Post by tintin on Jul 9, 2015 16:10:16 GMT 1
I picked up this book and for the first part really, really enjoyed it. Then I had second thoughts.
WARNING - BIG SPOILERS AHEAD
The beginning is marvellous. Issy a young girl has a beautiful and loveable old dapple grey pony called Mystic. They live in Chevalier Point in New Zealand and are keen pony club members.
This is very, very well done. I would even say up with the sisters or Maggie Dana.
You get really attached to Mystic very quickly (a bit like you do to Clown in "A Pony to School")but sadly he is killed in a road accident. This is as shocking as the death of Seaspray in the same book. It is very well done. I am not ashamed to say I welled up a bit.
You think then this is going to be a classic pony story about a girl walking away from it all and coming back because another horse needs her.
Well it is - but with added weird.
The ghost of Mystic returns to watch over them. This took me a bit to get used to. My younger self, when I was in the author's target age group, would have walked away at this point (and would have missed out)
It get's back on track and is a very good story of horse thievery, family relations and a cross country competition.
I am not against ghost stories as such - I liked "Freedom" - but I think this one trades under false colours a bit. The ghost angle just intrudes in a pony story that does n't really need it and makes Mystic's death look too much like a cynical plot device.
It was very good though, so I gave it 4 - but if it had stayed grounded in this world 5 or even Gold Cup
Also did n't like the cover (although the horse was gorgeous). A more action oriented less girlie one would have suited the narrative better. This one sold the book short.
WARNING - BIG SPOILERS AHEAD
The beginning is marvellous. Issy a young girl has a beautiful and loveable old dapple grey pony called Mystic. They live in Chevalier Point in New Zealand and are keen pony club members.
This is very, very well done. I would even say up with the sisters or Maggie Dana.
You get really attached to Mystic very quickly (a bit like you do to Clown in "A Pony to School")but sadly he is killed in a road accident. This is as shocking as the death of Seaspray in the same book. It is very well done. I am not ashamed to say I welled up a bit.
You think then this is going to be a classic pony story about a girl walking away from it all and coming back because another horse needs her.
Well it is - but with added weird.
The ghost of Mystic returns to watch over them. This took me a bit to get used to. My younger self, when I was in the author's target age group, would have walked away at this point (and would have missed out)
It get's back on track and is a very good story of horse thievery, family relations and a cross country competition.
I am not against ghost stories as such - I liked "Freedom" - but I think this one trades under false colours a bit. The ghost angle just intrudes in a pony story that does n't really need it and makes Mystic's death look too much like a cynical plot device.
It was very good though, so I gave it 4 - but if it had stayed grounded in this world 5 or even Gold Cup
Also did n't like the cover (although the horse was gorgeous). A more action oriented less girlie one would have suited the narrative better. This one sold the book short.