Format: Ebook 

When thirteen-year-old Misty’s dad loses his job, she’s forced to move away from the home and friends she loves to the Redbridge estate where horses roam free. Misty soon finds herself living two lives – the one with her friends at school, whom she’s determined to keep up appearances for, and her new life on the estate with the horses and the mysterious Dylan. When the horses she’s grown to love come under threat, her two lives collide and she must find a way to save the place she now calls home. 

I felt so nostalgic while reading. The author describes the book in heir acknowledgements as an ode to the pony books they read as a child, and I couldn’t agree with this more. It was so nice to immerse myself in a ‘pony story’ but not just the tried-and-tested pony story, but one that felt like more than a pony story. 

Misty was a very realistic character. Spending time with her and her friends reminded me so much of what it was like to be a thirteen-year-old girl – while my own childhood was quite different and I didn’t always agree with her choices, I could understand why she was making them and appreciated the feelings she had despite it being a long time since I was that age. 

Beyond this, I felt like the book dealt so well with a wealth of other important topics for its target age range, including friendship, grief, unemployment, poverty and so so much more. 

And of course, we can’t forget the bond between human and animal – I am a big believer in the healing power of horses and this was truly showcased in this book. 

I would completely recommend this book to a new generation of pony lovers, and an older one – I have no doubt it will be appearing on my ‘pony shelf’ too! 

With thanks to Pushkin Children's Books via NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.