What do you think?
Rate this book
The One Dollar Horse #1
The One Dollar Horse
Fifteen year old Casey Blue lives in East London’s grimmest tower block and volunteers at a local riding school, but her dream is to win the world’s greatest Three Day Event: the Badminton Horse Trials. When she rescues a starving, half-wild horse, she’s convinced that the impossible can be made possible. But she has reckoned without the consequences of her father’s criminal record, or the distraction of a boy with melty, dark eyes, with whom she refuses to fall in love. Casey learns the hard way that no matter how high you jump, or how fast you gallop, you can never outrun the past.
314 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
95 people are currently reading
1711 people want to read
About the author
Lauren St. John
75 books403 followersLauren St John grew up on a farm and game reserve in Africa, the inspiration for her acclaimed memoir, Rainbow's End, and her award-winning White Giraffe series for children. Dead Man's Cove, the first in her Laura Marlin mystery series, won the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award in 2011. Her bestselling One Dollar Horse trilogy for teenagers was followed by The Glory, a breathtaking YA adventure and romance about a long distance horse race across the American West. Formerly a sports and music journalist, Lauren is the author of Seve and Hardcore Troubador: the Life & Near Death of Steve Earle, a superb, gripping biography of an Americana legend. The Obituary Writer, her first adult novel, was published in 2014 and she is currently at work on her second. Both The White Giraffe and The Glory have been optioned for film.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
March 9, 2022
Years ago I read the second book in this trilogy, and I liked a great deal and suspected I would love it if I had read this one first! Having the first volume of the story was wonderful and filled in many details I had often wondered about.
Fifteen year old Casey Blue dreams of riding at Badminton, despite not having a horse or any real riding experience. When she and her father rescue a horse from the slaughter house, paying one USD for him (they are in England) she suddenly has a horse of her own. Nursing him back to health and building a bond play a significant part of the plot, as the process of training them both to be eventers. There is a real fairy tale element to it, but in the best way. I enjoyed every moment and I'm glad it was a trilogy rather than a stand-alone book.
Fifteen year old Casey Blue dreams of riding at Badminton, despite not having a horse or any real riding experience. When she and her father rescue a horse from the slaughter house, paying one USD for him (they are in England) she suddenly has a horse of her own. Nursing him back to health and building a bond play a significant part of the plot, as the process of training them both to be eventers. There is a real fairy tale element to it, but in the best way. I enjoyed every moment and I'm glad it was a trilogy rather than a stand-alone book.
September 14, 2019
Casey Blue lives in a small flat in the bad part of London's East End and volunteers at a low end riding school—so of course she dreams of riding (and winning!) at Badminton.
When she hears the scream of a terrified horse and sees the big, skin-and-bone gray racing down a busy street, she grabs his rope and the disgusted slaughterhouse owner sells her the horse for $1 after the horse injures several employees. So with a starved and weak rescue horse, no money, no trainer, and no experience, the stage is set.
The good: the horse parts are well done, both the actions of the individual horses and the scenes at the barns and at the shows. The descriptions of the horse trailers (and of difficulties loading horses!) and things that happen during the different phases of the shows were especially good. I loved the horse himself, big brave boy. The story was interesting and the book held my attention throughout. And I loved that it was about eventing, a sport which isn't written about as much as it deserves.
The bad: The plot is very typical: horse is rescued from slaughter, forms a bond with his rescuer and they become champions. Girl's friend and neighbor turns out to be skilled trainer. Anonymous benefactor provides money. Girl's love for her horse triumphs over other riders—they have more experience and fancy horses but Casey has LOVE for her horse, which trumps all. It was also unrealistic in the extreme that a 15 year old girl who's had ten riding lessons in her life could take an inexperienced horse to Badminton in two years. Most annoying, they go to their first event (at Novice level UK, which is Prelim level in the USA) without ever schooling a single cross country fence. In fact there is not a single mention of any training over fences in the book. Since they constantly get rails in stadium, perhaps some schooling might have helped? Maybe? But I guess when your coach is a champion dressage rider you can just skip the jumping training...sigh.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. Despite the unrealistic parts—and most horse fiction IS unrealistic, nobody'd read a book where the heroine and her horse never got anywhere—the story was fun and exciting. Looking forward to the second book in the series!
When she hears the scream of a terrified horse and sees the big, skin-and-bone gray racing down a busy street, she grabs his rope and the disgusted slaughterhouse owner sells her the horse for $1 after the horse injures several employees. So with a starved and weak rescue horse, no money, no trainer, and no experience, the stage is set.
The good: the horse parts are well done, both the actions of the individual horses and the scenes at the barns and at the shows. The descriptions of the horse trailers (and of difficulties loading horses!) and things that happen during the different phases of the shows were especially good. I loved the horse himself, big brave boy. The story was interesting and the book held my attention throughout. And I loved that it was about eventing, a sport which isn't written about as much as it deserves.
The bad: The plot is very typical: horse is rescued from slaughter, forms a bond with his rescuer and they become champions. Girl's friend and neighbor turns out to be skilled trainer. Anonymous benefactor provides money. Girl's love for her horse triumphs over other riders—they have more experience and fancy horses but Casey has LOVE for her horse, which trumps all. It was also unrealistic in the extreme that a 15 year old girl who's had ten riding lessons in her life could take an inexperienced horse to Badminton in two years. Most annoying, they go to their first event (at Novice level UK, which is Prelim level in the USA) without ever schooling a single cross country fence. In fact there is not a single mention of any training over fences in the book. Since they constantly get rails in stadium, perhaps some schooling might have helped? Maybe? But I guess when your coach is a champion dressage rider you can just skip the jumping training...sigh.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. Despite the unrealistic parts—and most horse fiction IS unrealistic, nobody'd read a book where the heroine and her horse never got anywhere—the story was fun and exciting. Looking forward to the second book in the series!
