Review by Booklist Review
Sixth-grader Halle is obsessed with time, regularly tracking how long it takes her to complete tasks. Lately, however, her mind is fixated on one terrible moment from six months ago when a horse went down during a race she and her family were watching. After learning that the horse had lived in stables down the street, Halle begins visiting and forms a bond with Rocky, an older pony that was stallmates with the horse that died. This relationship impacts her life beyond the stables, from friendships to family dynamics. Halle slowly pieces together what happened that fateful day at the track and comes to understand how grief and happiness can coexist. This book paces itself at a trot, using short chapters in which Halle bustles through her day and interspersed poetry prompts from her ELA teacher. A mix of heartwarming hope and soul-gripping grief, Thom's narrative offers middle-grade readers emotional heft while still meeting them at their level and addressing questions they might have.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--7--Halle has a lot of worries: starting middle school, a mean older sister, and the terrible accident she witnessed at her first horse race. Driven to understand what happened to the horse, Halle becomes a regular at Oak Creek Stables. She befriends Rocky, a lonely pony, and starts to feel like she belongs and can make a difference. When the farm is listed for sale, Halle learns about the joy and sadness that come with change. This tender and heartfelt book will resonate with middle graders. Halle's problems--making new friends, dealing with a sibling, negotiating with parents--are relatable and timeless. The characters throughout the story are multidimensional; there are no purely "bad" guys here, but rather complex people who are dealing with real problems. Short chapters make this book more accessible for all readers, while also introducing elements of verse through Halle's poetry in her Language Arts notebook. For readers sensitive to animal death, there are two references to animals being euthanized at different points in the book. Most of the main characters are cued white. VERDICT A warmhearted tale about growing up and the animals we love on the way, this book will speak to those who love deep feelings in their stories.--Kat Mowczko
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An earnest, horse-filled middle-grade debut that tackles difficult emotions. After seeing the racehorse Carver d'Esprit suffer a devastating injury at the track, white-presenting sixth grader Halle can't shake the haunting memory. Discovering that the horse came from nearby Oak Creek Stables, she gathers the courage to visit, hoping to understand what happened to Carver. There, she encounters forlorn pony Rocky, who shared a special bond with Carver, and finds purpose in helping him overcome his sadness. As Halle navigates typical middle school challenges--making new friends, growing apart from old ones--and a changing relationship with her older sister, the stables provide solace. When developers make a bid for the property, Halle desperately searches for solutions to save her newfound sanctuary. Halle's first-person perspective shows her learning about horses--from proper grooming techniques to understanding horse communication--making the equine world engaging to both experienced equestrians and newcomers alike. Halle's poems--responses to her language arts teacher Mrs. Delgado's prompts--appear throughout, showing how she processes her feelings about change and renewal. While Halle's voice occasionally wavers between childlike wonder and surprisingly adult insights, the story ultimately finds its rhythm in her authentic exploration of grief and hope. The small-town Minnesota setting adds a distinctive regional flavor, authentically showcasing contemporary Midwest life from sledding hills and frozen lakes to the landscape of rural farmland bordering suburban neighborhoods. A tender tale showing how loss can create space for new connections. (author's note)(Fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
