AUGUST 2014 - AudioFile
Narrator Mandy Williams’s soft, full voice and British accent are perfect for a story of self-discovery. Eleven-year-old Nell unexpectedly has to spend her summer vacation on her aunt’s farm. There she meets the taciturn and secretive Angel. They both have secrets, which Williams conveys in delicious whispers. Williams’s graceful pacing varies, slowing at the leisure of a grazing horse and speeding up with the playful frolicking of a colt. Through their efforts to save Angel’s beloved horses from auction, friendship emerges. Williams makes every character come to life—from Nell’s perfectly coifed mother to a neighbor who sounds as practical and warm as a worn farm coat. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review - Jillian Dunham
Lean's imagination runs wild, but her descriptions of a girl who rediscovers hope and wholeness remain firmly rooted in truth.
From the Publisher
Friendship, self-discovery, a dreamlike middle-of-the-night horseback ride, and a satisfying ending make for certain reader appeal. — Booklist (starred review)
Lean’s imagination runs wild, but her descriptions of a girl who rediscovers hope and wholeness remain firmly rooted in truth. — New York Times Book Review
The author intertwines the characters and story line with finesse, keeping readers guessing about Angel’s identity and the appearance of the hundredth horse until the end of the evenly paced plot. A touch of magic delivers a satisfying and positive conclusion. — School Library Journal
Lean effortlessly stitches a moving tale right to the very edge of fantasy without ever tearing the satisfying believability of her story. — Kirkus Reviews
Booklist (starred review)
Friendship, self-discovery, a dreamlike middle-of-the-night horseback ride, and a satisfying ending make for certain reader appeal.
New York Times Book Review
Lean’s imagination runs wild, but her descriptions of a girl who rediscovers hope and wholeness remain firmly rooted in truth.
AUGUST 2014 - AudioFile
Narrator Mandy Williams’s soft, full voice and British accent are perfect for a story of self-discovery. Eleven-year-old Nell unexpectedly has to spend her summer vacation on her aunt’s farm. There she meets the taciturn and secretive Angel. They both have secrets, which Williams conveys in delicious whispers. Williams’s graceful pacing varies, slowing at the leisure of a grazing horse and speeding up with the playful frolicking of a colt. Through their efforts to save Angel’s beloved horses from auction, friendship emerges. Williams makes every character come to life—from Nell’s perfectly coifed mother to a neighbor who sounds as practical and warm as a worn farm coat. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2013-10-20
Eleven-year-old Nell is frustrated and unhappy. A loner, she's miserable in the busy life her mother has crafted for her. Now her mom is leaving her for a long holiday with her aunt Liv, who works a small farm. She secretly takes with her a case full of the parts of an almost-magical toy merry-go-round her long-gone father created, the only bit of him not expunged from their house. Right after her arrival, a strange girl--Angel--on a large horse steals the case. Nell decides the only way to get it back is to find her. But Angel has a reputation for lying and stealing, so when a nanny goat and a few other things--including a horse--go missing, she's blamed. Rita, Liv's recently widowed and grieving neighbor, holds keys to the mystery of Angel's background, information that is disclosed at a deliberate pace that heightens the sense of mystery and enhances the gradual reveal. Only Angel and Nell together have the power to put the many problems right, if they can find a way to cooperate. Although Nell's voice sometimes feels a bit too adult for her age, it's a minor flaw. As in A Dog Called Homeless (2012), Lean effortlessly stitches a moving tale right to the very edge of fantasy without ever tearing the satisfying believability of her story. (Fiction. 10-14)
