I saw that Kimberly Brubaker Bradley had written a new book, so I got
Phoenix (Book 1 of the
Ride On series) from the library. The book description says, "Harper’s life has just exploded. Her parents are getting a divorce. And she suspects her best friend, Cat, may have known the reason for it long before she did. Now Harper and her mom are starting over in a cramped house, in a new town, where everything feels unfamiliar, including the riding barn next door. Harper’s never been around horses before. And no, she does not want to learn to ride—Until a truck dumps a starved and neglected horse right in Harper’s yard. Harper has no idea what to do with a live horse, let alone a nearly dead one. But one look at this horse’s huge eyes and skinny body, and something inside Harper unlocks. The horse is named Phoenix, she decides. And she will not give up on him. Neither, it turns out, will Phoenix give up on her. She doesn’t know it yet, but this is Harper’s first step—toward new friends, new challenges, new adventures. Toward riding."
This was a nice read. I liked that it was a short middle grade book (only 162 pages), which is hard to find. I really liked the characters and rooted for Harper as she sorted through some difficult situations and emotions. I would enjoy reading more the series and would recommend this to my kids. I didn't LOVE this book like I have some of the author's other books, but I still enjoyed the read and was engaged in the story. (P.S. I think technically this is an older middle grade book, like ages 10–14.)
Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)
