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Ride #1
Kit Meets Covington
When American teen Kit Bridges moves to England to attend an elite equestrian boarding school, neither she nor her new home will ever be quite the same.
Trying to move on from her mother's death and afraid of riding after a bad fall, plucky fourteen-year-old Kit Bridges doesn't quite know what to expect when her father takes a position at The Covington Academy, a prestigious boarding school in England. Things are looking up when Kit meets her cool, possibly secretly royal new roommate, Anya, and the boys of Covington, like Will, with their charming accents. But she hadn't anticipated such a strict headmistress as Lady Covington. Or the expectation that every student be a rider. Or the wild horse that she seems to have a strange and special bond with. While navigating new friendships, romances, and an alarmingly austere new environment, Kit needs to figure out whether she's ready to get back in the saddle. And at the end of the day, it's hard to tell who will be more changed by her arrival -- The Covington Academy or Kit herself.
Trying to move on from her mother's death and afraid of riding after a bad fall, plucky fourteen-year-old Kit Bridges doesn't quite know what to expect when her father takes a position at The Covington Academy, a prestigious boarding school in England. Things are looking up when Kit meets her cool, possibly secretly royal new roommate, Anya, and the boys of Covington, like Will, with their charming accents. But she hadn't anticipated such a strict headmistress as Lady Covington. Or the expectation that every student be a rider. Or the wild horse that she seems to have a strange and special bond with. While navigating new friendships, romances, and an alarmingly austere new environment, Kit needs to figure out whether she's ready to get back in the saddle. And at the end of the day, it's hard to tell who will be more changed by her arrival -- The Covington Academy or Kit herself.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 2017
6 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
Bobbi J.G. Weiss
101 books40 followersHi! Bobbi here.
I specialize in media creative writing: developing/writing online games and MMORPGs, books, comics, animation, and other products that tie into film and television shows, as well as the development and creation of new tie-in products. I've written everything from Nickelodeon’s RIDE novelizations and Disney's PIXIE HOLLOW MMO to interactive ebooks based on the Mooshka doll line and an original non-fiction text published by Heinemann entitled WRITING IS ACTING: HOW TO IMPROVE THE WRITER’S ONPAGE PERFORMANCE. I've also self-published—an original horror novel that involves the Peter Pan mythos entitled HOOKED (Publishers Weekly gave it a great review!).
You can find my entire resume and cover gallery at http://www.BobbiJGWeiss.com. I also post Facebook, tumblr, twitter and other social media sites. Find links to my social profiles on my website.
I specialize in media creative writing: developing/writing online games and MMORPGs, books, comics, animation, and other products that tie into film and television shows, as well as the development and creation of new tie-in products. I've written everything from Nickelodeon’s RIDE novelizations and Disney's PIXIE HOLLOW MMO to interactive ebooks based on the Mooshka doll line and an original non-fiction text published by Heinemann entitled WRITING IS ACTING: HOW TO IMPROVE THE WRITER’S ONPAGE PERFORMANCE. I've also self-published—an original horror novel that involves the Peter Pan mythos entitled HOOKED (Publishers Weekly gave it a great review!).
You can find my entire resume and cover gallery at http://www.BobbiJGWeiss.com. I also post Facebook, tumblr, twitter and other social media sites. Find links to my social profiles on my website.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 22, 2018
One of the main reasons I loved this is because 8-14 year old me would have been obsessed with this, sharing it with my friends and reading it multiple times!
The me of today enjoyed it too. I haven't seen the show Ride, that it is based on, but I found it a very enjoyable read, the characters were fun and I would be keen to read the rest of the series.
The me of today enjoyed it too. I haven't seen the show Ride, that it is based on, but I found it a very enjoyable read, the characters were fun and I would be keen to read the rest of the series.
March 21, 2018
Horses + boarding school + a new girl are my a few of my favourite ingredients in a book!
I actually got approved for what was apparently book 2 in this series on Netgalley. As you can imagine I couldn't just read book 2, well, I tried but failed very spectacularly. Thankfully book 1 was easily found on Amazon! Then it was waiting for the book, plus also finding a good time to read it, and voila! This book was just too much fun.
Kit is an American girl set to go to an English boarding school. Her dad has been offered a job in the stable and thus secured a spot for her at the school. We see Kit go through all sorts of British stuff and having no clue what it is about. :P Tea ceremonies? Uniforms? Pants or Trousers? I just had a hearty laugh at her confusion, though I know the feeling. I keep getting confused by both UK and US English and their weird words for things.
