Post by haffyfan on Apr 13, 2012 15:08:55 GMT 1
I'll try not to do too many spoilers if i can help it
Recently published by Little Island this is the compelling sequel to the award winning Taking Flight.
It continues Declan story. We are about two years down the road now, Declan has finished and passed his equine collage course and still working for Cam, his Mum is clean and trying to make amends for the past, he is staring to fulfill his dream and competing with Flight as Vicky has lost her nerve and is in a steady relationship with Seaneen, whom we met briefly in Taking Flight.
Life is defiantly on the up for Declan but, such is life, complications are just around the corner. Flight being sold sets this ball in motion and despite his attachment to Seaneen, without Flight, Declan decides there is nothing keeping him here any longer. A dream job with a top show jumper in Germany is on offer and Declan has nothing to loose. That's when Seaneen drops bombshell no 1.
Bombshell no 2 is when Declan finds 3 abandoned horses in an old disused barn, a place that will come back to haunt him, on his way home one night, a rather grizzly find as only 2 are alive and barely at that!
These two events are enough to keep Declan firmly grounded in Ireland, his dreams now in tatters, however hard he tries to pretend at least one of these things isn't happening to him.
The two surviving horses are taken to a local sanctuary and Declan, with encouragement from Seaneen, enquires about rehoming the foal. He's devastated to learn it didn't make it and can't help but wonder if he had found them sooner would it have been different. Unperturbed he makes the decision to take on the other 'ghost' horse instead. This mare is difficult, to say the least, and has has unsurprisingly lost all faith in humans. Not exactly the show jumper Declan was hoping for!
Running parallel to Declan, Seaneen and the 'ghost' horses story is that of Cian. Cian is about 14 and the troubled son of one of Declans's mums new friends, Cians is a sad story of foster homes and alchol, drug and substance abuse. Declan doesn't want to but finds himself drawn towards the troubled youngster, who no doubt reminds him of his own past. It's Cian who provides Bombshell no 3, a truly horrific event that changes everything.
It's a real coming of age for Declan and although I'm not really one for happy endings the ending to this book is bittersweet to say the least but happy and very fitting.
As previously the characters are real, so very real, with proper depth and emotions and the horses are again integeral to the plot but this is not just a story for horse lovers. I particularly liked the parallel between Declan's troubled 'ghost' horse Folly and Cians story.
Once again an absorbing and compelling page turner i didn't want to/couldn't put it down. Just fantastic, must be amongst the best contemporary fiction around.
The author clearly knows/understands her subject (i believe she is a secondary school teacher) very well and isn't afraid to tackle these so so real issues, something she does with flair.
It definatly gets the top banana award
Recently published by Little Island this is the compelling sequel to the award winning Taking Flight.
It continues Declan story. We are about two years down the road now, Declan has finished and passed his equine collage course and still working for Cam, his Mum is clean and trying to make amends for the past, he is staring to fulfill his dream and competing with Flight as Vicky has lost her nerve and is in a steady relationship with Seaneen, whom we met briefly in Taking Flight.
Life is defiantly on the up for Declan but, such is life, complications are just around the corner. Flight being sold sets this ball in motion and despite his attachment to Seaneen, without Flight, Declan decides there is nothing keeping him here any longer. A dream job with a top show jumper in Germany is on offer and Declan has nothing to loose. That's when Seaneen drops bombshell no 1.
Bombshell no 2 is when Declan finds 3 abandoned horses in an old disused barn, a place that will come back to haunt him, on his way home one night, a rather grizzly find as only 2 are alive and barely at that!
These two events are enough to keep Declan firmly grounded in Ireland, his dreams now in tatters, however hard he tries to pretend at least one of these things isn't happening to him.
The two surviving horses are taken to a local sanctuary and Declan, with encouragement from Seaneen, enquires about rehoming the foal. He's devastated to learn it didn't make it and can't help but wonder if he had found them sooner would it have been different. Unperturbed he makes the decision to take on the other 'ghost' horse instead. This mare is difficult, to say the least, and has has unsurprisingly lost all faith in humans. Not exactly the show jumper Declan was hoping for!
Running parallel to Declan, Seaneen and the 'ghost' horses story is that of Cian. Cian is about 14 and the troubled son of one of Declans's mums new friends, Cians is a sad story of foster homes and alchol, drug and substance abuse. Declan doesn't want to but finds himself drawn towards the troubled youngster, who no doubt reminds him of his own past. It's Cian who provides Bombshell no 3, a truly horrific event that changes everything.
It's a real coming of age for Declan and although I'm not really one for happy endings the ending to this book is bittersweet to say the least but happy and very fitting.
As previously the characters are real, so very real, with proper depth and emotions and the horses are again integeral to the plot but this is not just a story for horse lovers. I particularly liked the parallel between Declan's troubled 'ghost' horse Folly and Cians story.
Once again an absorbing and compelling page turner i didn't want to/couldn't put it down. Just fantastic, must be amongst the best contemporary fiction around.
The author clearly knows/understands her subject (i believe she is a secondary school teacher) very well and isn't afraid to tackle these so so real issues, something she does with flair.
It definatly gets the top banana award