August 9, 2020
4.5
The One Dollar Horse definitely surprised me. I expected a heartwarming, feel good story. And while it definitely didn’t fail me in that regard it was just so so much more.
Casey Blue volunteers at a riding school and her biggest dream is to win the Badminton Horse Trials. After rescuing a starving, half wild horse she knows that he is not only a loyal companion but if they train hard enough they have a chance in winning the contest.
I don’t want to give away to much so you just need to believe me when I tell you that this story has more to offer.
Plus it’s juicy too!
Who knew that there could be so much drama in a horse book?
This book really had me holding my breath. The Storyline feels very well rounded and I could picture everything perfectly.
When you look into what this book is about it promises a love story. But it was almost non existent. However I wasn’t missing anything. Im a fan of slow burn romance and I honestly think I would have enjoyed this less if the romance was focused on more. I also really liked that Casey had to work for her dream to come true. It made the story more realistic. It also had some great life lessons.
-0,5 Stars for the slight feeling of middle aged white women racism I got at one point.
I am really looking forward to reading the next books in the trilogy. Unfortunately I can’t get my hands on the copy’s yet.
The One Dollar Horse definitely surprised me. I expected a heartwarming, feel good story. And while it definitely didn’t fail me in that regard it was just so so much more.
Casey Blue volunteers at a riding school and her biggest dream is to win the Badminton Horse Trials. After rescuing a starving, half wild horse she knows that he is not only a loyal companion but if they train hard enough they have a chance in winning the contest.
I don’t want to give away to much so you just need to believe me when I tell you that this story has more to offer.
Plus it’s juicy too!
Who knew that there could be so much drama in a horse book?
This book really had me holding my breath. The Storyline feels very well rounded and I could picture everything perfectly.
When you look into what this book is about it promises a love story. But it was almost non existent. However I wasn’t missing anything. Im a fan of slow burn romance and I honestly think I would have enjoyed this less if the romance was focused on more. I also really liked that Casey had to work for her dream to come true. It made the story more realistic. It also had some great life lessons.
-0,5 Stars for the slight feeling of middle aged white women racism I got at one point.
I am really looking forward to reading the next books in the trilogy. Unfortunately I can’t get my hands on the copy’s yet.
May 15, 2014
The one dollar horse is a truly amazing book.From a one dollar horse to a multi-million dollar horse it is a very inspirational book that goes over if you can dream it you can do it and in that case it worked for Casey. This is not any book this is a book that draws you in and in parts actually makes you feel like you are riding at badminton horse trials leaping over the jumps over and over in your mind. If you don't know what cross-country and dressage is in the equestrian world, I wouldn't recommend it, but if you do I completely recommend this book 110%.
November 19, 2024
Przestałam liczyć ile razy już to czytałam. Dalej cudowne🖤
July 3, 2016
This is a nice horsey book, with a theme of hard work and dedication to a special horse taking a girl from rags to riches. The setting is London's multicultural east districts and rural England. I found it suitable for children rather than young adults, with one-dimensional characters.
I would have liked the book more if it was not so full of clichés. Growing up I always wore a belt in case I would find a horse running wild down the street and have to catch him and lead him. (I never did; there were no horses on the streets, but they were in the books I read about a previous generation's adventures.) The best books showed a horse rescued from a cruel heartless owner, who is only out for gain, from Black Beauty to Smoky to King of the Wind to the Black Stallion. The fiery untameable horse falls into love and trust with the patient young rider, and the two become unbeatable, from National Velvet to Thunderhead to Misty to the Golden Stallion to the Black Stallion and a dozen pony books. The ownership of the horse may change and take him away from the young rider, like the Black Stallion or multiple pony books. In pony books (still today) or Jilly Coopers there may be an obvious antagonist who is a wealthier and nastier version of the young rider (because it is easy, meaning lazy). I was checking off each of these experiences all over again.
I know it's hard to write an original book, but this one is really close to International Velvet with the eventing, the dead American mother, the sponsorship issues, lack of friends and top competitors. All we were missing was the Olympics. We also get a hint of Great Expectations. There is just one original sub-plot, which is the rider's father having spent time in jail and trying to find work, only to have a brush with unsavoury associates.
I would have supposed that the hard work and training would have included reading horsey schooling books, eventers' autobios and stable management books. We don't hear of any, just magazines, although some eventers are named. And the author should have stressed the safety vests that are obligatory wear in any cross country from Riding Clubs upwards. Some of the eventing fences should also have been described for those who have never seen them, and I would have assumed that the girl and horse would have been competing in indoor jumping shows during winter.
Yes, I did come up through showjumping, on a Thoroughbred mare, bringing her from half-starved quick sale to Grade A. So it does happen. But not in two years. And you have to work as well. And nobody throws money at you, and the professionals with the lorry load of horses to your one have a far, far better chance than you. And your horse goes lame so you miss shows, and you have no money or socialising time ever, because everything you have goes on the horse.
Read One Dollar Horse, enjoy it and I hope you don't feel as gypped as I did when I realised that I'd read the story many times before over the years.
