4.5 stars.
After a disappointing previous book, this one is back on track again! Of course, like with all the other books the story just continues, you will still hear about previous events, or hear how it went with events that ended in the previous book. So be sure to read all of them in order. The only thing that is different in each book is the narrator.
This book is about Lani, a girl that I found interesting from the start, and who didn't disappoint me at all in this one. We find more about her life, about her parents (strict and annoying), about her sisters, about when she started with horse riding, how she got to be on Chestnut Hill. It was all interesting and it gave so much more depth to the character and I started appreciating her more and more.
And in this book she is in trouble. Her last report card wasn't all that good (though again, 2 A's and a lot of B/B+'s seem to be like a great card to me. Especially considering Lani just started at Chestnut Hill and is still getting used to the flow. It can happen that children just need to adjust, find a balance, and yes, that might mean one not so good report card, but to overreact like the parents did? No. Just no. If that was my kid, I would have said something about the card (considering she normally gets all A's), something like that if it is too hard for her she should tell us, or if she needs help we are there for her. Not immediately go into conversation with the director and saying that the girl can't stay at her new school. What the hell. :| I hate it when parents act like this. I can understand, somewhere, but I just get pissed at it. That they can't understand that these are kids, that this is a totally new surrounding with new responsibilities, and that they might just not adjust in one hit.
But enough of that. Lani is a really strong girl, and even though she went the wrong way in the beginning (by studying to death), she found her balance later on, and did epic stuff. The fundraiser? How great, beautiful she made that? Wow, amazing. She really killed it and showed everyone (especially her parents) that she can and will balance her stuff.
The fundraising event? I loved it, it was so much fun, and it brought a different kind of riding with it. A kind of riding that seems really a lot of fun (even though I had to search for the terms, since I didn't know what they were until I searched for them). After that I could just imagine the girls trying to do Western riding. I can imagine that it wasn't only hard for the riders, but also for the horses.
Lynsey and Patience... the only two characters I truly dislike. Especially Patience, since while Lynsey is bad, Patience is a clone, and will do anything to please Lynsey and show her how great she is.
Add to that the fact what Patience did (to Dylan, to her horse), and sorry, that girl? I hope she either changes or just gets kicked out.
I loved the horses, the riding, the boarding school parts, and I also liked the romance, though it made the girls seem older than they seemingly are. Sorry, the way these girls talk about romance is at times their own age, but at other times way more mature than 11/12-year olds should talk. A bit weird, and also a problem I have with Canterwood Crest, though I have to say it is way worse with that one.
All in all, this was a great book, and I really liked the ending.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
2
0