Kit is trying to settle in and it isn't easy. She is a pretty free spirit, and she is not one to love rules that much. But she is willing to try at least.
Though I have to say I wasn't happy how she acted in the first days. That uniform is there for a reason, stop being a special snowflake. *rolls eyes*
I loved Kit's relationship with TK. They do make a great pair. She understand him, and he seems to understand her. I love how she kept talking to him, kept trying to earn his trust, made sure to see if he wanted something or not. TK was also just the sweetest and so smart.
Elaine, our resident mean girl, though she did show she could also be kind, but there is still a lot of improvement needed to make me like her. I just don't like how she acts all high and mighty and thinks she is better than everyone else. Plus her rivalry with Kit was just so typical and it made my eyes roll.
Anya, our princess, though no one knows she is that. I loved the girl, though at times I was shaking my head. When she missed the competition because she lacked any idea of how stuff worked...
Note that this book isn't only about Kit. As is what I expected. Kit is the MC, and also gets the most of all the parts in the book, but we also see POV parts for Elaine (bleh), Anya (yay!), Josh (eh), Will (awww), Nav (yes). It was a bit confusing at times as we would hop from Kit to Anya and to Josh and then back to Kit.
The schedule the headmistress put up? Eh, I am not too sure if I liked it. I get that she wants to push for excellence and all that crap, but really to force someone who is afraid to get up on a horse? No. Really, that poor thing fainted dead on when getting on a pony! Do you want the same to happen with a full grown horse?
One point I absolutely hated was the Guy prank that the guys did + mostly also how the headmistress reacted to it. Not even caring about an explanation, oh tee hee this guy that is apparently the only one left (next to a very hastily done one for Rose Cottage) looks like the headmistress of the other school. How funny. Here you go, points. Whut? I just found it the absolutely worst part of the entire book. Those guys ruined it for everyone and the headmistress didn't give a shit about it. Wow. *slow claps*
I would have liked to see a bit more of the classes and how Kit is doing in school. We see maybe 1 or 2 classes very briefly, see something about building something, and that is it. It just feels like the school is there, yet isn't.
The ending, well I was definitely happy for Kit for finally being able to do that, I can't wait for the next book to see what more she will do next.
I am kinda curious that we barely see anyone ride/near the horses next to the characters that get a spotlight in the book. I get that we can't meet everyone, but now it just feels like this is an equestrian school yet no one rides for a few selected.
What more? Mm, I am also curious how the relationship between Will and Kit will go, I hope that it doesn't turn into an awful love triangle. *shivers* I also liked the photographs in the middle, I am guessing there is some sort of tv-show tied to this book? Maybe I will check it out.
Now I just need book 2, in physical form, not on a kindle as the Netgalley book is.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I actually got approved for what was apparently book 2 in this series on Netgalley. As you can imagine I couldn't just read book 2, well, I tried but failed very spectacularly. Thankfully book 1 was easily found on Amazon! Then it was waiting for the book, plus also finding a good time to read it, and voila! This book was just too much fun.
Kit is an American girl set to go to an English boarding school. Her dad has been offered a job in the stable and thus secured a spot for her at the school. We see Kit go through all sorts of British stuff and having no clue what it is about. :P Tea ceremonies? Uniforms? Pants or Trousers? I just had a hearty laugh at her confusion, though I know the feeling. I keep getting confused by both UK and US English and their weird words for things.
Kit is trying to settle in and it isn't easy. She is a pretty free spirit, and she is not one to love rules that much. But she is willing to try at least.
Though I have to say I wasn't happy how she acted in the first days. That uniform is there for a reason, stop being a special snowflake. *rolls eyes*
I loved Kit's relationship with TK. They do make a great pair. She understand him, and he seems to understand her. I love how she kept talking to him, kept trying to earn his trust, made sure to see if he wanted something or not. TK was also just the sweetest and so smart.
Elaine, our resident mean girl, though she did show she could also be kind, but there is still a lot of improvement needed to make me like her. I just don't like how she acts all high and mighty and thinks she is better than everyone else. Plus her rivalry with Kit was just so typical and it made my eyes roll.
Anya, our princess, though no one knows she is that. I loved the girl, though at times I was shaking my head. When she missed the competition because she lacked any idea of how stuff worked...
Note that this book isn't only about Kit. As is what I expected. Kit is the MC, and also gets the most of all the parts in the book, but we also see POV parts for Elaine (bleh), Anya (yay!), Josh (eh), Will (awww), Nav (yes). It was a bit confusing at times as we would hop from Kit to Anya and to Josh and then back to Kit.