I would have liked the book more if it was not so full of clichés. Growing up I always wore a belt in case I would find a horse running wild down the street and have to catch him and lead him. (I never did; there were no horses on the streets, but they were in the books I read about a previous generation's adventures.) The best books showed a horse rescued from a cruel heartless owner, who is only out for gain, from Black Beauty to Smoky to King of the Wind to the Black Stallion. The fiery untameable horse falls into love and trust with the patient young rider, and the two become unbeatable, from National Velvet to Thunderhead to Misty to the Golden Stallion to the Black Stallion and a dozen pony books. The ownership of the horse may change and take him away from the young rider, like the Black Stallion or multiple pony books. In pony books (still today) or Jilly Coopers there may be an obvious antagonist who is a wealthier and nastier version of the young rider (because it is easy, meaning lazy). I was checking off each of these experiences all over again.
I know it's hard to write an original book, but this one is really close to International Velvet with the eventing, the dead American mother, the sponsorship issues, lack of friends and top competitors. All we were missing was the Olympics. We also get a hint of Great Expectations. There is just one original sub-plot, which is the rider's father having spent time in jail and trying to find work, only to have a brush with unsavoury associates.
I would have supposed that the hard work and training would have included reading horsey schooling books, eventers' autobios and stable management books. We don't hear of any, just magazines, although some eventers are named. And the author should have stressed the safety vests that are obligatory wear in any cross country from Riding Clubs upwards. Some of the eventing fences should also have been described for those who have never seen them, and I would have assumed that the girl and horse would have been competing in indoor jumping shows during winter.
Yes, I did come up through showjumping, on a Thoroughbred mare, bringing her from half-starved quick sale to Grade A. So it does happen. But not in two years. And you have to work as well. And nobody throws money at you, and the professionals with the lorry load of horses to your one have a far, far better chance than you. And your horse goes lame so you miss shows, and you have no money or socialising time ever, because everything you have goes on the horse.
Read One Dollar Horse, enjoy it and I hope you don't feel as gypped as I did when I realised that I'd read the story many times before over the years.
April 29, 2012
The One Dollar Horse provides a much needed twenty-first century spin to the horse story. Full of urban edge, and yet never quite losing that fairytale element all good horse stories have, The One Dollar Horse is a book that pony lovers will adore.
It's written by the superb Lauren St John (author of the amazing Laura Marlin series) and St John knows her horse world. She writes with a thrilling competency that reminded me of some of the greats of horse fiction - Caroline Akrill, Ginny Elliot and Patricia Leitch.
Casey Blue is a fairly typical horse-mad teenager. That is, until she comes across a wild horse destined for the knackers yard in the back streets of Hackney. Rescuing this horse proves the first step in fulfilling her dream of competing at Badminton - and it's not an easy ride (both literally and metaphorically) for Casey to get there.
The joy of horse stories is that, when done well, they're world-class. They're tales of how when you do the right thing, when you're kind to animals, and when you believe in yourself, you can achieve great things.
In The One Dollar Horse, Lauren St John has done all this and she's also thrown a hot trainee farrier into the mix. There's also a very nice edge in how she writes certain characters into getting their just desserts. It's not moralising didacticism, it's an almost karmic retribution and it's brilliant to read.
I do try not to use the word brilliant when reviewing a book by Lauren St John but somehow I always seem to fail. Okay. I give in. The One Dollar Horse is a brilliantly modern spin on the horse story and I really really loved it. Because it was brilliant.
(So very very brilliant).
It's written by the superb Lauren St John (author of the amazing Laura Marlin series) and St John knows her horse world. She writes with a thrilling competency that reminded me of some of the greats of horse fiction - Caroline Akrill, Ginny Elliot and Patricia Leitch.
Casey Blue is a fairly typical horse-mad teenager. That is, until she comes across a wild horse destined for the knackers yard in the back streets of Hackney. Rescuing this horse proves the first step in fulfilling her dream of competing at Badminton - and it's not an easy ride (both literally and metaphorically) for Casey to get there.
The joy of horse stories is that, when done well, they're world-class. They're tales of how when you do the right thing, when you're kind to animals, and when you believe in yourself, you can achieve great things.
In The One Dollar Horse, Lauren St John has done all this and she's also thrown a hot trainee farrier into the mix. There's also a very nice edge in how she writes certain characters into getting their just desserts. It's not moralising didacticism, it's an almost karmic retribution and it's brilliant to read.
I do try not to use the word brilliant when reviewing a book by Lauren St John but somehow I always seem to fail. Okay. I give in. The One Dollar Horse is a brilliantly modern spin on the horse story and I really really loved it. Because it was brilliant.
(So very very brilliant).
July 5, 2016
I actually quite enjoyed this book because it was different to any book I've read before. The story was based around two main characters, Casey and her horse, Storm Warning. Through their ups and downs, they learn to love each other as great companions. The reason I gave this book three stars was because halfway through the book I was simply bored. Nothing was happening that kept me hooked and on my toes but overall, a nice comfort read.
January 1, 2021
This book was a blast to the past. It's exceptionally cheesy and very fairytale, but I loved every second of it. As a horse girl who came from a background significantly different than my competitors, I related so strongly to the main character, Casey. I loved the way she handled every challenge thrown at her and fought her way to the top. This story made me laugh, smile, and cry, and is a novel that any horse-lover would love.
June 8, 2015
Helemaal niet slecht, maar ik houd gewoon niet zo van paarden. Uitgebreide recensie snel op mijn blog!
August 15, 2021
3 stars
Feel-good YA, perfect for in between heavier reads.
Feel-good YA, perfect for in between heavier reads.
February 22, 2019
This book is truly a brilliant, endearing, and inspirational read.
