly despicable and the ending was disappointing. However . . . I've rated it as "just okay" because even with all the negatives, the writing was captivating.
I agree. I thought the book was well written, but ultimately I did not care for it. I am a sucker for a strong sense of setting, and I thought it did that well. That's what has stayed with me the most about this book.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this one everywhere and have wondered about it (seen it at the store, not necessarily blogosphere). I think I'll pass a little longer--doesn't really sound like an uplifting read and I need a little bit of that right now.
ReplyDeleteAlso, missy--would you be so kind as to tell me how to make a sticky post? When I put a later date for posting it schedules the post instead of actually publishing it. What am I doing wrong? Not a huge deal since I probably won't post anything until mid-week, but it would be nice to know. ;)
Trish ~ I had that same problem not long ago (it never did that before) and I was not a happy camper, but somehow I figured it out. Unfortunately I don't remember what I did!
ReplyDeleteI just looked on the "Edit Posts" tab and maybe it has to do with were it says "Your Posts: All, Drafts, Scheduled, Published". Play with those and see if that works. I'll try to figure out how I did it later this evening. It's time to eat! *growl*
The good news is - I did make it work, so there's hope that we'll find the magic button again. :)
Let me know if you figure it out first. I don't want to "think", if it's not necessary. lol
TRISH! ~ Can you hear me??? Hello??? I figured it out! :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, all you do is publish the post as today, THEN go back and change the date to what you want it to be and VOILA!
WOO HOO! :)
Now, I can go eat!
I love stories in which an animal plays a major part but not when they're abuse victims :(
ReplyDeleteR ~ Sorry! I didn't mean to ignore you. Trish had an emergency. :) And I agree with you, too. The setting was very vivid in my mind - that can only be accomplished through precise word choices. She did it.
ReplyDeleteLadytink ~ You would not like this! It was not pleasant.
I'm drawn to this book because of its title and because I like the author's name, though I realize that doesn't guarantee a good story within. Thank you for your review.
ReplyDeleteI think it worked!! Sorry to make you think so much. :( But I appreciate the help!
ReplyDeleteCharley ~ I read it for a challenge, but I like the author's name, too.
ReplyDeleteTrish ~ I wanted to remember - now I don't think I'll forget again. :)
Thanks for the review, Joy! You just saved me some money. :) I've seriously intended to buy this one. But after your review, I really don't think this is a book for me. And you know, finding that out can be every bit as gratifying as finding out that a book probably is right up one's alley.
ReplyDeleteThat's about how I felt about the book. A little light at the end of the tunnel would have gone a long way. It's so filled with despair. But, the writing is very good and the sense of place has stuck with me. I'll give the author a second chance.
ReplyDeleteDebi ~ You could have read somebody else's raving review and you might want to go buy it immediately. :) However, there is mistreatment of the horses, so if you don't like that - skip it.
ReplyDeleteBookfool ~ I agree. I would read another, too, but I think I would wait until many reviews were posted. The author really does have great potential, though.
Yikes, I can't read anything where there is abuse to animals. It makes me so angry although I guess in this case it seems to follow the storyline. Glad you liked it despite its flaws.
ReplyDeleteDar ~ You wouldn't like it - there's abuse.
ReplyDelete