The schedule the headmistress put up? Eh, I am not too sure if I liked it. I get that she wants to push for excellence and all that crap, but really to force someone who is afraid to get up on a horse? No. Really, that poor thing fainted dead on when getting on a pony! Do you want the same to happen with a full grown horse?
One point I absolutely hated was the Guy prank that the guys did + mostly also how the headmistress reacted to it. Not even caring about an explanation, oh tee hee this guy that is apparently the only one left (next to a very hastily done one for Rose Cottage) looks like the headmistress of the other school. How funny. Here you go, points. Whut? I just found it the absolutely worst part of the entire book. Those guys ruined it for everyone and the headmistress didn't give a shit about it. Wow. *slow claps*
I would have liked to see a bit more of the classes and how Kit is doing in school. We see maybe 1 or 2 classes very briefly, see something about building something, and that is it. It just feels like the school is there, yet isn't.
The ending, well I was definitely happy for Kit for finally being able to do that, I can't wait for the next book to see what more she will do next.
I am kinda curious that we barely see anyone ride/near the horses next to the characters that get a spotlight in the book. I get that we can't meet everyone, but now it just feels like this is an equestrian school yet no one rides for a few selected.
What more? Mm, I am also curious how the relationship between Will and Kit will go, I hope that it doesn't turn into an awful love triangle. *shivers* I also liked the photographs in the middle, I am guessing there is some sort of tv-show tied to this book? Maybe I will check it out.
Now I just need book 2, in physical form, not on a kindle as the Netgalley book is.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
February 1, 2019
This trilogy of books is a cute tween story about an American girl who moves to England with her cowboy dad, where they are both starting fresh at the "Covington Academy" for equestrian arts. Her dad is the new riding instructor/trainer, and she has to cope with new culture--learning British terms for things as well as the boarding school milieu--a new school, and missing her recently deceased mom. Kit doesn't ride horses, either, ever since a terrible fall years earlier, and so she doesn't fit in to the horse-heavy world of Covington. But she, natch, falls in love with a particular horse, an outlaw whom nobody can ride (how many books with that premise did I read when I was a teenager? Let me count them by the dozens... :-) and together maybe they can become an accomplished horse-and-rider team. Along the way, Kit makes new friends, a frenemy, and has entanglements with some cute boys of course. Very cute story, very predictable, but, still a fun read. Since these books are basically novelizations of the scripts of the first few episodes of the Nickelodeon kids' tv series "Ride," (which a certain adult reviewer may or may not have hunted down and watched on Amazon Prime...ahem) they are full of typical tv characters (obligatory stern headmistress, multiculturally diverse but not very layered student characters), fun banter and one-liners, sitcom-worthy situations, and only a smattering of actual horsey stuff. I am sure that there is nothing incorrect about the horse terms and situations in the book, but they certainly seemed very simplistic and tv-horseified, if you know what I mean. You won't be learning much actual equestrian knowledge from these books or the show. But if you're looking for a cute horsey-related fish-out-of-water story to give to a tween, these are pretty fun. They're a quick read and have genuine heart.
August 16, 2017
Fourteen-year-old Kit is a pretty plucky girl. But her pluck is put to the test because: 1) she and her cowboy father move to England for her father's new job at The Covington Academy, and 2) the academy is an equestrian boarding school. Kit hasn't ridden a horse in years, since the terrifying time she fell from one. Now she must take on a new country, a new school, and her fear of riding in Ride: Kit Meets Covington, a novel by author Bobbi JG Weiss.
For everyone who may be familiar with the drama series Ride from Nickelodeon or YTV, more power to you. I'd never heard of the show before.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this novel.
Now, though I gather that it's a young YA book, it had a more juvenile feel to me, reading like a children's (perhaps middle grade?) book with teenaged characters. Maybe I'm just better acquainted with old-fashioned children's and young adult books and have less of a feel for what those genres are like these days.
But anyhow, this is indeed an engaging, humorous, and motivating tale with a fun batch of characters. I thought the story's development was a bit bumpy or choppy at times, and some of the points of view seemed to be introduced/explored a little late. And, even knowing that this is Book One of a coming series, the last few scenes had me thinking, "So...that's it, then? This is where and how the story is ending?"
Still, quite a worthwhile read, and I'd be delighted to continue on with the series, when it continues.
_____________
I received a complimentary copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for an honest review.
