Triple Bar does a great job of introducing the reader to the other side of the story. Susannah Andrews is portrayed in Double Clear as a spoilt brat. Even worse, she is known to abuse horses and shouldn’t be trusted – ever.

When you’re able to see the story from Susannah’s point of view, things change drastically. Susannah is in a wealthy family and her parents insist on only owning ponies that perform. Likewise, they want to know that their daughter will do everything she can to win.

In spite of this, Susannah isn’t guilty of the abuse to horses that has been pinned on her. When she has a revelation about her harsh riding, she works to change this, too. In time she learns to care for her ponies as one who loves them, rather than one who sees them as winning machines.

Triple Bar explores the dynamics in Susannah’s family – with a stubborn father, an estranged brother and submissive mother. It also shows how the sole focus of winning can alienate the one person who is expected to perform well.

Susannah believed her parents when they indicated that show jumping friends would be a distraction. But as she battles to perform as her parents insist she does, all Susannah needs is a friend – or two. When one comes surprisingly in the form of AJ, Susannah questions if this newcomer to the show jumping world is genuine. Surely AJ wouldn’t want to associate with someone who is hated by the show jumping world, much less be friends with them?

Triple Bar does a great job of introducing the reader to Susannah and her complicated life where ponies are just as important as they are to AJ and Katy. It’s a great read in the series.

Author: Kate Lattey
https://nzponywriter.com/
Fiction – teen
In my library? I was able to download the first four recently, so as an eBook it is!
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

Save

A spin off series from the Phantom Stallion series by Terri Farley, is Wild Horse Island. In the second book in this series, The Shining Stallion, young Darby Carter is living in the place of her dreams. She has found herself living in Hawaii with her grandfather Jonah while her mum is on set for a film. Jonah owns 2000 acres in Hawaii known as ‘Iolani Ranch. He breeds working horses and has a beautiful bay stallion.

Aside from her grandfather’s horses, there are wild horses on the island. Darby is in heaven. She loves horses. Her passion for them and her desire to learn as much as possible override her lack of knowledge about horses. Add to this the fact that she has her own filly – Hoku (Hawaiian for star) – and that she can ride daily and Darby knows she will improve in leaps and bounds.

Although Darby loves where she is staying, she is lonely and not sure she’ll make it as a future ranch hand. A girl around her age named Megan is angry with Darby and she doesn’t know how to change this. Also, without meaning to, Darby accidentally endangers one of Jonah’s horses. Suddenly she is questioning if she belongs on the ranch at all.

Then one night she sees a mysterious horse on ‘Iolani Ranch. When she mentions this, Darby learns about the legends surrounding the Shining Stallion of Hawaii. Her grandfather doesn’t want the stallion around. Another man is trying to catch him. Darby is surprised to find a mysterious stallion causing so much trouble. When he comes back to the ranch, she questions if the outcome can be anything other than bad.

The Shining Stallion is an interesting tale about a horse crazy teen in Hawaii. It throws in some interesting tales about legends in Hawaii and the local language. The second book in the Wild Horse Island series, it is another interesting read from Terri Farley.

Author: Terri Farley
http://www.phantomstallion.com
Fiction – teen
In my library? That it is!
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

Save

Save