The Foal in the Wire

by Robbie Coburn

An astonishingly raw and beautiful verse novel about survival, love and the bonds between humans and animals from an important young Australian poet
Sam, a teenager, lives on a farm with his mother and emotionally distant father, a horse trainer.

Haunted by trauma and depression, struggling with school and disillusioned with his home life following the death of his older brother, Sam's life changes when he finds a wounded foal tangled in barbed wire in one of the paddocks at the edge of their property.

In the course of rescuing and caring for the foal he becomes close with Julia, a troubled girl from the next property.

The Foal in the Wire is the deeply moving and inspiring story of Sam, his love for a girl and the horse that brings them together.

Genres: Young Adult, Friendship, Fiction, Mental Health, Horses, Family, Romance

112 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2025

About the author

Robbie Coburn is an Australian poet and young adult author. His debut YA verse novel The Foal in the Wire (Lothian Children’s Books, 2025) was a CBCA 2026 Notable Book and was shortlisted for the Young Adult Indie Book Award and the Ena Noёl Award.

He has published several collections of poetry including And I Could Not Have Hurt You (Kiddiepunk, 2023), which was included on Dennis Cooper’s Mine For Yours: Favorites of 2023 list, Ghost Poetry (Upswell, 2024) and The Other Flesh (UWAP, 2019). He has also published a number of chapbooks and zines, most recently Spur (Filthy Loot, 2025).

Coburn’s poems have appeared in many literary journals including Poetry, Poetry Salzburg Review, Star*Line, Hobart, Meanjin, Island and Westerly, and in anthologies including Anxiety vol. 2 (Filthy Loot, 2025), Shadows & Verse (edited by Jonathan Maberry, WordFire, 2024), Oystercatcher One (Five Islands Press, 2024), To End All Wars (Puncher & Wattmann, 2018) and Writing to the Wire (UWAP, 2016).

He grew up on a farm in Regional Victoria and lives in Melbourne.

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

A must read

Robbie - a profound writer

[Jaidyn Attard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robbie never disappoints. The Foal in the Wire is the kind of book I wish I read in school. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: he is the reason I am a poet. And I have no doubt he is and will be the reason many young people take up the pen.

[Amanda Anastasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly moving verse novel by one of Australia's best poets. 'The Foal in the Wire' explores uncomforatble subjects with ease, tenderness and close attention. Every word comes from a real place and every word belongs. Highly recommended.

[Lisa Collyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://compulsivereader.com/2025/07/...

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tight, emotional read (for book club).

Beautiful writing.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into The Foal in the Wire expecting it to be aimed toward middle school readers. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

This short verse novel packed a punch despite being only 120 pages long and it completely surprised me with its depth and emotional weight. The front cover caught my attention as soon as I saw it, and the writing was beautifully crafted, raw and full of vulnerability, which pulled me straight into the lives of its characters.

At its heart, the story followed two troubled teens, Sam and Julia, from neighbouring farms, who were brought together after finding an injured foal and nursing it back to health. What unfolded was far more than just a story about animals - it was a moving exploration of connection, survival, and healing.

The book didn’t shy away from heavy themes: attempted suicide, domestic violence, alcoholism, grief, depression, loneliness, and financial struggles all weave through the narrative. The emotions were handled with care, honesty, and authenticity.

The realistic Australian farm setting added atmosphere, grounding the story in a way that made everything feel true. You could almost feel the loneliness, the isolation, and the quiet resilience of rural life.

Ultimately, this was a story of courage, hope, and healing, and a worthy contender for CBCA book of the year for older readers.

[Emmaby Barton Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
discovered a zine of robbie’s poems at the sticky institute a while ago, and then saw this book come out a few months ago. definitely sparked my attention because of the horses, but stayed for the poetry in the zine. this short novel was for a younger audience than me (hence the lower star rating - i would definitely been obsessed with this book as a kid/teenager) but still a really lovely read and deals with a lot of hard themes in a considerate way

- “my brother died… there was nothing glorious about”
- “but i always think about dying and how i want the ache in my head to stop”
- “maybe scars can heal if we give them a chance to and survival is possible if we aren’t alone”
- “i wish i had not wasted so many years of my life not loving her”
- “it can’t be like this again.. but it can still be ok”
- “for the first time i don’t just seem him as my dad but as someone trying t make sense of everything in his life. i realise he is wounded like me but doesn’t know how to tell anyone

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

just sat and read this on the train in 30 minutes

what a beautifully short read, Coburn managed to connect me deeply to these characters despite the entire book being in succinct poetry.

the way he was able to so perfectly capture what love is was so satisfying to a hopeless romantic like myself. I also thoroughly enjoyed the way he delved into more serious topics such as death, suicide and abuse but was able to do it in such a way that I didn’t feel upset when reading about it, I felt a sense of understanding.

i enjoy how it made me think about how it would really feel to share such an experience as saving a foal with someone and end up forming such a special bond with them - just wow…i’m honestly speechless.

favourite quote:
“but like a closeness beyond skin
as if you could see a human heart
beating in front of your eyes
and hold it against you own.”

i will definitely be reading this one again and again.

[Jessica Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was astonishingly beautiful and so unexpected? I can see this being a really wonderful piece to study at school, particularly those in younger/middle school type levels OR to be picked apart to pieces in a high school lit class. I picked this up on my lunch break at work after briefly eyeing the blurb and man was I blown away in an hour. This is easy to consume being verse poetry in the form of a novel like story and it was addicting. The verses were simple but powerful and it was quite a confronting story. It touches on domestic abuse, financial struggle, the rural country issues of regional Australia, grief, literally all the things you can think of that would be traumatising. I can see myself underlining and annotating this thing to death.

[Robert Mammone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deeply affecting work of suffering and hope. Coburn exposes the raw emotions at the heart of this book with a tenderness that is inspiring and deeply moving. It's amazing how he is able to draw this much meaning out of such a short page count. As a reader, I felt as if I'd plunged head first into this vividly realised setting, with the relationships at its heart - man, woman and foal - exquisitely portrayed. An urgent story told by a rising talent in Australian poetry. A book no one should miss.

[Tenille Seow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite its size, it packed a punched. I wanted more, I wanted to know more about the family, the mums perspective and the dads on how they were dealing the tragedy. The horse is saved by Sam and in turn Sam is saved by the horse.

I’m not an outdoor person - ask anyone but I felt like I was transported to the farm when I was reading this!

P.s I thought I wouldn’t like it, would I struggle to understand or like the way it was written. I always think I wouldn’t understand poetry due to having dyslexia but this was written in a way I could understand.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very easy to read format, though definitely has older themes. I thought this character was twelve. Maybe fourteen if you really pushed. That voice was not the voice of someone who should be having sex…. I can’t actually tell you how old he was, but he read young.
There is a lot to digest in this one, and it basically throws all the horrible things at you and glues them around a horse as the single symbol of hope. The ending manages to be uplifting, but with themes of abuse, suicide idealisation, grief and overwhelming depression you needed it.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often a story brings me to tears but this beautifully written book had a profound impact on me. Sam and Julia and the Foal all face their own troubles but together they grow stronger through these difficulties. This is a story of courage and hope and healing that is skilfully handled. The chapters are short and accessible, and the poetry is so well crafted, there is not one word wasted. Would highly recommend.

[Michele Seminara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coburn's deeply moving narrative poetry finds perfect expression in this tender verse novel. The Foal in the Wire speaks of wounding, forgiveness and healing. It took me, as an adult, back to the raw emotion, cynicism, innocence, despair and grand hopefulness of being a teenager. It's the book all sensitive young people need to read.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA verse novel It’s quite angsty and heart breaking. An injured foal is found by a boy and a girl (neighbours) both with dysfunctional families. The foal brings them together. Hopeful end despite teary moments. Lots of symbolism and having to read between the lines so could do with reading twice, once for the story and once to appreciate the word-smithing and poetry

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two misfit teens bond when they find a foal caught in a wire fence. Very shot but a good read, think it would be really fitting for school reading.

**trigger warning - domestic violence**

Read by Suzie

[Leanne Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautifully written intertwining of love on all levels. This is the book our children need to read to understand the power, beauty and healing of poetry on a level that is relatable to all. I cried, I sighed and I marveled at the author’s expression.

[Catherine Crow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a verse novel & I think it was a great introduction to the style. It flows well & touches on many emotional subjects and themes in a real and personal way. A stylised snapshot of a darker side to Australian farm life that is written in a very accessible way.

[Kerryn Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how a verse novel can pack such a punch in so few words. And this one does just that. From the stunning cover art to the story inside this is a beautifully aching heart of a story. But filled with such hope too. Brilliant.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those of us looking for books that are connected to our farming communities, this could be useful. It explores themes of domestic abuse, sexual relationships, bullying, grief, loss and suicidal ideation. I would suggest inclusion in High School Libraries.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A verse novel, read it in one sitting.
A beautiful story about two troubled teenagers who bond over a young foal they discover trapped in barbed wire. Themes of family breakdown and domestic violence. The characters are resilient and the author offers a hopeful ending.

[Connor Hershkowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book that is able to tell such a profound and deep story of the connections between Sam, Julia, their families, and their histories through very elegant prose. This is a short, easy read but an incredible one.

[Matt Coburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, raw and devastating. A one of a kind book that is one of the most thoughtful explorations of young love and loss.

[Ari (Head in a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't typically read novels written in verse, but this book, was so heartbreaking and well written.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply affecting verse novel about family, compassion, love and the bonds between humans and animals.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel in verse deals with some deep topics but in a gentle way (reminded me a little of Leave Taking but for an older audience)

[Gaby Meares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please go to the Children's Book Council page, Readingtime.com.au for my full review of this brave novel.

[Tonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving story about friendship, love and growing through challenge. Beautifully written.

[Frey · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely gorgeous and tender

[Zoe Batchelor · Rating 5 out of 5]

sobbing and shaking ☹️