For everyone who may be familiar with the drama series Ride from Nickelodeon or YTV, more power to you. I'd never heard of the show before.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this novel.
Now, though I gather that it's a young YA book, it had a more juvenile feel to me, reading like a children's (perhaps middle grade?) book with teenaged characters. Maybe I'm just better acquainted with old-fashioned children's and young adult books and have less of a feel for what those genres are like these days.
But anyhow, this is indeed an engaging, humorous, and motivating tale with a fun batch of characters. I thought the story's development was a bit bumpy or choppy at times, and some of the points of view seemed to be introduced/explored a little late. And, even knowing that this is Book One of a coming series, the last few scenes had me thinking, "So...that's it, then? This is where and how the story is ending?"
Still, quite a worthwhile read, and I'd be delighted to continue on with the series, when it continues.
_____________
I received a complimentary copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for an honest review.
January 25, 2018
I received a free ecopy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this opportunity.
The 11-13 year old girl inside me squealed when I saw this book. I was OBSESSED with anything to do with horses for most of my childhood. And that part of me adored this book. It was cute, it had a little bit of everything for everyone, and it was a quick and easy read.
As an adult though, I did have a few irritants.
Kit: As a main character, she's mouthy, obnoxious, disrespectful, and just plain annoying. I'd be terrified if a kid said they wanted to be like Kit Bridges.
Too many viewpoints: I'm all for multiple POVs, but this book sadly fell into the rabbit hole of "POV overkill." Right off the top of my head, I remember at least eight different characters that carried the story at least once during this book. None of them really had different enough voices to help me keep them straight.
Cliches: Good grief! Can we have ONE book without a mean girl, a ritzy boarding school, a love triangle, and a main character who doesn't fit in? I have heard that this is an adaptation of a television series, so perhaps that is more of an opinion on the show than the novel, but it would be nice to have horse novels for tweens that are unique.
But the 11-13 year old in me would have been crazy about this book and wouldn't have even given a thought to the irritants my adult self suffers from. I probably won't keep this in my personal collection, but any future children I have will probably adore this book.
The 11-13 year old girl inside me squealed when I saw this book. I was OBSESSED with anything to do with horses for most of my childhood. And that part of me adored this book. It was cute, it had a little bit of everything for everyone, and it was a quick and easy read.
As an adult though, I did have a few irritants.
Kit: As a main character, she's mouthy, obnoxious, disrespectful, and just plain annoying. I'd be terrified if a kid said they wanted to be like Kit Bridges.
Too many viewpoints: I'm all for multiple POVs, but this book sadly fell into the rabbit hole of "POV overkill." Right off the top of my head, I remember at least eight different characters that carried the story at least once during this book. None of them really had different enough voices to help me keep them straight.
Cliches: Good grief! Can we have ONE book without a mean girl, a ritzy boarding school, a love triangle, and a main character who doesn't fit in? I have heard that this is an adaptation of a television series, so perhaps that is more of an opinion on the show than the novel, but it would be nice to have horse novels for tweens that are unique.
But the 11-13 year old in me would have been crazy about this book and wouldn't have even given a thought to the irritants my adult self suffers from. I probably won't keep this in my personal collection, but any future children I have will probably adore this book.
May 15, 2018
Weiss, Bobbi JG Ride: Kit Meets Covington, 269 pages. Candle Wick Entertainment, 2017. $17 Content: G.
Kit Bridges is a 14 year old girl. Kit's Father, Rudy, gets a job at a fancy riding school in England. They move to England from their home back in America. When they get to the school, Kit is forced to ride TK. This might not seem like a big deal, but Kit hadn't ridden a horse since her mom died. TK has one last chance for someone to ride him before he is shipped away and sold.
This book has an amazing story. I absolutely loved how Kit had to learn to make new friends with not only humans but horses too. This book is one of my favorite books ever! Kit moves to a whole different continent to support her dad and ends up making great friends.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 7th Grade Student Reviewer AH
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Kit Bridges is a 14 year old girl. Kit's Father, Rudy, gets a job at a fancy riding school in England. They move to England from their home back in America. When they get to the school, Kit is forced to ride TK. This might not seem like a big deal, but Kit hadn't ridden a horse since her mom died. TK has one last chance for someone to ride him before he is shipped away and sold.