I loved being able to travel with Casey and Storm on their journey from nothingness to stardom. Casey was a sweet girl who, in the end, didn’t let things go to her head. Not to say that it was easy. No, it was a rough road, but she soldiered on and got her reward. I also really enjoyed Casey and Strom’s relationship and how they built it. I am definitely one who believes in building trust with your horse as a foundation for what you do. Mrs. Smith was such a dear. I loved her immediately.
St John’s writing voice was enjoyable and fit well with the story. It wasn’t heavily detailed, but that was okay; it matched well with the audience I think St John wrote this for. I wasn’t crazy about the grammar, though. Some of the sentences could have used a comma or had one too many commas. But that could just be me being picky.
The pacing was great! It was steady and St John didn’t spend gobs of time on training and every other mishap. She kept things moving along, dwelling on what was important and skimming over what wasn’t. Also, St John wasn’t overly technical. Some horse books tend to contain so much “horse language” that it’s hard for people who are unfamiliar with this to read them. Another note on the plot… Yes, the end result was predictable. I’ll admit that. But I was expecting it to go that way so I wasn’t disappointed.
Lastly, this was a clean read! The are one or two occasions when bad language is alluded to, but it isn’t blatant.
Altogether, I recommend this book. I especially think it would be perfect for younger teens.
I loved being able to travel with Casey and Storm on their journey from nothingness to stardom. Casey was a sweet girl who, in the end, didn’t let things go to her head. Not to say that it was easy. No, it was a rough road, but she soldiered on and got her reward. I also really enjoyed Casey and Strom’s relationship and how they built it. I am definitely one who believes in building trust with your horse as a foundation for what you do. Mrs. Smith was such a dear. I loved her immediately.
St John’s writing voice was enjoyable and fit well with the story. It wasn’t heavily detailed, but that was okay; it matched well with the audience I think St John wrote this for. I wasn’t crazy about the grammar, though. Some of the sentences could have used a comma or had one too many commas. But that could just be me being picky.
The pacing was great! It was steady and St John didn’t spend gobs of time on training and every other mishap. She kept things moving along, dwelling on what was important and skimming over what wasn’t. Also, St John wasn’t overly technical. Some horse books tend to contain so much “horse language” that it’s hard for people who are unfamiliar with this to read them. Another note on the plot… Yes, the end result was predictable. I’ll admit that. But I was expecting it to go that way so I wasn’t disappointed.
Lastly, this was a clean read! The are one or two occasions when bad language is alluded to, but it isn’t blatant.
Altogether, I recommend this book. I especially think it would be perfect for younger teens.
April 13, 2022
11 year old me was obsessed
June 19, 2015
When I was younger, about every second weekend I would visit the beautiful children's Lion and the Unicorn Bookshop in Richmond (which, sadly, has only recently closed) and one of my favourite choices would always be Lauren St. John's The White Giraffe series, which I devoured. Therefore when I saw not one, but two new Lauren St. John books on the Indigo Bloggers News I couldn't resist. Keeping with the animal theme like in her other books, St. John doesn't fail to enrapture and enchant readers with her classic yet fiercely different tale of a horsey cinderella on her journey to become a full-blown princess (or winner of Badminton, in this case!)
I found the overall appearance of the book totally endearing, and yes, I am talking about the beautiful bright pink-edged pages! There is nothing else that attracts a girl to anything more than pink, and if I am ever lucky enough to have my own book published I will definitely have colourfully-edged pages. However, aside from the pink, I found the book itself completely not what I was expecting. When I was younger, I would read animal books a lot, though as I grew into a terrible teenager they didn't interest me as much. At a first glance, after reading the first chapter actually, I thought this would be the typical story of a girl who has nothing finds a horse (completely out of the blue, of course!) then becomes a champion horse rider at the end. However I was delighted whilst reading that I was very wrong; there were many twists and turns that were completely unexpected and page-turner moments that were unique yet comfortably familiar that comes with reading a feel-good novel. I found the protagonist Casey an extremely loveable and strong character who had an interesting and complex relationship with all the other characters, and I enjoyed following her journey.
Overall, I think that the most important aspect of the book was the cliched sense that 'nothing is impossible', yet this was paired with the sense that if you want something, you can't just wait for it to come to you, you need to put everything into it to get what you want out of it. I think that this is a very important message to everyone in the world today: work hard, and achieve your dreams.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading St. John again, and I hope that she writes more books for teenagers.
I found the overall appearance of the book totally endearing, and yes, I am talking about the beautiful bright pink-edged pages! There is nothing else that attracts a girl to anything more than pink, and if I am ever lucky enough to have my own book published I will definitely have colourfully-edged pages. However, aside from the pink, I found the book itself completely not what I was expecting. When I was younger, I would read animal books a lot, though as I grew into a terrible teenager they didn't interest me as much. At a first glance, after reading the first chapter actually, I thought this would be the typical story of a girl who has nothing finds a horse (completely out of the blue, of course!) then becomes a champion horse rider at the end. However I was delighted whilst reading that I was very wrong; there were many twists and turns that were completely unexpected and page-turner moments that were unique yet comfortably familiar that comes with reading a feel-good novel. I found the protagonist Casey an extremely loveable and strong character who had an interesting and complex relationship with all the other characters, and I enjoyed following her journey.
Overall, I think that the most important aspect of the book was the cliched sense that 'nothing is impossible', yet this was paired with the sense that if you want something, you can't just wait for it to come to you, you need to put everything into it to get what you want out of it. I think that this is a very important message to everyone in the world today: work hard, and achieve your dreams.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading St. John again, and I hope that she writes more books for teenagers.
April 22, 2023
If I could give this less than a star I would. It’s like the author thought “hmm, how many minority groups could I offend in one novel? Here I go!”, then wrote this. Aside from the fact the characters are one dimensional and there’s so many time jumps you can’t keep up with the story, it’s one of those books where I feel like the author doesn’t understand that including diverse characters doesn’t count as representation if all you’re doing it offending them! The black man is a thief, there’s a Lithuanian character who we are told nothing about other than the fact he is Lithuanian, she types random words of the Chinese characters incorrectly which makes a completely mockery of their accents and seemingly tries to present them as less intelligent despite the fact they’re speaking a completely fluent second language, and to top it off she fat shames a random woman. It’s worrying that this is the kind of stuff being normalised for children to read. Should have DNFd on page 3 like I wanted to.
February 16, 2020
Wow! I've been sick all day, but this made me feel a little better.
This novel is filled with hope, joy, suspense, dreams, faith, betrayal, friendship and love with a little bit of very natural romance. I loved every bit of it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves horses. It captures the relationship between horse and rider perfectly and is extremely heart warming.
It focused a lot on chasing your dreams and backing it up with action, which I loved and believe is a very valuable life lesson. Another important life lesson that this novel focuses on is never to give up on your dreams.
This book is also perfectly written and seamlessly executed. I can't wait to pick up the next book.
This novel is filled with hope, joy, suspense, dreams, faith, betrayal, friendship and love with a little bit of very natural romance. I loved every bit of it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves horses. It captures the relationship between horse and rider perfectly and is extremely heart warming.
It focused a lot on chasing your dreams and backing it up with action, which I loved and believe is a very valuable life lesson. Another important life lesson that this novel focuses on is never to give up on your dreams.
This book is also perfectly written and seamlessly executed. I can't wait to pick up the next book.
August 21, 2025
── ✦✦✦:
“It’s you I love. It’s always been you.”
I forgot to mark this off at the start of the year but I’m doing it now so excuse this. I read this when I was younger and loved it (obviously) but reading it again it was … mediocre. Nostalgia is the only thing that made me give it three stars.
It’s nice, quick and straight to the point but it lacks depth of characters and emotional connection that I just couldn’t really see the appeal of it. A quick and easy read from my childhood is the best I would describe this in all honesty.
Peter is the only saving character in this. I like him. A lot. I remember having a crush on him when I was younger and it still stands to this day.
So yeah. Mediocre but nostalgic.
“It’s you I love. It’s always been you.”
I forgot to mark this off at the start of the year but I’m doing it now so excuse this. I read this when I was younger and loved it (obviously) but reading it again it was … mediocre. Nostalgia is the only thing that made me give it three stars.
It’s nice, quick and straight to the point but it lacks depth of characters and emotional connection that I just couldn’t really see the appeal of it. A quick and easy read from my childhood is the best I would describe this in all honesty.
Peter is the only saving character in this. I like him. A lot. I remember having a crush on him when I was younger and it still stands to this day.
So yeah. Mediocre but nostalgic.
October 3, 2021
This was a brilliant book for younger readers!! As someone who knows absolutely nothing about horses, I loved it, although some things did feel a bit far fetched. I'm going to give this book to my sister who knows quite a lot more about riding and eventing than I do, so I'll see what she thinks! As a riding book, and I feel my sister will agree with me it's not particularly accurate, but as a story it was amazing!
Definitely recommend and can't wait to read the second book :)
Definitely recommend and can't wait to read the second book :)
April 26, 2025
3,5
w porównaniu do innych końskich serii ta chyba najbardziej "kolorowa" i niezbyt realistyczna
plus za naprawdę trzymające w napięciu plot twisty gdzieś przy końcówce
w porównaniu do innych końskich serii ta chyba najbardziej "kolorowa" i niezbyt realistyczna
plus za naprawdę trzymające w napięciu plot twisty gdzieś przy końcówce
August 18, 2025
this was a fun read!
November 30, 2025
Better than I expected!
Read
October 20, 2025this was my favourite series when I was younger, and I still have a vivid memory of the beginning, so i’ll have to re-read the whole series soon
January 13, 2024
MEILLEUR LIVRE DU MONDE
«Quand Casey Blue a sauvé un cheval affamé de l'abattoir, elle n'imaginait pas qu'un jour, il la remercierait avec le galop de sa vie.»
«Quand Casey Blue a sauvé un cheval affamé de l'abattoir, elle n'imaginait pas qu'un jour, il la remercierait avec le galop de sa vie.»
February 24, 2025
Het was een best oké boek, maar heel voorspelbaar. Ik ga de serie niet uitlezen, maar leuk boek voor mensen op de basisschool. Die vader is echt crazy. Ik zou ook bij mevrouw Smith wonen als ik haar was. Anna is echt weird net als haar vader.
October 27, 2024
3
This wasn't a brilliant book and there were certainly bits I frowned at but nonetheless, I had a good time. It was special in a way because it felt close to home.
Got me all nostalgic and feeling wistful..
This wasn't a brilliant book and there were certainly bits I frowned at but nonetheless, I had a good time. It was special in a way because it felt close to home.
Got me all nostalgic and feeling wistful..
September 26, 2021
"And he whispered to the horse, trust no man in whose eyes you do not see yourself reflected as an equal."
I normally have reservations about reading books largely centred around animals, as:
1. I tend to get way more attached to literary animals than people and it breaks my heart if they get hurt or die (which, I find, they nearly always do)
2. I tend to find animal books more juvenile and I'm always cautious one of them is about to talk or something as equally far-fetched is about to happen
But I was willing to give this book a shot as I remember enjoying it when I read it before as a 12-year-old. I recognise that I'm no longer in the target age group but I did still find it entertaining.
