Official Review: Flying Horse Revealed by Adele J Jean
Posted: 11 Nov 2013, 23:55
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Flying Horse Revealed" by Adele J Jean.]
Following a daring escape from the circus, Comet is now safely installed at his new home at the Northern Run Horse Farm in Kentucky. Ken, his new owner, and Sandi, his trainer and the farm’s manager, eagerly anticipate exploring Comet’s potential as a performer and begin training him for competition. Meanwhile, the siblings Kasey and Sam are still committed to the farm and desirous of being more involved: Sam in learning about farm upkeep and maintenance, and Kasey in learning to train the horses and beginning to compete. Buck, having lost his circus job, is thrilled to join his friend Comet at Northern Run as a live-in paid worker.
But no such idyllic state could really last, could it? Hardly had Comet and Buck settled in at their new home when their past comes back to haunt them, threatening everything they had been coming to love and value. As if the one threat weren't enough, Comet’s striking grace, intelligence, and beauty begin to attract all kinds of attention… all kinds, and some people will go to great lengths to obtain a valuable horse. Buck, Kasey, Sandi, Ken, and Sam must keep alert and watch their backs if they intend to keep themselves and their equine friends safe.
As someone who grew up among horse farms, this book was a complete throwback to my adolescence. The horse farm circuit was a world of its own, and, as a non-horse person, I had ample opportunity to observe it while remaining conscious of the details and quirks that made it unique. Here, Adele J. Jean managed to resurrect that world for me. It’s more than vocabulary (dressage tests, round pens, lunge lines, etc.); it also encompasses the way people conduct themselves and interact with others. As I read her book, I kept thinking to myself, “I know that person,” or “That’s what my sister said when she…” Truly, this book most definitely takes place at a horse farm in a community somewhat familiar with horses.
Flying Horses Revealed, though, is also a children’s book. The plot is eventful yet simple. There is foreshadowing that pretty directly informs the reader about upcoming events, and some of the plot devices used to obtain the necessary circumstances for conflict or resolution were very contrived. This is not a book that the average adult would enjoy, and it would be a hard sell for most teenagers, but for a pre-teen or teenager particularly interested in horses, this would undoubtedly become a favorite.
I am happy to rate this book three out of four stars. I was happy with the believable portrayal of characters and scene, the detail included in and obvious knowledge of the world of equine competition, the conflicts and plot devices (bearing in mind the limitations as to audience mentioned in the previous paragraph), and the characters’ development as they struggled to overcome challenges. I was less than thrilled with the simplicity of the resolutions of the conflicts and, though this is really just a minor offense, the use of British English throughout the novel even though it is set in Kentucky. Overall though, this would be a book that I would have gladly recommended to my horse-fanatic sister when we were younger.
***
Buy "Flying Horse Revealed" on Amazon
Following a daring escape from the circus, Comet is now safely installed at his new home at the Northern Run Horse Farm in Kentucky. Ken, his new owner, and Sandi, his trainer and the farm’s manager, eagerly anticipate exploring Comet’s potential as a performer and begin training him for competition. Meanwhile, the siblings Kasey and Sam are still committed to the farm and desirous of being more involved: Sam in learning about farm upkeep and maintenance, and Kasey in learning to train the horses and beginning to compete. Buck, having lost his circus job, is thrilled to join his friend Comet at Northern Run as a live-in paid worker.
But no such idyllic state could really last, could it? Hardly had Comet and Buck settled in at their new home when their past comes back to haunt them, threatening everything they had been coming to love and value. As if the one threat weren't enough, Comet’s striking grace, intelligence, and beauty begin to attract all kinds of attention… all kinds, and some people will go to great lengths to obtain a valuable horse. Buck, Kasey, Sandi, Ken, and Sam must keep alert and watch their backs if they intend to keep themselves and their equine friends safe.
As someone who grew up among horse farms, this book was a complete throwback to my adolescence. The horse farm circuit was a world of its own, and, as a non-horse person, I had ample opportunity to observe it while remaining conscious of the details and quirks that made it unique. Here, Adele J. Jean managed to resurrect that world for me. It’s more than vocabulary (dressage tests, round pens, lunge lines, etc.); it also encompasses the way people conduct themselves and interact with others. As I read her book, I kept thinking to myself, “I know that person,” or “That’s what my sister said when she…” Truly, this book most definitely takes place at a horse farm in a community somewhat familiar with horses.
Flying Horses Revealed, though, is also a children’s book. The plot is eventful yet simple. There is foreshadowing that pretty directly informs the reader about upcoming events, and some of the plot devices used to obtain the necessary circumstances for conflict or resolution were very contrived. This is not a book that the average adult would enjoy, and it would be a hard sell for most teenagers, but for a pre-teen or teenager particularly interested in horses, this would undoubtedly become a favorite.
I am happy to rate this book three out of four stars. I was happy with the believable portrayal of characters and scene, the detail included in and obvious knowledge of the world of equine competition, the conflicts and plot devices (bearing in mind the limitations as to audience mentioned in the previous paragraph), and the characters’ development as they struggled to overcome challenges. I was less than thrilled with the simplicity of the resolutions of the conflicts and, though this is really just a minor offense, the use of British English throughout the novel even though it is set in Kentucky. Overall though, this would be a book that I would have gladly recommended to my horse-fanatic sister when we were younger.
***
Buy "Flying Horse Revealed" on Amazon