This book has an amazing story. I absolutely loved how Kit had to learn to make new friends with not only humans but horses too. This book is one of my favorite books ever! Kit moves to a whole different continent to support her dad and ends up making great friends.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 7th Grade Student Reviewer AH
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
August 14, 2017
Kit and her cowboy father move to England, where he will be the new equestrian instructor at the prestigious Covington Academy. Kit is excited about this new experience, but finds that it is more difficult than expected due to the school's strict adherence to rules and traditions. Kit strikes up a quick friendship with local horsey bad boy, TK, whom she has promised to train/ride so that he can stay at the school.
This is a quintessential tween novel, even though the main character is 14. There are love interests, mean girls, catty fights, and young teens just working through the growing pains of growing up.
This is a quintessential tween novel, even though the main character is 14. There are love interests, mean girls, catty fights, and young teens just working through the growing pains of growing up.
July 23, 2018
Overall this was a cute and fast read, and it promises to be a cute series for younger readers.
However, too little time was spent detailing actual equestrian portions of the book, and a bit too much focus was on the interactions between students, several of which included gossip, bullying, and inappropriate pranks. None of these behaviors were addressed at any point throughout the book, unfortunately.
However, the series has potential. Well written, well paced, fun book. I'm sure the boarding school aspect combined with equestrian pursuits will be a huge draw for many young readers.
However, too little time was spent detailing actual equestrian portions of the book, and a bit too much focus was on the interactions between students, several of which included gossip, bullying, and inappropriate pranks. None of these behaviors were addressed at any point throughout the book, unfortunately.
However, the series has potential. Well written, well paced, fun book. I'm sure the boarding school aspect combined with equestrian pursuits will be a huge draw for many young readers.
March 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny is some bits.
March 20, 2019
Kinda a boring book for me personally, but I still think it was well written. I think this book would be great for someone younger.
November 1, 2017
This was a cute and enjoyable YA book. The heroine was the stereotypical "rebel" who doesn't want to follow the rules and is so concerned about "being true to herself" that she runs afoul of the adults in the story. i.e. she doesn't like the school uniform, so adapts to suit herself, and then is surprised when she ends up in trouble. That common plot line aside, the story follows an American girl as she navigates her way through an English boarding school, making friends, and coming to terms with life. The characters are likeable and although they do tend to be the standard cast of characters one would expect in this type of story, there is a bit of depth to them. Overall a fun, light read.
December 13, 2018
Today in Christina is a ridiculous human, I couldn’t resist requesting this novelization of a TV show I haven’t watched. Listen, my childhood self over-rode my good sense, because boarding school with horses in England was absolutely everything I was into as a kid. Like, I read SO MANY Thoroughbreds books, you have no idea.
So Kit Meets Covington is a novelization, and the quality is exactly what you would expect. The writing’s not great, the story is silly, and it’s more middle grade than YA. However, I actually read a ton of novelizations when I was a kid: I owned and loved Sabrina the Teenage Witch novels (the best was Sabrina Goes to Rome) and Full House novels (the best was when Stephanie went to a dude ranch and fell in love). DO NOT JUDGE ME.
So yeah, I really liked Kit Meets Covington for what it was. I was tired and on a plane, so I read this in a literal sitting, and it was just so fluffy and easy. Kit has a little baby love triangle without even realizing it, and there are horses, and her roommate is a princess because reasons (she also has a burgeoning ship!). I probably won’t read more of the novelizations (someone stop me from using that NetGalley widget), but I had a lot of fun and have no regrets.
I’m not totally sure who to recommend this book to, other than my childhood self, who would have loved it intensely. I’d definitely give this to middle grade rather than young adult readers, because it does skew younger. And I very much need to watch this show.
So Kit Meets Covington is a novelization, and the quality is exactly what you would expect. The writing’s not great, the story is silly, and it’s more middle grade than YA. However, I actually read a ton of novelizations when I was a kid: I owned and loved Sabrina the Teenage Witch novels (the best was Sabrina Goes to Rome) and Full House novels (the best was when Stephanie went to a dude ranch and fell in love). DO NOT JUDGE ME.
So yeah, I really liked Kit Meets Covington for what it was. I was tired and on a plane, so I read this in a literal sitting, and it was just so fluffy and easy. Kit has a little baby love triangle without even realizing it, and there are horses, and her roommate is a princess because reasons (she also has a burgeoning ship!). I probably won’t read more of the novelizations (someone stop me from using that NetGalley widget), but I had a lot of fun and have no regrets.
I’m not totally sure who to recommend this book to, other than my childhood self, who would have loved it intensely. I’d definitely give this to middle grade rather than young adult readers, because it does skew younger. And I very much need to watch this show.
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November 24, 2017*snort*
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews