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Horse
The haunting debut of a plainspoken, utterly original new voice: a novel about a girl on the cusp of her teenage years, who is growing up faster than she ever hoped she would.
When Teagan's father abruptly abandons his family and his farm, Teagan finds herself wading through the wreckage of what was once an idyllic life, searching for something--or someone--to hold on to. What she finds is Ian, short for Obsidian: the magnificent but dangerously headstrong horse her father left behind. But even as she grows close to Ian, patiently training him, trying to overcome her fear of him, Teagan is learning that life and love are fragile. With an unflinching eye and remarkable restraint, Talley English tells a piercing story about how families hold together and fall apart; about loss and grief; about friendship; about the blunt cruelty of chance; and, finally, about forgiveness.
When Teagan's father abruptly abandons his family and his farm, Teagan finds herself wading through the wreckage of what was once an idyllic life, searching for something--or someone--to hold on to. What she finds is Ian, short for Obsidian: the magnificent but dangerously headstrong horse her father left behind. But even as she grows close to Ian, patiently training him, trying to overcome her fear of him, Teagan is learning that life and love are fragile. With an unflinching eye and remarkable restraint, Talley English tells a piercing story about how families hold together and fall apart; about loss and grief; about friendship; about the blunt cruelty of chance; and, finally, about forgiveness.
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First published August 7, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 29, 2018
This is some of the worst wealthy white girl nonsense that I have ever read.
Outrageously rich people complaining about "money problems"? Check.
Girls being terrible to each other presented as typical female friendships? Check.
Needless time jumps, tense changes, and pretentious "poetic" prose used to disguise that there's barely any story? Check.
Painfully heavy-handed use of symbolism? (Her dad? A horse. (Metaphorically.)) Big ol' check.
And best of all: obviously autobiographical main character. The author's name is Talley English; the protagonist is Teagan French. Get it? Get it?
Dear god. All too well.
Outrageously rich people complaining about "money problems"? Check.
Girls being terrible to each other presented as typical female friendships? Check.
Needless time jumps, tense changes, and pretentious "poetic" prose used to disguise that there's barely any story? Check.
Painfully heavy-handed use of symbolism? (Her dad? A horse. (Metaphorically.)) Big ol' check.
And best of all: obviously autobiographical main character. The author's name is Talley English; the protagonist is Teagan French. Get it? Get it?
Dear god. All too well.
July 28, 2018
Horse lovers will adore this book. Poetry lovers will swoon over the writing style. Everyone will be haunted by the sad story that unfolds. I breezed through this book, and enjoyed it for the most part. I'm not a horse person, and a LOT of this is a love story between a girl and her horse. But I can relate, being a dog lover, animals just have an effect on us that people just do not. I can imagine though that if you have ridden or work around horses, that this story will resonate with you deeply.
Teagan lives on a farm with her wonderful, loving mom and dad, and brother Charlie. They have several dogs, and horses they ride together, and enjoy fun family banter at dinner until one day everything just shifts. Her dad has left and Teagan has no idea why as her mom is incredibly tight-lipped on the whole situation. Teagan struggles immensely, as we follow her out trail riding with her horse, away on her own to an all girls school, to riding events, on outings with her hurt mother, jaunts with friends, and strange awkward meetings with her estranged father.
The prose here is written so similar to poetry and has a light flowy feeling to it, very short random paragraphs and chapters, sort of jump all over the place, snippets, tiny stories, flashbacks, these transitions happen frequently - some chapters only a few sentences. I found it a bit hard to keep track, but after some time, didn't worry about keeping track and just followed the story. It's not a book for those who require a narrative with a beginning, middle and end. It's much more poetic than that - as Talley English IS a poet, so it makes sense!
I didn't connect to the horse as much as some would, BUT the respect I have now for riders and horses is definitely elevated more than it was. I never thought about the subtle shifts and placements of body language and limbs to "talk" to the horse, and I knew horses were incredibly smart, but I admired the descriptions of riding technique that confirmed just how astute they really are.
In the end, the book takes a shocking sad turn in several ways. I was definitely stunned for a minute there! Horse surprised me, in that I enjoyed the writing, but I honestly thought I would dislike the horse stuff (and there was a LOT of it - more than the synopsis lets on) and although the story was a little slow in some parts, it held my interest and I wanted to take the time to finish it.
Teagan lives on a farm with her wonderful, loving mom and dad, and brother Charlie. They have several dogs, and horses they ride together, and enjoy fun family banter at dinner until one day everything just shifts. Her dad has left and Teagan has no idea why as her mom is incredibly tight-lipped on the whole situation. Teagan struggles immensely, as we follow her out trail riding with her horse, away on her own to an all girls school, to riding events, on outings with her hurt mother, jaunts with friends, and strange awkward meetings with her estranged father.
The prose here is written so similar to poetry and has a light flowy feeling to it, very short random paragraphs and chapters, sort of jump all over the place, snippets, tiny stories, flashbacks, these transitions happen frequently - some chapters only a few sentences. I found it a bit hard to keep track, but after some time, didn't worry about keeping track and just followed the story. It's not a book for those who require a narrative with a beginning, middle and end. It's much more poetic than that - as Talley English IS a poet, so it makes sense!
I didn't connect to the horse as much as some would, BUT the respect I have now for riders and horses is definitely elevated more than it was. I never thought about the subtle shifts and placements of body language and limbs to "talk" to the horse, and I knew horses were incredibly smart, but I admired the descriptions of riding technique that confirmed just how astute they really are.
In the end, the book takes a shocking sad turn in several ways. I was definitely stunned for a minute there! Horse surprised me, in that I enjoyed the writing, but I honestly thought I would dislike the horse stuff (and there was a LOT of it - more than the synopsis lets on) and although the story was a little slow in some parts, it held my interest and I wanted to take the time to finish it.
February 2, 2018
Wow, did I love this book. As a young girl lucky enough to "live the dream" and attend horse camp every summer for about 5 years, this novel brought back so many memories of the glorious weeks I got to spend with horses doing what I loved to do. For those not familiar with horses and the tack and equipment that goes along with them, they may find some of the deep details included in the story boring or unnecessary, but because I knew the terms and could picture all the tack pieces described, I loved it. On more than one occasion I found myself having flashbacks of my time riding horses (and the limited amount of time I spent with equestrian jumping) and fondly taking a stroll down those memory lanes.
I think my deep affection for this book stems from the incredibly similar emotions and life experiences I myself had growing up. I could truly relate to almost everything that the main female protagonist, Teagan, was feeling as a teenager (exception: I didn't live with any horses, but I was absolutely obsessed -- hence the weekly summer horse camp). The family dynamics were eerily similar to mine (difference, my brother is younger than me versus being older like Charlie was) and the emotional trauma that followed was like watching a replay of my own family explosion.
The ending...man the ending. It just kinda -- ended. Some of the final pieces of the puzzles I sorta saw coming, and some I didn't. The ending felt a little sudden.
I think my deep affection for this book stems from the incredibly similar emotions and life experiences I myself had growing up. I could truly relate to almost everything that the main female protagonist, Teagan, was feeling as a teenager (exception: I didn't live with any horses, but I was absolutely obsessed -- hence the weekly summer horse camp). The family dynamics were eerily similar to mine (difference, my brother is younger than me versus being older like Charlie was) and the emotional trauma that followed was like watching a replay of my own family explosion.
The ending...man the ending. It just kinda -- ended. Some of the final pieces of the puzzles I sorta saw coming, and some I didn't. The ending felt a little sudden.
July 31, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this book. The story revolves around Teagan French and her horse Ian, whom she received when her father left his family for another woman. Teagan's difficulty in handling this situation and her struggles at a boarding school make up a good section of the story, but that is not all.
The chapters in the book are mostly short and skip around from Teagan the adult woman to Teagan the teenager and back. As a result, I never felt like I truly knew Teagan or her family members, except for her father because it was clear she didn't like what he did.
The best writing in the book was about the horses, especially Ian. The work that goes into tacking, dressing and riding horses was explained well. It is helpful if the reader knows about horses to understand these passages but even if a reader knows nothing about these subjects, like me, they are written in language that is easy to understand.
Overall, I give this book a passing grade for the knowledge of horses, but as a story I found it at best an okay read.
I wish to thank First to Read for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The chapters in the book are mostly short and skip around from Teagan the adult woman to Teagan the teenager and back. As a result, I never felt like I truly knew Teagan or her family members, except for her father because it was clear she didn't like what he did.
The best writing in the book was about the horses, especially Ian. The work that goes into tacking, dressing and riding horses was explained well. It is helpful if the reader knows about horses to understand these passages but even if a reader knows nothing about these subjects, like me, they are written in language that is easy to understand.
Overall, I give this book a passing grade for the knowledge of horses, but as a story I found it at best an okay read.
I wish to thank First to Read for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2018
This book made me fall in love with a horse and then broke my heart. I get it that we're supposed to feel Teagan's pain from her parents' divorce, but the ending of this book fell flat for me after Ian.
In general, there aren't enough books written about horses in modern day and I miss them.
In general, there aren't enough books written about horses in modern day and I miss them.
April 6, 2020
Wavering between a 3 and a 4. Arranged more as a series of vignettes with only a faint sense of chronology moving the story forward, the overall effect is one a little too far on the side of literary pretentiousness. This feeling is driven home in such choices as Adult Talley's dismissal of too many childhood papers to recycling, her gradual loss of interest in riding, and the deaths of . Taken individually, however -- and I recommend reading this slowly and in small sections at a time -- the writing is often quite poetic and evocative.
I've never seen anyone so well capture the feeling of country living on a rural property that isn't quite a proper farm, but has a barn and enough pasture to be called one. The kind of place where my best friend grew up and where I spent a good portion of my happiest childhood days -- reading this book catapulted me back into that time in everything from the ramshackle collection of pets, including backyard horses, to her best friend coming over for visits and the fun they have outdoors. I have no experience with boarding school but I didn't hate the chapters set there, either. I actually went from "WHY WOULD YOU DITCH THE FARM" to "hey this place sounds really pretty, actually," since they get to have horses on campus.
And the title isn't a total misnomer, for once. Though I never warmed up to Ian -- biting isn't a cute trait and he's clearly too much horse to handle; also, "Obsidian" does not need to be shortened, especially for a way uglier version -- I did feel that horses were a strong component of the text. Though Teagan seemed annoyingly dim and/or naive at times (for instance, her poor grasp of geography seems more appropriate for a 9-year-old), she is truly believable as someone who has grown up with horses and values them primarily as pets, not working animals or vehicles for blue ribbons and glory. I like that in a character and I don't see it enough for readers over 12, let alone adults.
I've never seen anyone so well capture the feeling of country living on a rural property that isn't quite a proper farm, but has a barn and enough pasture to be called one. The kind of place where my best friend grew up and where I spent a good portion of my happiest childhood days -- reading this book catapulted me back into that time in everything from the ramshackle collection of pets, including backyard horses, to her best friend coming over for visits and the fun they have outdoors. I have no experience with boarding school but I didn't hate the chapters set there, either. I actually went from "WHY WOULD YOU DITCH THE FARM" to "hey this place sounds really pretty, actually," since they get to have horses on campus.
And the title isn't a total misnomer, for once. Though I never warmed up to Ian -- biting isn't a cute trait and he's clearly too much horse to handle; also, "Obsidian" does not need to be shortened, especially for a way uglier version -- I did feel that horses were a strong component of the text. Though Teagan seemed annoyingly dim and/or naive at times (for instance, her poor grasp of geography seems more appropriate for a 9-year-old), she is truly believable as someone who has grown up with horses and values them primarily as pets, not working animals or vehicles for blue ribbons and glory. I like that in a character and I don't see it enough for readers over 12, let alone adults.
June 23, 2018
A coming-of-age story about a girl and a horse written by an award-winning poet. How could I resist? This is an ambitious novel, though, and the poetry rings clearly, but Horse does not really succeed. The structure is challenging and often confusing. It is composed of many very short titled sections, some less than a page long. All center on young Teagan French, but some are about Teagan as a young teen and are in the third person and others are about the adult Teagan and are in the first person, sometimes in the past tense and sometimes in the present. It was often difficult for me to understand particular transitions. For example, early in the book, in a section called Saddle, Teagan the adult goes to her family home to take some mementos, including her old saddle, and notices that pigeons had returned to the barn since the barn cats were no longer there. This is followed by a fairly long section called Trail Ride in which young Teagan and her mother ride their horses together. OK, that was touched off by the Saddle section. The next section is called Song and begins “That night, I wanted to sleep, but close to the house a bird was singing.” Which night? It is first person, so it must be Teagan the adult. Is she remembering the trail ride she and her mother had? Or is this still the day described in Saddle, in which case I wonder why the tense has changed? The next section, which is in the third person, is called Barn Cats and begins “Charlie suggested shooting them.” Shooting who or what? Later in that paragraph it becomes clear that they are referring to pigeons, and I guessed that this was a memory touched off by the visit to the barn described in Saddle.
I kept feeling there were a lot of significant connections in the book that I should be searching for but often couldn’t find. Even the protagonist’s name had that ring but was obvious: Teagan French in a book written by Talley English. I could have felt intrigued and energized; instead I felt annoyed and frustrated and just hoped things would get better. They didn’t really.
The climax was sad but expected and nicely done. It was then followed by two present-tense present-day epilogues whose significance I did not quite get. By that time, though, I didn’t really care.
A reader who enjoys poetic writing and the kind of parsing and analysis usually confined to a literature class will probably get a great deal of pleasure from Horse. Readers who merely want a well-written story with characters they can relate to might want to look elsewhere.
A poetic but overly ambitious debut novel
I kept feeling there were a lot of significant connections in the book that I should be searching for but often couldn’t find. Even the protagonist’s name had that ring but was obvious: Teagan French in a book written by Talley English. I could have felt intrigued and energized; instead I felt annoyed and frustrated and just hoped things would get better. They didn’t really.
The climax was sad but expected and nicely done. It was then followed by two present-tense present-day epilogues whose significance I did not quite get. By that time, though, I didn’t really care.
A reader who enjoys poetic writing and the kind of parsing and analysis usually confined to a literature class will probably get a great deal of pleasure from Horse. Readers who merely want a well-written story with characters they can relate to might want to look elsewhere.
A poetic but overly ambitious debut novel
July 23, 2018
Teagan has spent her entire life on the family farm with her mom, dad, and older brother. They raise horses, and Teagan loves her life. Her family isn't perfect, but things are humming along okay...until her father cheats on her mom and then abruptly moves out. The whole family is thrown into a tailspin, with each person withdrawing and isolating themselves, trying to process what's happened. To cope, Teagan focuses her attention on her father's wild horse, Ian. In the process of taming him, she works out her feelings of abandonment, confusion, and resentment toward her father.
* * * * *
Horse is a unique book. The writing is slow and melancholy. Each sentence is stoic and staccato, but also thoughtful and full of suppressed feeling. It's poetic. And, yes, sometimes boring. It reminds me of (a lesser version of) Lime Creek or Miller's Valley. Though the writing is beautiful at times, I was confused by all the time shifting in the story---sometimes even multiple shifts within the same chapter. It interrupted the flow of the book and, frankly, annoyed me. I also thought the ending was way too abrupt.
Ultimately, I didn't care for this book. But I think others will. If you love horses and/or have experience riding them as a child, you will definitely want to read Horse. The amount of time English spends talking about Teagan and Ian's bond is crazy---and probably most meaningful to people who've shared the experience.
Thank you to Knopf and Amazon Vine for the ARC.
See more of my reviews at www.bugbugbooks.com!
* * * * *
Horse is a unique book. The writing is slow and melancholy. Each sentence is stoic and staccato, but also thoughtful and full of suppressed feeling. It's poetic. And, yes, sometimes boring. It reminds me of (a lesser version of) Lime Creek or Miller's Valley. Though the writing is beautiful at times, I was confused by all the time shifting in the story---sometimes even multiple shifts within the same chapter. It interrupted the flow of the book and, frankly, annoyed me. I also thought the ending was way too abrupt.
Ultimately, I didn't care for this book. But I think others will. If you love horses and/or have experience riding them as a child, you will definitely want to read Horse. The amount of time English spends talking about Teagan and Ian's bond is crazy---and probably most meaningful to people who've shared the experience.
Thank you to Knopf and Amazon Vine for the ARC.
See more of my reviews at www.bugbugbooks.com!
September 7, 2018
Thanks to Knopf for sending me a copy to review!
I almost abandoned this one after the first thirty pages because its style is so stark and different, with little context at first. It's written in short bursts that sometimes resemble chapters, but more often read like unconnected vignettes. The prose is straightforward and poetic, and like poetry it's best appreciated for what it is without trying to form or shape it.
The main character, Teagan, is at a turning point in her life, caught between childhood and her teenage years. Aside from the struggle of growing up, Teagan is also dealing with her father's recent affair and abandonment of their family. In many ways, this feels like a book to me about grief: the brokenness of her family, of childhood. We see her dealing with that grief through her friends, a huge decision to go away to boarding school, and with the beautiful horse her father left behind: Obsidian.
This is one of those books that doesn't summarize well. It's literary and abstract, and odd in a way that really worked for me most of the time. I settled on three stars instead of four because of some issues I had with the ending and the use of present day Teagan's voice. Try this one if you enjoy books that are light on narrative arcs and heavy on capturing emotions - definitely a book I appreciated most for the craft.
I almost abandoned this one after the first thirty pages because its style is so stark and different, with little context at first. It's written in short bursts that sometimes resemble chapters, but more often read like unconnected vignettes. The prose is straightforward and poetic, and like poetry it's best appreciated for what it is without trying to form or shape it.
The main character, Teagan, is at a turning point in her life, caught between childhood and her teenage years. Aside from the struggle of growing up, Teagan is also dealing with her father's recent affair and abandonment of their family. In many ways, this feels like a book to me about grief: the brokenness of her family, of childhood. We see her dealing with that grief through her friends, a huge decision to go away to boarding school, and with the beautiful horse her father left behind: Obsidian.
This is one of those books that doesn't summarize well. It's literary and abstract, and odd in a way that really worked for me most of the time. I settled on three stars instead of four because of some issues I had with the ending and the use of present day Teagan's voice. Try this one if you enjoy books that are light on narrative arcs and heavy on capturing emotions - definitely a book I appreciated most for the craft.
November 10, 2019
For anyone who knows and loves horses this is the perfect book.
There were so many familiar scenarios that brought back memories of growing up in England with horses. The horse of the title is a great character, "Obsidian" for his color, shortened to "Ian".
The humans in the book are also well written and real. Their story is a familiar one of a broken marriage and its effects on the deserted wife and children, without being maudlin or cliched.
"Horse" is beautifully written and will definitely go on my all-time favourites list.
There were so many familiar scenarios that brought back memories of growing up in England with horses. The horse of the title is a great character, "Obsidian" for his color, shortened to "Ian".
The humans in the book are also well written and real. Their story is a familiar one of a broken marriage and its effects on the deserted wife and children, without being maudlin or cliched.
"Horse" is beautifully written and will definitely go on my all-time favourites list.
December 4, 2024
There are very, very few books for adults about horses. I just wish that one day one horse book for adults wouldn't have a lot of dead or abused horses in it.
This is a very disturbing, difficult, sad, yet oddly compelling book. Since the main character is named Teagan French, and the author's name is Talley English, I've got a bad feeling this book was based on events that happened in her life.
The book shows how you can fall out of love with horses or riding or just about anything else you were once passionate about. It shows how bad can come from good. It's also a good example of foreshadowing, although doing it twice was a bit much. Once in a novel is enough, writers.
The book is also keeping with a long tradition of novels where nothing fucks kids up more than their stupid parents. In the end, she just becomes her father.
You can find this debut novel at Book Read Free.
This is a very disturbing, difficult, sad, yet oddly compelling book. Since the main character is named Teagan French, and the author's name is Talley English, I've got a bad feeling this book was based on events that happened in her life.
The book shows how you can fall out of love with horses or riding or just about anything else you were once passionate about. It shows how bad can come from good. It's also a good example of foreshadowing, although doing it twice was a bit much. Once in a novel is enough, writers.
The book is also keeping with a long tradition of novels where nothing fucks kids up more than their stupid parents. In the end, she just becomes her father.
You can find this debut novel at Book Read Free.
Did Not Finish
January 28, 2025This started out promising, then it turned into a middle-grade boarding school horse girl book. I got really bored with going through every moment of a middle schooler's daily routine. Even the dysfunctional family stuff was lacking any kind of grit or punch. Very lackluster....
October 31, 2020
Oddly presented story of a young girl whose family situation worsens though she is helped by her attachment to a horse.
February 8, 2018
Thank you Edelweiss for my review copy of this book. Teagan is a young girl when her father leaves their family with no warning or explanation. This story follows Teagan, her brother Charlie and her mother Susanna as they all try to find their way in their new lives. For Teagan it is the special bond with her horse Ian who used to belong to her father that helps her through what is a difficult time for her.
There were definitely parts of this book that I found enjoyable (especially the relationship between Teagan and Ian) but for the most part it just did not connect for me. I think I had a problem with the transitions throughout the story some of them were confusing or it just didn’t make sense or seem to fit in with the story.
There were definitely parts of this book that I found enjoyable (especially the relationship between Teagan and Ian) but for the most part it just did not connect for me. I think I had a problem with the transitions throughout the story some of them were confusing or it just didn’t make sense or seem to fit in with the story.
December 19, 2019
I want to say so many great things about this book. It's clear the author knows her horses. The developing relationship between Teagan and Ian is a wonderful thing, the two gradually learning to understand and appreciate one another. The storyline involving her father and the mess he left in his wake is also well done. I'm a total sucker for emotional repression and angst. I ate that part of the book up. And therein also lies the problem.
THERE IS NO PAYOFF.
**Spoiler** The horse dies. Her dad dies. And all we get is a few sentences on how she wants to go see him. THAT'S IT. There's no acknowledgement of the anger and bitterness Teagan has repressed the entire book. It's there. Her mother sent her to a psychiatrist for a reason. The author did an excellent job showing it to us. The story is crafted so you start to feel the black pit of emotion this girl must walk around with every minute of every day, while trying to live her life, trying to figure out what normal means now. I'm usually good with that. I LOVE THAT. But that's what you're left with. There's no release. No healing. No nothing. You get an epilogue of her as an adult, going on a trip with her friend. Are we supposed to take comfort that she's moved on and living life? In my opinion, she still felt damaged and emotionally repressed. It not a good feeling to leave a book with -- where nothing was learned and nothing was gained.
This would have been a 5-star read for me. Really disappointed with the way it all ended.
THERE IS NO PAYOFF.
**Spoiler** The horse dies. Her dad dies. And all we get is a few sentences on how she wants to go see him. THAT'S IT. There's no acknowledgement of the anger and bitterness Teagan has repressed the entire book. It's there. Her mother sent her to a psychiatrist for a reason. The author did an excellent job showing it to us. The story is crafted so you start to feel the black pit of emotion this girl must walk around with every minute of every day, while trying to live her life, trying to figure out what normal means now. I'm usually good with that. I LOVE THAT. But that's what you're left with. There's no release. No healing. No nothing. You get an epilogue of her as an adult, going on a trip with her friend. Are we supposed to take comfort that she's moved on and living life? In my opinion, she still felt damaged and emotionally repressed. It not a good feeling to leave a book with -- where nothing was learned and nothing was gained.
This would have been a 5-star read for me. Really disappointed with the way it all ended.
June 2, 2018
If you were a horsey kid without a horsey, Teagan is almost living your dream. She has a fine horse, Ian, and all the tack and horse accouterments you can imagine, all described in loving detail. There's a magic to the curry combs, hoof picks, halters, saddle and bridle bits that has a kind of music to horse people. I still have my painted tack trunk from my elementary school years even though I've never owned a horse.
Where Teagan may be living your nightmare is that her father has abandoned the family for a co-worker She turns to her horse for comfort, a horse who used to belong to her dad.
For readers hoping to experience something like Mary Gaitskill's "The Mare," sorry. The character of Teagan is simply not captivating enough to drive the story. You feel bad for her, but you don't really feel for her.
(Spoiler) Plus, a warning for people who can't handle animals coming to a bad end.
Where Teagan may be living your nightmare is that her father has abandoned the family for a co-worker She turns to her horse for comfort, a horse who used to belong to her dad.
For readers hoping to experience something like Mary Gaitskill's "The Mare," sorry. The character of Teagan is simply not captivating enough to drive the story. You feel bad for her, but you don't really feel for her.
(Spoiler) Plus, a warning for people who can't handle animals coming to a bad end.
April 22, 2019
This book is hard to rate. Some pieces were really good -- truly devoured all the horse information, that was very well done and I learned a lot. Other pieces, read Ian, too too cliche. Saw that coming almost from the beginning. Then the boarding school piece, alienating and disturbing. The epilogue was a non sequitur.
And the writing style. I both liked and disliked it. In some ways it was like screen flickers in a movie--short captures that had no beginning or end (I'm thinking of the truck driving/camping with the main character's friend). There was, of course, a beginning and an end, but it felt like many scenes in the book, unfulfilling with no purpose.
Last, in some ways I liked the author's simple, direct language and found it fast paced and easy to read. I also related to it. In other ways I found it too terse and unemotional.
So a mixed bag. For a first novel I applaud. And hope the author gains more strength, as well as more heart, in her style.
And the writing style. I both liked and disliked it. In some ways it was like screen flickers in a movie--short captures that had no beginning or end (I'm thinking of the truck driving/camping with the main character's friend). There was, of course, a beginning and an end, but it felt like many scenes in the book, unfulfilling with no purpose.
Last, in some ways I liked the author's simple, direct language and found it fast paced and easy to read. I also related to it. In other ways I found it too terse and unemotional.
So a mixed bag. For a first novel I applaud. And hope the author gains more strength, as well as more heart, in her style.
June 23, 2020
I really had high hopes when I bought this book but unfortunately, I finished it with a dislike for it.
It was choppy, almost like the author had a thought and it became apart of the book.
I've never been a fan of these types of paragraph chapters or casual writings.
The book ended with nothing really to do with the story.
I can't say I recommend this book to anyone. Which disappoints me because I'm a horse girl, born and raised. Maybe that's also why I didn't enjoy it.
Plus Tegan, the main character, didn't seem to connect with me either. She seemed spoiled and boring. She gave up her horse without any story as to why. Just poof, I'm going to sell him. I'm really annoyed with how this book was put together. The flow wasn't what I enjoy in a storyline at all. I can always tell when a book doesn't please me based on how long it takes me to finish it. This one was entirely too long for my liking.
It was choppy, almost like the author had a thought and it became apart of the book.
I've never been a fan of these types of paragraph chapters or casual writings.
The book ended with nothing really to do with the story.
I can't say I recommend this book to anyone. Which disappoints me because I'm a horse girl, born and raised. Maybe that's also why I didn't enjoy it.
Plus Tegan, the main character, didn't seem to connect with me either. She seemed spoiled and boring. She gave up her horse without any story as to why. Just poof, I'm going to sell him. I'm really annoyed with how this book was put together. The flow wasn't what I enjoy in a storyline at all. I can always tell when a book doesn't please me based on how long it takes me to finish it. This one was entirely too long for my liking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2018
I have conflicting feelings about Horse. Firstly, I believe the author does a great job at creating an emotional atmosphere that reflects the alien feelings we begin feeling in early adolescence. Secondly, I believe the author does a phenomenal job at making the novel feel real. When reading, I did not feel like I was reading fiction. It was a novel in the utmost sense of the word. However, this realism made it really hard for me to connect with the main character. I found her way of coping with difficulty quite strange, and felt rather frustrated with her sometimes.
December 11, 2018
Very uneven. There were memorable scenes that I know will stay with me for a long time, but mostly the book was meh.
July 25, 2018
A Girl Finds Comfort from Her Disintegrating Family in Her Horse
Talley loves her life on her family’s horse farm. She has wonderful experiences, finding a gosling, taking care of her beloved horse. Then it all changes. Her father leaves, and she’s left with her mother and older brother. On top of that, Talley’s horse has to be put down. Talley has problems dealing with her new world and goes off to a pricey girls school. Her mother sends Ian, the horse her father left behind, for her to work with. He’s wild, but Talley perseveres and tries to train him.
To make matters more confusing for Talley, her father visits her at school, taking her out to lunch. This precipitates her going into therapy. From there, her life begins to improve as does her ability to deal with Ian, even to deciding to enter a horse show.
I loved the idea of the book. I grew up around horses and raised them as an adult. However, the book didn’t live up to it’s promise. I enjoyed the chapters describing life on the farm and found them realistic. However, as the book progresses, the author breaks the narrative into Talley as a child and as an adult. She uses tense to distinguish the sections, but sometimes it was confusing when the transitions were very short.
The writing was slow and stilted. I felt the author was trying for a poetic effect that didn’t quite come off. Unless you’re an avid horse fan, I can’t recommend this book.
I received this book from First to Read for this review.
Talley loves her life on her family’s horse farm. She has wonderful experiences, finding a gosling, taking care of her beloved horse. Then it all changes. Her father leaves, and she’s left with her mother and older brother. On top of that, Talley’s horse has to be put down. Talley has problems dealing with her new world and goes off to a pricey girls school. Her mother sends Ian, the horse her father left behind, for her to work with. He’s wild, but Talley perseveres and tries to train him.
To make matters more confusing for Talley, her father visits her at school, taking her out to lunch. This precipitates her going into therapy. From there, her life begins to improve as does her ability to deal with Ian, even to deciding to enter a horse show.
I loved the idea of the book. I grew up around horses and raised them as an adult. However, the book didn’t live up to it’s promise. I enjoyed the chapters describing life on the farm and found them realistic. However, as the book progresses, the author breaks the narrative into Talley as a child and as an adult. She uses tense to distinguish the sections, but sometimes it was confusing when the transitions were very short.
The writing was slow and stilted. I felt the author was trying for a poetic effect that didn’t quite come off. Unless you’re an avid horse fan, I can’t recommend this book.
I received this book from First to Read for this review.
June 24, 2018
Teagan is a girl who is learning to cope with her parent's divorce. At the center of her life was her horse, but then she had to put him down. Not sure of her place in the world and needing a change, she tries going to a private school. Her mother has sent along her father's horse Ian for her to use at school, and he's a bit of a wildcard. While she makes friends, emotionally she starts to spiral. Her father starts visiting her at school and it's awkward. Finally getting into therapy and heading back home, things start getting better for her and Ian.
The last 3/4's of the book, the chapters would touch on Teagan grown up and then go back to the time in which she was learning to cope with her parent's divorce. It was a bit bizarre because I didn't feel like the grown-up Teagan was really needed. English did a great job with everything horse related. From the saddle down to the bit, the competitions, and grooming, it was thoroughly covered. But sometimes it just seemed a bit too much explanation, especially when Teagan was doing the dressage test. Horse was okay but not a book that stuck out.
The last 3/4's of the book, the chapters would touch on Teagan grown up and then go back to the time in which she was learning to cope with her parent's divorce. It was a bit bizarre because I didn't feel like the grown-up Teagan was really needed. English did a great job with everything horse related. From the saddle down to the bit, the competitions, and grooming, it was thoroughly covered. But sometimes it just seemed a bit too much explanation, especially when Teagan was doing the dressage test. Horse was okay but not a book that stuck out.
August 3, 2022
It was kind of a mess. The parts about Teagan and Ian were great. Evocative, well-written, heart-touching. The parts about Teagan and her dad were obscure and indecipherable. Remote and flat. it's as though this was autobiographical (it was obviously autobiographical) and English had come to terms with her relationship with her horse so she could write about it with depth and feeling and some sense of detachment so that it could be made coherent; the scenes taken out and examined and clarified; but she had not come to terms with her relationship with her dad, so she had to keep those scenes at arms-length to avoid touching any raw nerves. The result of which is that they aren't examined and clarified. In fact, it feels like she barely looked at those scenes at all, let alone tried to make them a coherent part of the story.
Overall, the book lacked coherence and closure, and it felt like English was trying to do something that she just wasn't emotionally ready to do well.
Overall, the book lacked coherence and closure, and it felt like English was trying to do something that she just wasn't emotionally ready to do well.
July 23, 2018
"He was a horse I loved."
I received a copy of this ebook from firsttoread.com in exchange for an honest review.
This book was around 3.5 stars for me.
It's an easy book to devour even if you're not a horse person. Following Teagan as she grows up in a fairly dysfunctional environment and getting her naive perspective through metaphors about her horse Obsidian and her absent father this is a complex book that is still somehow straightforward. The narration is a bit choppy at times as we cut back and forth between 1st and 3rd person but we see Teagan trying to navigate a new school and her adolescence in a captivating read.
It's an engaging story about a girl trying to find her place in her world.
I received a copy of this ebook from firsttoread.com in exchange for an honest review.
This book was around 3.5 stars for me.
It's an easy book to devour even if you're not a horse person. Following Teagan as she grows up in a fairly dysfunctional environment and getting her naive perspective through metaphors about her horse Obsidian and her absent father this is a complex book that is still somehow straightforward. The narration is a bit choppy at times as we cut back and forth between 1st and 3rd person but we see Teagan trying to navigate a new school and her adolescence in a captivating read.
It's an engaging story about a girl trying to find her place in her world.
November 6, 2021
I would have given this book 4 stars, up to the last quarter, when things went bizarrely sideways. Why would Teagan not only give up riding on a whim, but give away her hot horse, and to an inexperienced rider? Why would her mother and Hope agree to this? Most annoying was the implication that Ian was “abandoned” at Lilly’s and not fed. COME ON. Surely Lilly would have been hanging out with him, grooming him, feeding him apples and treats, and certainly the regular meals he was used to getting. And the adults would have been checking on him too.
Then her father dies. No details, no explanation, no further information. WTH?
Finally, the ending in Arkansas belongs to another book, as far as I can tell. It’s baffling.
Then her father dies. No details, no explanation, no further information. WTH?
Finally, the ending in Arkansas belongs to another book, as far as I can tell. It’s baffling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2018
Many stories have been written about grief, the impact of divorce/loss on children, the bond between a child and an animal, and the healing power of animals. Horse by Talley English brings all these elements together, promising a powerful and emotional story. However, for me, the emotional impact of the story does not come. I think that is primarily for two reasons - one about the plot and the other about the structure and language. The overall impact is unfortunately of a melancholy but vague story.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018...
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018...
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
August 2, 2018
This was a cute coming of age story about a girl and her horse. I liked it but didn't love it! Growing up in Montana, I could relate to some of the story and the details dealing with a horses, but the story was kind of choppy for me. It took me a while to realize the author was jumping around with the time frame. I think if the story would have flowed better I would have enjoyed it more. Thanks First Reads for the ARC.
December 5, 2019
The only character I really got to know in this book was the horse, Ian. His descriptions are perfect. I fell in love with him. As a horse rider myself, it's refreshing to see such an accurate description of the animal.
That being said, he did not get the end he deserved.
The ending of the book fell flat, and I just could not bring myself to like Teagan's character. But maybe that's the point.
I have a suspicion this book is autobiographical ...
Anyway, I'm gonna go hug my horses now.
That being said, he did not get the end he deserved.
The ending of the book fell flat, and I just could not bring myself to like Teagan's character. But maybe that's the point.
I have a suspicion this book is autobiographical ...
Anyway, I'm gonna go hug my horses now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2018
I read the first 3/4 of this book with interest and engagement. Then the story seemed to spin off and I began to wonder what the heck it was about..???I like to see characters grow and increase their understanding of the world. Teagen just seemed to drift, never doing or thinking anything that showed growth as a human being. The ending was just icky.
January 30, 2019
First let me say that I’m a sucker for a horse story. This story conveys how one horse affected a young girl’s life. The book has a different style that sets a melancholy tone that made me feel Teagan’s loss as I read. In that sense, I think it was effective in its delivery, but if you want a happy, feel good book this is not it.
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