What I liked:
- The main character, 15-year-old horse fanatic Casey Blue. I thought that St. John's depiction of her made her seem authentic and realistic. I liked that she spoke like a 15-year-old, acted as rashly as a 15-year-old would at times. Casey was determined, single-minded, persistent, willing to do whatever it took to achieve her equestrian dreams and I admire that kind of perseverance in a character, especially when the odds are against them. I liked how selfless she was, never complaining about how much work she had to do to afford to look after her horse, Storm. I think she'd be a great role model for teens reading this book. Most of all, I connected with Casey, felt like we shared similar beliefs and values. I may not be a horse fanatic myself but I do sometimes think I love animals more than people and I found myself relating to Casey. Her anger at how animals are treated like they're less than humans, her need to save Storm.
- The overall message I felt that 'The One Dollar Horse' was attempting to teach me - that animals and humans should be treated equally; that at the end of the day, it's not winning trophies and prize money from competitions that matters but it's the horse's happiness that is most important. It's being a partnership, a team built on mutual respect that matters. I liked the fact that Casey never forced Storm to do anything he wasn't comfortable with: I really adored the bond between animal and human, Storm and Casey.
- The character of Angelica Smith. I thought the 62-year-old ex-equestrian with her army of stray cats was the perfect friend for Casey. I really liked what St. John did with Mrs Smith's character and when it was revealed that I almost want a book to be written entirely about Mrs Smith! Her past captivated me;
- St John's writing was at its best when she was writing about the bond shared between Casey and Storm and I can tell this is something she feels passionately about. For example, a scene I particularly enjoyed was when Mrs Smith instructed Casey to read to Storm. I remember when I first read this book, this inspired me to read to my own animals.
- The character of Roland Blue. I really enjoyed reading about the close relationship between Casey and her father, and about a single father doing everything in his power to provide for his daughter. The scenes they shared were heart-warming; how every time he made dinner, she would make a joke out of their poor financial situation and ask him "Anything missing?", knowing he would respond with the names of a couple ingredients he couldn't afford to buy. I especially liked the extra element of him being a criminal and how St. John highlighted this didn't make him a bad person, just a good person who made a bad choice. And he kept making bad choices, like when he I liked that St. John constantly made the reader question Roland's character. For example,
- Penelope Ridgeley: I imagine she's not a character the reader is supposed to particularly like but I felt that her character was necessary, the voice of reason and realism (with a hint of pessimism).
What I didn't like:
- The pacing of the book. Once Casey had completed a couple of competitions, time passed quickly and I didn't feel like this was made overly clear until suddenly the Badminton Horse Trials were approaching. It caused me to feel like
- The relationship between Peter Rhys and Casey. Ugh, where to begin? When I read this book years ago, I remember hardcore shipping them. This read, it was all wrong. After 2 years of knowing each other, they barely even felt like friends to me, let alone ready for anything else.
*It's not something I necessarily didn't like but it's worth mentioning. One thing I did struggle a little bit with was the terminology used. I'm not familiar with equestrian terms but this didn't really bother me as it led me straight to Google and turned out to be fairly educational. I like the books I read to teach me something. However, I do feel like some of the terminology could have been explained a little as I'm sure there were some things Casey didn't know and the reader could've learnt with her. To be honest, this did cause me to lose interest in the technical scenes as I didn't really understand much about what was going on. This was a bit disappointing as I am quite fascinated by equestrian competitions.
Overall, 'The One Dollar Horse' was an enjoyable read with some extremely well-written characters and the whole was really satisfying. I am planning to read the next book in the trilogy, 'Race the Wind'. Although, I must confess I've read the synopsis and I'm already preparing myself to be left disappointed. The storyline seems repetitive to this one - once again, Roland Blue is accused of committing a crime that he did not do. Once again, Storm is out of control. 'The One Dollar Horse' also didn't leave the reader with any cliffhangers, bar one -
"Karma exists to balance the scales of justice for those of us who can't afford lawyers."
I normally have reservations about reading books largely centred around animals, as:
1. I tend to get way more attached to literary animals than people and it breaks my heart if they get hurt or die (which, I find, they nearly always do)
2. I tend to find animal books more juvenile and I'm always cautious one of them is about to talk or something as equally far-fetched is about to happen
But I was willing to give this book a shot as I remember enjoying it when I read it before as a 12-year-old. I recognise that I'm no longer in the target age group but I did still find it entertaining.
What I liked:
- The main character, 15-year-old horse fanatic Casey Blue. I thought that St. John's depiction of her made her seem authentic and realistic. I liked that she spoke like a 15-year-old, acted as rashly as a 15-year-old would at times. Casey was determined, single-minded, persistent, willing to do whatever it took to achieve her equestrian dreams and I admire that kind of perseverance in a character, especially when the odds are against them. I liked how selfless she was, never complaining about how much work she had to do to afford to look after her horse, Storm. I think she'd be a great role model for teens reading this book. Most of all, I connected with Casey, felt like we shared similar beliefs and values. I may not be a horse fanatic myself but I do sometimes think I love animals more than people and I found myself relating to Casey. Her anger at how animals are treated like they're less than humans, her need to save Storm.
- The overall message I felt that 'The One Dollar Horse' was attempting to teach me - that animals and humans should be treated equally; that at the end of the day, it's not winning trophies and prize money from competitions that matters but it's the horse's happiness that is most important. It's being a partnership, a team built on mutual respect that matters. I liked the fact that Casey never forced Storm to do anything he wasn't comfortable with: I really adored the bond between animal and human, Storm and Casey.
- The character of Angelica Smith. I thought the 62-year-old ex-equestrian with her army of stray cats was the perfect friend for Casey. I really liked what St. John did with Mrs Smith's character and when it was revealed that I almost want a book to be written entirely about Mrs Smith! Her past captivated me;
- St John's writing was at its best when she was writing about the bond shared between Casey and Storm and I can tell this is something she feels passionately about. For example, a scene I particularly enjoyed was when Mrs Smith instructed Casey to read to Storm. I remember when I first read this book, this inspired me to read to my own animals.
- The character of Roland Blue. I really enjoyed reading about the close relationship between Casey and her father, and about a single father doing everything in his power to provide for his daughter. The scenes they shared were heart-warming; how every time he made dinner, she would make a joke out of their poor financial situation and ask him "Anything missing?", knowing he would respond with the names of a couple ingredients he couldn't afford to buy. I especially liked the extra element of him being a criminal and how St. John highlighted this didn't make him a bad person, just a good person who made a bad choice. And he kept making bad choices, like when he I liked that St. John constantly made the reader question Roland's character. For example,
- Penelope Ridgeley: I imagine she's not a character the reader is supposed to particularly like but I felt that her character was necessary, the voice of reason and realism (with a hint of pessimism).
What I didn't like:
- The pacing of the book. Once Casey had completed a couple of competitions, time passed quickly and I didn't feel like this was made overly clear until suddenly the Badminton Horse Trials were approaching. It caused me to feel like
- The relationship between Peter Rhys and Casey. Ugh, where to begin? When I read this book years ago, I remember hardcore shipping them. This read, it was all wrong. After 2 years of knowing each other, they barely even felt like friends to me, let alone ready for anything else.
*It's not something I necessarily didn't like but it's worth mentioning. One thing I did struggle a little bit with was the terminology used. I'm not familiar with equestrian terms but this didn't really bother me as it led me straight to Google and turned out to be fairly educational. I like the books I read to teach me something. However, I do feel like some of the terminology could have been explained a little as I'm sure there were some things Casey didn't know and the reader could've learnt with her. To be honest, this did cause me to lose interest in the technical scenes as I didn't really understand much about what was going on. This was a bit disappointing as I am quite fascinated by equestrian competitions.
Overall, 'The One Dollar Horse' was an enjoyable read with some extremely well-written characters and the whole was really satisfying. I am planning to read the next book in the trilogy, 'Race the Wind'. Although, I must confess I've read the synopsis and I'm already preparing myself to be left disappointed. The storyline seems repetitive to this one - once again, Roland Blue is accused of committing a crime that he did not do. Once again, Storm is out of control. 'The One Dollar Horse' also didn't leave the reader with any cliffhangers, bar one -
"Karma exists to balance the scales of justice for those of us who can't afford lawyers."
January 23, 2013
The One Dollar Horse by Lauren St. John
One of the latest releases onto the very female orientated equestrian novel stage (or ‘pony books’, whichever floats your boat). It is the first in the series, however it also works well as a stand alone novel I think as well as it is a very complete book.
Lauren St John is already a successful childrens novelist, including having been the author of the 2011 Blue peter Book of the Year Award as well as an adult writer, so specialised in both genres, with this book she takes a step into the relatively un-chartered waters for her of Young Adults writing with this book.
One Dollar Horse is a slight exception to horse books of late, being one of a minority aimed at Young Adults instead of a younger audience of around 10-12, apparently equine novelists think when we hit 13 we stop caring about horses.
The book itself is a fast paced book, seeing Casey Blue, a 15 year old girl volunteering at an inner city riding school and living in a block of flats with her criminal father to becoming one of the top names in three-day eventing.
Despite the mis-leading title this is a novel set in England, the fact the horse is bought with a dollar adding to the strained confusion woven throughout this book as Casey learns what it is like to be a rider at this level from what is usually elitist world intermingled with the wonder of who her mysterious benefactor is.
As with all Young Adult novels aimed at females though there is also the usual love interest that is not to be achieved easily as well, a plot that fits in but was not exactly necessary but I found it to not take anything away either.
Although I really enjoyed this book though I flt it was slightly flawed with the odd plot line being slightly easily to predict where it was going to head. Also as I said it would work as a stand alone novel, I feel this is capable as everything is tied up within this book, not necessarily a problem but it would have nice if it had been drawn out. Regardless I am looking forward to the sequels release in 2013 and will be sure to buy and read it.
Something I also appreciated with this book was the terminology used, being quite technical in places, however I may have enjoyed this having been horse riding from an early age and reading non-fiction books as often to widen my knowledge of them other readers may find that daunting in places.
Overall I give this book an 8/10, one I recommend to people with an interest in horses fully or even just a fleeting glimpse, as my rather un-horsey fanatic mother read it and enjoyed it. A good quick read which will make you curious for the sequel but without leaving that oh so agonising wait for the sequel as it’s rather cliffhanger free.
One of the latest releases onto the very female orientated equestrian novel stage (or ‘pony books’, whichever floats your boat). It is the first in the series, however it also works well as a stand alone novel I think as well as it is a very complete book.
Lauren St John is already a successful childrens novelist, including having been the author of the 2011 Blue peter Book of the Year Award as well as an adult writer, so specialised in both genres, with this book she takes a step into the relatively un-chartered waters for her of Young Adults writing with this book.
One Dollar Horse is a slight exception to horse books of late, being one of a minority aimed at Young Adults instead of a younger audience of around 10-12, apparently equine novelists think when we hit 13 we stop caring about horses.
The book itself is a fast paced book, seeing Casey Blue, a 15 year old girl volunteering at an inner city riding school and living in a block of flats with her criminal father to becoming one of the top names in three-day eventing.
