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Post by Claire on Oct 25, 2017 20:50:10 GMT 1
Our ghostly read this Halloween tide is Stealaway by K. M. Peyton. It's very short so shouldn't take you long to read. Join in whenever you are ready, just remember to put 'SPOILER' above your post if you give any of the story away. Hope you enjoy the book and don't forget to vote also.
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Post by Claire on Nov 3, 2017 20:38:52 GMT 1
Hi folks, has anyone else read this yet?
Kunuma - have posted off your copy.
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Post by kunuma1 on Nov 3, 2017 22:53:48 GMT 1
Hi folks, has anyone else read this yet? Kunuma - have posted off your copy. Bless you!! Make a change from all the sci fi I have been reading lately - it's my attempt to pretend I don't live on this planet really!!
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Post by kunuma1 on Nov 6, 2017 16:45:00 GMT 1
Got my copy today, thanks Claire, will read it tonight. Good night tonight, I'm half way through a really good kindle freebie so I've the last half of that to read tonight too. Apparently according to Amazon the author writes for teenagers, oh well, I suppose that goes with still reading pony books!!
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Post by susanb on Nov 7, 2017 1:12:17 GMT 1
Finished today!
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Post by kunuma1 on Nov 7, 2017 16:14:00 GMT 1
Read it last night - it's indeed very short, more of a story than a book, takes about 15 minutes to read - but for all that it's a fun read and I thought it had potential to be turned into more of a book. Did remind me very much of something I read a while back on here, but will have to do some research to work out which was written first. Almost identical story lines!
Interesting the thought of crossing Morgans and Fells, I've seen Friesan Morgan crosses and I suppose this would be just a smaller version of that. Doesn't do it for me though as I'm not into hairy horses!!
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Post by tintin on Nov 7, 2017 23:11:00 GMT 1
This is a fantastic short story, well told and well illustrated. I particularly liked that the grey mare that protected them was called Rowan, same as the tree that protects from witches
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Post by Claire on Nov 8, 2017 0:12:37 GMT 1
It was pretty short but that was probably as it was aimed at a younger readership - even though I didnt find it too simplified or childish at all. I enjoyed it and thought it was a fun ghostly read. Nothing too gruesome or depressing but still very atmospheric and creepy enough to send a shiver up the spine. I liked the idea of the ghost horses roaming the moor for hundreds of years. The author did a good job of blending the history of the area into a ghostly legend. Also liked the 'feminist' aspect that the mare was protecting the stallion!! Hmm not sure about Morgans and Fells crossed, wonder if there is a picture of a cross on google - will have to check! I really like Fells, but they don't feature in pony fiction much so kudos to KMP for including them. Didn't they also mention Galloways which are the ancestors of both Fell and Dales ponies? Shame on you Kunuma not liking hairy horses - I love them. I've actually seen a pure white (okay grey - you purists) Fell pony at a local show and it was absolutely stunning, so I have a pretty clear picture in my mind of what Rowan looked like. I think I have a photo of it somewhere - if I can find it will post it. Slight quibble about the book in that KMP does not really keep up with what children are like today. She does mention the internet once but conveniently they can't get a signal up there! Not that I like modern pony stories full of texting and what-not but the language the kids use is totally outdated, just the same as her kids were using in her books from the 70s. What kid uses a word like 'potty' for example ? But its really a minor quibble in the scheme of things. As Kunuma said the story had potential to be explored more deeply and there was a slight opening for a sequel at the end of the book, but it never appeared. Agree with Tintin that the illusatrations were very good - especially for a modern book. Interesting regarding the name of Rowan, Tintin. I didn't pick up on that!
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Post by kunuma1 on Nov 8, 2017 15:17:52 GMT 1
HaHa - not just hairy horses but I don't like hairy dogs either - or hairy rabbits, hamsters or guinea pigs! All my critturs have normal coats - mostly!! As you might imagine, I'm not a big fan of spending hours grooming and bathing!! Tintin reminded me that I really liked the illustrations too - made a nice change to have realistic ones in a more modern book. Sequel - yes I thought the end was wide open for one, the success or otherwise of the breeding, and the 'getting together' of the families. In fact I thought that was where we were going, then the book just stopped. Claire is it The Red Horse Haunting that I'm thinking of?? What is the other book with the ghost stallion and the burning stable?
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Post by Claire on Nov 9, 2017 21:10:14 GMT 1
I think there was a fire in The Red Horse Haunting, also I'm sure a fire and a ghost horse in one or two other horsy ghost stories - possible Angela Dorsey's Freedom, or one of Eleanor Jones' books? Can anyone with a better memory than me help me out here?!
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Post by darkhorse on Nov 16, 2017 20:27:49 GMT 1
I've had the book for a while but I didn't pick it up as I thought because of the large print and pictures it might be a bit childish. But, I didn't find it so. It was actually quite scary for younger readers. It was a good Halloween choice, creepy but with a happy ending. The setting was good. I liked the spooky castle. It reminded me of the Pumble Hogmanay story a couple of years ago lol. I agree with the others who thought it might have been set up for a sequel. I'd be interested to see that picture of a white/grey Fell pony Claire as I've never seen one before. I thought they were always black or dark brown.
I voted very good.
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Post by Claire on Nov 28, 2017 23:21:39 GMT 1
Have looked for the pic of the grey fell pony but think it must be on my old laptop.
Any more comments on this book before we start thinking about the Christmas read?
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Post by susanb on Nov 29, 2017 16:18:44 GMT 1
Gah! Just realized I never came back to comment, though I did vote "good".
It was very short, more a long short story than a novel, but the thing that sort of threw me was that it did feel disjointed. The beginning seemed to have been written for a different audience than the end. The earlier bit had shorter sentences, and more basic vocabulary than the end, which was far richer. And the ghost of the boy run through eeek!
I think I would have enjoyed it more if it were longer, and more one or the other.....either straightforward young childrens, or leaning more to young adult (I have to admit I'd have preferred the latter, which is Peyton's strong suit, and I think it shows here).
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Post by Claire on Nov 29, 2017 20:30:48 GMT 1
Interesting comments Susan. I didn't really notice the transition from simplisitic to more complex writing, I'll have to have a re-read. I suppose I got more into the story as it went on so the transition just felt like the stroy warming up. I wonder if Peyton started it out for a younger audience but was sort of inadvertantly sucked into her YA style (which as you say Susan is her forte). Interesting that it was not picked up by an editor as it was defo aimed at a younger reader than YA. How old was the heroine did it ever say? She did seem to be a reasonable age due to going off riding on her own etc. Yeah the ghost of the murdered child (and the fact that there was a murdered child at all in the story!) was quite gruesome for a younger child's book. I think it could have been a really excellent story (rather than good to very good - which seems to be the consensus of the voters) if it had been aimed at the YA market from the start and was a lot longer.
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Post by Claire on Dec 2, 2017 16:43:01 GMT 1
Found pic of grey Fell Pony:
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