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Book Summary and Reviews of A Horse of Her Own by Annie Wedekind

A Horse of Her Own by Annie Wedekind

A Horse of Her Own

by Annie Wedekind

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • May 2008, 288 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Fourteen-year-old Jane Ryan has always dreamed of having a horse of her own—but so long as she gets to ride her favorite school horse, Beau, at Sunny Acres farm, she’s content. And this is the summer she means to try out for the advanced riding class.

But just as camp begins, Jane receives heartbreaking news about Beau. She loses, not just her favorite horse, but also her chance to ride in the end-of-summer competition. When her trainer asks for her help with an out-of-control chestnut warmblood, Lancelot, a newcomer to the barn, she has no choice but to say yes.

There’s another new addition to the farm: Ben Reyes, the grandson of the barn's manager. As Jane struggles to go on without Beau, and to make Lancelot the great horse she believes him to be, her feelings for Ben, her relationships with the privileged group of girls she rides with, and her painful, joyous road to self-discovery all lead to a heart-pounding conclusion that is truly a new beginning. Only Jane’s faith in Lancelot, and her own rediscovered skill and strength, can see her through the hard journey toward a horse of her own.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Sensitive, sophisticated and lyrically written, Wedekind’s debut portrays the typical teen struggle for self-awareness in an anything-but-typical fashion. Possibly the most honest horse book since National Velvet, from an equestrian point-of-view, this offering’s riding scenes combine accuracy with seat-of-the-pants excitement. A champion." - Kirkus Reviews.

"There aren't a lot of books around for horse-mad girls these days ... where oh where are the horsey novels? Thank goodness for Annie Wedekind. She has written an utterly charming novel that should be placed into the hands of horse-loving girls immediately upon publication." - kidliterate.com

This information about A Horse of Her Own was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Kennedy

A Horse Of Her Own
This book is a great book. I bought it for my for my daughter; she loved it so I read it too.

Katia

One of the best fictional horse books I've read
A Horse of Her Own is definitely one of the best fictional horse books I have ever read. It holds a lot of truth, and it's very obvious that the author has had experience with horses. It shows how people all have different perspectives on how to treat and ride their horse. It shows how teenagers enter their horse phase, and how they might exit it because of a variety of different reasons. It's perfect for any tween that either rides or takes care of horses because it gives you all the challenges young riders will go through, including fitting in, school, boys, and of course becoming a better rider. This book is funny, and very entertaining. I enjoyed reading it a second time.

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Author Information

Annie Wedekind

Annie Wedekind grew up riding horses in Louisville, Kentucky, at a farm very much like Sunny Acres. Since then, she’s been in the saddle in every place she’s lived, from Providence to New Orleans, South Africa to Brooklyn. This is her first book.

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