Despite the mis-leading title this is a novel set in England, the fact the horse is bought with a dollar adding to the strained confusion woven throughout this book as Casey learns what it is like to be a rider at this level from what is usually elitist world intermingled with the wonder of who her mysterious benefactor is.
As with all Young Adult novels aimed at females though there is also the usual love interest that is not to be achieved easily as well, a plot that fits in but was not exactly necessary but I found it to not take anything away either.
Although I really enjoyed this book though I flt it was slightly flawed with the odd plot line being slightly easily to predict where it was going to head. Also as I said it would work as a stand alone novel, I feel this is capable as everything is tied up within this book, not necessarily a problem but it would have nice if it had been drawn out. Regardless I am looking forward to the sequels release in 2013 and will be sure to buy and read it.
Something I also appreciated with this book was the terminology used, being quite technical in places, however I may have enjoyed this having been horse riding from an early age and reading non-fiction books as often to widen my knowledge of them other readers may find that daunting in places.
Overall I give this book an 8/10, one I recommend to people with an interest in horses fully or even just a fleeting glimpse, as my rather un-horsey fanatic mother read it and enjoyed it. A good quick read which will make you curious for the sequel but without leaving that oh so agonising wait for the sequel as it’s rather cliffhanger free.
March 17, 2012
Horse mad children and teens will love this story about a young girl who rescues a horse from the knacker's yard and then goes on to ride him in the Badminton Horse Trials, the world's greatest three day event. They will also love the gorgeous hardcover copy with shocking pink edged pages. This book practically begs you to pick it up!
Casey Blue loves horses. After she saves Storm Warning from near death, a bond is formed between horse and girl that nothing can break. Casey has had a tough life after her father was sent to prison for his part in a burglary but she's determined and has a dream that she'll do anything to reach.
When I was younger I used to love reading books about horses. I was a huge fan of The Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant and was always on the lookout for new titles. This book brought back many happy memories of my horse-mad days and I'm sure will be well loved by today's audience. I really liked the main character Casey and enjoyed the way the book explored her relationship with her father, as well as the romance which develops between her and the Farrier's son Peter, who notices something different and special about her from the moment he first sets eyes on her.
Lauren St John has really managed to capture the love of horses that many of the characters share and the excitement of competing on one of the greatest stages of them all. It was extremely enjoyable watching Casey overcoming so much adversity and so many obstacles and the book makes you believe that anything is possible and that dreams really can come true.
The second book in the trilogy entitled 'Race the Wind' will be published in March 2013 and follows Casey on the next step of her adventure.
Casey Blue loves horses. After she saves Storm Warning from near death, a bond is formed between horse and girl that nothing can break. Casey has had a tough life after her father was sent to prison for his part in a burglary but she's determined and has a dream that she'll do anything to reach.
When I was younger I used to love reading books about horses. I was a huge fan of The Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant and was always on the lookout for new titles. This book brought back many happy memories of my horse-mad days and I'm sure will be well loved by today's audience. I really liked the main character Casey and enjoyed the way the book explored her relationship with her father, as well as the romance which develops between her and the Farrier's son Peter, who notices something different and special about her from the moment he first sets eyes on her.
Lauren St John has really managed to capture the love of horses that many of the characters share and the excitement of competing on one of the greatest stages of them all. It was extremely enjoyable watching Casey overcoming so much adversity and so many obstacles and the book makes you believe that anything is possible and that dreams really can come true.
The second book in the trilogy entitled 'Race the Wind' will be published in March 2013 and follows Casey on the next step of her adventure.
June 24, 2013
A cute little read. The One Dollar Horse chronicles the life of Casey Blue, whose father once stole some money, and now can't find a job for anything. Casey rides at an inner city stable in East London, doing your usual teen obsessed with horses thing, ie, mucking out stalls all day for the chance to trot around on an old nag for 15 minutes. One day, when walking with her father, they find the titular horse, being sent to a knacker's yard. They proceed to buy the horse for one American dollar, and thus begins a pretty standard horse adventure. Outcast girl and crazy horse rise up the ranks, and encounter various common teen horsey book drama. "Oh no! My hero is actually a jerk!" "Oh no! I'm off EastEnders and riding at this fancy three day event!" "Oh no! Boy I like is walking around with other girls!", ad infinitum. Despite this, it's still a good read. The plot races insanely fast, and the occasional jump in time can make it confusing at times. All in all, a good read, great for the horse crazy reader, who can easily find much to compare with Casey, and her dream of being the youngest rider to win Badminton.
February 11, 2015
I'm in love again!!I really enjoyed reading this book. I've always loved horses but never had the chance to ride one since I was 8 years old and then another time when I was 16. These creatures have always fascinated me, but unfortunately my fascination never drove me to consider riding horses as a hobby.
'The One Dollar Horse' is beautifully classically written that makes the characters pop out as if they already existed. Although it is considered as Young Adult, but @laurenstjohn actually is a wonderful writer that i will assure you that adults would even enjoy her children's books. The book educated me all about eventing and the bits and pieces thrown within, to the extenct I felt I was with them all along. I loved Storm Warning and would love to have a horse like him and get yo ride one too some day.
'The One Dollar Horse' is beautifully classically written that makes the characters pop out as if they already existed. Although it is considered as Young Adult, but @laurenstjohn actually is a wonderful writer that i will assure you that adults would even enjoy her children's books. The book educated me all about eventing and the bits and pieces thrown within, to the extenct I felt I was with them all along. I loved Storm Warning and would love to have a horse like him and get yo ride one too some day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews