In the Heart of a Mustang

by M.J. Evans

"In the Heart of a Mustang is one of the finest books ever written for teens and preteens." — Literary Classics

Hunter was told that his father was a brave soldier and virtuous man. Someone that Hunter needed to emulate. The only problem is that the whole story was a lie, all of it. The truth is that his father has spent the entirety of Hunter’s life in jail, paying his sorry debt to society. Angry and hurt, Hunter gets into some serious trouble and is sent to Promise Ranch, a home for troubled teenage boys. 

A wild mustang mare and her herd are rescued from certain starvation by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In a sandy corral at Promise Ranch, Hunter and the mare meet. It takes a weathered, old cowboy to bring them together—a mentor for one, a trainer for the other. The bond that forms between boy and horse becomes one that saves the lives of both.

2016 Literary Classics Gold Medalist

2016 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Medalist

2017 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Silver Medalist

2017 Equus Film Festival Gold Medalist

Genres: Horses, Young Adult

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2015

About the author

I am a graduate of Oregon State University. Upon graduation, I spent five years teaching at the middle school and high school levels. My writing, at that time, was limited to curriculum. That was not fun.

While raising my children, I coached their Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams for seventeen years. I helped them write their own stories for the competitions. During this time, I also wrote two parent handbooks for the Salem, Oregon School district on sex education.

About fifteen years ago, I was able to combine my passion for horses with my love of writing. I researched and wrote two equestrian trail guide books for the Denver area. By “research” I mean that I spent every Friday riding my horse on a new trail, be it on the plains or in the mountains. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! The result of that work was the publication of Riding Colorado-Day Trips from Denver with Your Horse, and Riding Colorado II. Both books continue to sell very well in the Denver to Colorado Springs area and have made my horse famous.

I was able to combine my love of horses with my love of fantasy in my first Trilogy. The Mist Trilogy, comprised of Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and the Rising Mist received a gold medal from the Mom's Choice Awards. My next fantasy, an allegory of the Revolutionary War, but with Trolls and Leprechauns, won first place in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for fantasy. I took a brief (2 year) break from writing fantasy to complete a contemporary, coming of age novel titled "In the Heart of a Mustang." This YA novel won first place in the Literary Classics Awards for Young Adult fiction and second place in the Nautilus Awards in the same category.

On October 1, 2016, I released the first book of my new fantasy series "The Stone of Mercy: Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles."

I have now expanded my writing interests to include Historical Fiction: "PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History," and "The Sand Pounder - Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII."
I have also had fun working with illustrators on five picture books: "PERCY - The Racehorse Who Didn't Like to Run," and "The Skullington Family Series."

I describe myself as a “Mozart” type of writer as opposed to a “Beethoven” writer. When I sit down to write, the words just flow and I don’t have to go back and do a lot of revisions.

Reviews

[Cheryl Carpinello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of book that I would have devoured as a horse-crazy teen. I also devoured it as a horse-loving adult. A great story of a boy struggling to find his way in life and to make sense of what has transpired in his life. It brought back many good memories of my time with my horse. I would recommend this to kids 14 and up. Some of the scenes and the character's situations are just too intense for younger readers.

[Bonnie McCune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems like animals are always a compelling route into the human soul, and teens are no exception. This novel, categorized as “young adult,” wins fans with anyone hankering for a good tale that features a damaged boy and an injured pony as they heal one another. Fifteen-year-old Hunter learns his mother’s been lying about his absent father’s valor and honesty. Devastated by the discovery of the truth, Hunter surrenders to his grief and anger by becoming involved in illegal doings. After being caught, he’s sent to a ranch for troubled boys. An old wrangler, along with a roommate, serve as human comrades, while a wild mustang Hunter helps train delivers even more constructive lessons. When even greater vile incidents explode in his life, Hunter, like each of us, cannot escape decisions that will lead either to his downfall or his recovery, both physical and emotional. Mustang Sally is a steadfast companion throughout the journey. Evans shows her wide experience with horses and riding throughout the book and authenticates details about ranching, even as she illustrates many insights into the challenges of attaining maturity.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK 

In the Heart of a Mustang is a bit different than the book, Pinto that I just finished reading. In this book a young boy has been told all his life that his dad is a honorable man and died as a hero. But that’s not the case. And the boy is furious that his mom has lied to him all his life. Hunter has always wanted to be just like his dad. Will he continue to work toward this goal now that he knows what his real dad was like?

This story it quite sad because this family has been completely upended. And Hunter has no desire to make things right with his mom. And the only hope is the hope therapy farm. It was incredible how the story opened up at this farm, the staff was kind and caring. But it wasn’t a quick fix. Not at all. It was interesting and fun as I was able to follow the characters, see their development as the story unfolded. And I love that they were all so realistic. I felt as though I was that farm working with the horses myself. I have read several books about horse therapy, have been. very interested in this type of therapy. And this book is full of so much info on the subject. Its clear the author did her research well, and wrote it well into this story. And for you to learn more about this type of therapy, you will need to read this book, In the Heart of a Mustang. I hope you love and enjoy it as much as I did!

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Loved:
I loved the amazing connection between Hunter and his horse. I felt deeply connected to their bond, and I think it’s something horse-lovers are going to absolutely love as well!

How I Felt:
In the Heart of a Mustang introduces us to a young boy, Hunter, who has just found out that everything he knew about his father was a lie. Instead of his father being a soldier who died for his country, he is a convicted felon. Hunter is devastated by the lies, and at the shattering of a figure he deeply respected and looked up to. Heading to the Promise Ranch to find peace, Hunter encounters a horse that can help him mend what has been so deeply broken.

This book was obviously written by someone who loves horses and has spent a good amount of time with them. I think that horse-lovers will be just delighted with the connection between boy and horse, as well as all the horse-related information. It’s a well-written story that will keep any reader invested in the characters!

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend In the Heart of a Mustang for any reader that enjoys an emotional story with great character development.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, M.J. Evans, I must start this review by apologizing to you. I feel bad for disliking this book, because I know you put a lot of work into it, and I do think the core premise is excellent, a little like The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans for younger readers. The dream that Hunter had about his mother appearing to him on horseback at the end of chapter 29 was genuinely moving, and Betsy Fowler was a wonderful character. However, I do think In the Heart of a Mustang would have really benefitted from several rounds of editing and proofreading.

Let's start with the proofreading. I was taking out a lot of unnecessary commas (or adding commas when needed), or deleting unnecessary hyphens ("flood-waters" became "floodwaters", for example; "half-way" should be "halfway"), or adding contractions when needed (changing "I am" to I'm" or "you are" to "you're" makes the dialogue seem less stilted). At the very beginning of the book, Hunter's hair is described as sandy blond like his dad's, but every other time, it's described as red. But let's move on to the editing, because I've got a lot to say.

The use of epithets in place of a character's name or pronouns is very jarring and amateur. Hunter is called "the boy", "the teen", "the young teen", "the suffering teen", "the distraught and troubled teen", etc. Smokey is "the old cowboy". Melody is "the young mother". I was crossing out a lot of phrases and replacing them with the character's name, or just "he" or "she". I can understand not wanting to overuse a character's name, but using their name or pronouns is much better than using an epithet.

This book is absolutely full of padding. Take, for example, this paragraph on page 162: "He walked to Sally's pen, opened the gate and led her into her enclosure, slipping her an apple once she was inside. He went out the other side of her pen, carefully latched the gate and walked across the yard to where Smokey was standing by an old truck." This absolutely needed to be cut down. We don't need to know every single detail of what Hunter does. This could have been something like, "He left Sally in her pen with an apple, latched the gate behind him and joined Smokey at the old truck". There are paragraphs like this throughout the entire book, crammed with unnecessary details that a good editor would have noticed.

In the same vein as padding, there is a lot of redundancy in this book. It can be as simple as saying "laptop computer" on page 49 (we know a laptop is a computer, so adding "computer" after "laptop" is redundant) or calling a garden "lush and verdant" on page 62 (those words essentially mean the same thing), or it can be as big as this part on page 267: "She started bucking and kicking at the fence boards. Two powerful back legs began hammering at the brittle, sun-bleached wood. Kick after kick was directed at the fence". The first sentence is enough to let us know that Sally is kicking the fence; we don't need two more sentences repeating it. On pages 200 and 339, it is mentioned that Hunter "did as he was told", then the writing proceeds to tell us what he's doing. You can absolutely take out the "did as he was told" parts because the next sentences confirm it. Again, a good editor would have noticed these things.

Let's talk about Julius. Julius is the one non-white character in the book (aside from a Latina nurse near the end who gets only a couple of lines) and his "dark skin" gets brought up way too much. He has already been established to be Black; it does not need to be mentioned again. Doing so implies that the only interesting or noteworthy thing about him is his skin color, as if that is the only thing other characters (and, by extension, the author) are seeing him for. Same thing with Craig's weight and size always being mentioned. Once you have established that this character is bigger than everyone, it does not need to be brought up again. (Also, church services are mentioned, and I'm assuming they're Christian. What if a camper is Jewish or Muslim or not religious at all? What happens then? I understand that an author can't think of everything or acknowledge every identity and religion, but I couldn't help but think about this.)

This book ostensibly takes place in 2015, and most of the characters are teenagers. The dialogue is painfully unrealistic, and this starts on page 8 when Hunter's cousin Ethan says this: "Get off me! What do you think you're doing? Ouch! Geez! You're a madman". Something about this sounds so very stilted and not at all like an actual teen or preteen. Some more examples: "You startled me. I didn't hear you come up" is said by Hunter on page 187. The entire exchange between Craig and Julius on page 190, as well as the one on page 205. Pages 325 and 328 have Hunter saying things like, "Listen up, everyone. I have an exciting announcement to make" and "Welcome, boys". This is how a teacher would talk, not a teenager. On page 351, Hunter says, "He has been delivered into my hands and I intend to take full advantage of it", something that could work in an old movie, but not here.

Speaking of dialogue, the near-constant usage of "ya" and "ta" and "yer" and "'spect" really does not sound like natural dialect. Dialect in general is difficult to write, and often a story would be better without it. It also doesn't help that it's completely abandoned during serious moments or when a character needs to give out information, such as on page 164. On page 77, Hunter asks, "Take what out on whom?" This is a time where proper grammar doesn't matter, because no fifteen-year-old would say "whom".

As I said before, most of these characters are teenagers, with Shorty being the youngest at twelve. He is often referred to by other characters as a "little boy" or "little guy", but he's only three years younger than Julius and Hunter. There's really not that big of an age difference there. On page 173, Smokey calls Shorty a "little boy" to his face, which no twelve-year-old wants to hear. Most of these characters act much younger than they really are, leading me to wonder why they're teenagers. In some ways, this book would have made more sense if the characters had been younger, or if they were kept as teenagers but the book went through several rounds of editing to make them sound their age.

At the very beginning of the book, we are given the reveal that Hunter's father is actually a hardened criminal and not the war hero Hunter has been led to believe, thus kickstarting the plot. This sounds good on paper, but the problem is that immediately jumping into drama, without spending any time at all defining Hunter as a character, makes everything he does feel inauthentic and forced. Every time he ditched school or tried to steal something or was sullen or snappish, I had a hard time believing it because I knew nothing about what he was like before the big reveal. It would not have been a bad idea to spend a chapter or at least a page or two establishing who he was, what his interests and likes and dislikes were, his relationship with his mom before his dad showed up.

I know this is a very, very long review, and I'm sorry for not loving this book. At its core, it has a good message, and I appreciate the amount of research you did into horse clinics and youth counseling. But again, this book needed several rounds of heavy editing and proofreading before it could be called ready to publish.

[Shelli Wagoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelli Wagoner
Mrs. Clarke
Honors English 1
27 February 2022

In the Heart of a Mustang
In this heartfelt and emotionally driven novel, M.J. Evans takes readers through a journey of pure healing by the power of a horse. The main character, Hunter, had just been revealed the truth about his father not being the heroic figure that he was believed to be. After hearing this, Hunter was extremely frustrated and wrecked; he began to choose unhealthy ways to cope. With intentions to heal Hunter, his family decided to send him to a ranch far away from home, Promise Ranch. Scared and intimidated, Hunter finds himself unexpectedly connected to a beautiful and elegant mustang. With eyes that captured him the second he met her, Hunter knew that Sally was his animal soulmate. Throughout the time at the ranch, Sally grows trust for Hunter and they both find purpose within their relationship. An example of this is on page 346, Evans wrote, “He smiled as he walked along, thinking about Sally and the bond they had between them.”
Personally, I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys emotional novels and unexpected character development. The ending was certainly heartbreaking but has a very deep message within. “‘Mustangs make mighty fine horses once you get into their hearts.’ Sally let out a snort, turned her head and neck, and nuzzled the toe of Hunter’s boot. ‘And that mare sure has let you into her heart,’ added Smokey quietly.” (222). To conclude, horses understand, feel, and most importantly, they listen to you. The connection that Hunter creates with Sally is one that truly paints a beautiful picture of horse-to-man relationships.

[M.J. Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author of this book, I wanted to share a bit of information with all of you "horse-lovers" like myself. This book was written in response to my research into both the wild mustangs in the western states and therapeutic horsemanship. During the former research, I came to the conclusion that adoption is the best alternative for the over-population we are experiencing with the horse herds. (There are currently more than twice the number of horses running on the BLM land than is optimum and that is not counting the 40,000 horses and burros being held in pens or ranches waiting for adoption!) So I stressed adoption in my book, even though I know that is not the only answer. Enjoy reading!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of a teen and his Mom. She tries to protect him from the truth about his waster of a father by inventing the perfect dad. But when the truth comes out the boy can’t handle the betrayal. The youngster is angry and wants to show it. Enter the mustang. Animals teach us about patience, loyalty and trust; you get out what you put in. But will the lad even listen.
All animal lovers from teens to adults will love this story. It’s not too long a read, however it takes you on journey through the Arizona desert that you won’t forget.

[Marsha Hubler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tweens will love this book that combines horses with several pertinent issues that trouble today's youth: bitterness against a parent, forgiveness, maturing with responsibility, and friendship. M.J.Evans also gives the reader a thorough understanding of "horse whispering," the acceptable way to train horses these days. I recommend this especially for boys and for girls who love horses.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great young adult book. Heart warming story. Easy read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Heart of a Mustang is yet another great read by M.J. Evans. I had the pleasure of previously reading her Pinto! . I adored that book and was happy to have the opportunity to read this one. I was definitely not disappointed.

In the Heart of a Mustang readers will be introduced to fifteen year old boy, Hunter. He gets angry with his mother when he finds the truth about his father. He gets into some trouble and sent to Promise Ranch, a place for teenage boys who are going the wrong path in life. This is where Hunter meets the rescued mustang mare, Sally. The two become friends and both have to learn how to trust one another. I loved learning theses beautiful life lessons that all readers, young and old, could learn from.

In the Heart of a Mustang is a well written story. Hunter is a character that is relatable and could be easily understood what he is going through by many readers. I found that it connects well with them.

I am giving In the Heart of a Mustang a very well deserved five stars. I would love to find more stories like this by M.J. Evans in the near future. I highly recommend this one for readers who enjoy young adult reads and horses and for ages 12 and up. I thought it was a great read.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

[Rose | Adventurous Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This one was quite good and just kept me reading the whole time.
I loved how Sally (the horse) tenderly taught Hunter (MC) about patience, hard work, and being trustworthy. Sally was very scared, just as Hunter was, when he came to the ranch and it was nice to see their bonding. Some of the descriptions of the training got a little beyond my knowledge.
Smokey was such a great mentor for all the boys. He has lived a lot of life and I also found myself drawn to what he was saying.
That ending was heartbreaking but so full of hope. It just brightened up my day and I’m amazed by the author’s ability to play with emotions.
If you are looking for a book that will fill you with hope, I can’t point you to a better book than Heart of a Mustang.

Rating: 5/5
Romance: n/a
Language: a racial slur used in a case of bullying
Violence: bullying, injuries, broken bones, an animal put down, death, murder
Spiritual: praying to God

*I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a story about a young boy who discovers some hard truths about who his father is. This unpleasant discovery rocks the foundations of his life—who he thought his father was, and in turn, who he thought he himself was. Feeling betrayed by his mother, he starts off down the wrong path, which leads him into bigger trouble. He’s sent to a ranch for troubled teens in an attempt to get his life turned around and heal.

I’m so happy to see someone else writing about horses. I loved reading Thoroughbred and Saddle Club books so much, and this book had me walking down memory lane with how much it reminded me of those coming-of-age horse books. It’s a quick read, but heartwarming and also bittersweet. I thoroughly enjoyed following Hunter along on his journey to find himself and being better than he was the day before, seeing how his friendship with the other boys grew and how he built trust with the wild mustang Sally and, in doing so, discovered one of his best traits.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I have read by M.J. Evans. This is such a meaningful but yet sad story and I really enjoyed it. Yes this book is more geared towards teens and young adults but even us Granny's can and do enjoy it. There is a message in the story that a lot of parents could stand learning. I also love how M.J. Evans shows us the truth in training horses. Her knowledge of horses is not just a made up version.

In the book Hunter learns that his /father is not what he thought he was. His whole life he has been told about his Hero Father only to find out he is actually in Prison. Hunter's life goes into a tail spin after this. He ends up into drugs and trouble. When he is sent to Promise Ranch, a home for troubled teenage boys he finds his best friend in the form of a horse. There is a special connection between man and beast. Hunter and Mustang Sally will need each other to save their lives.

If you love horses you will love this book no matter your age.

[V.K. May · Rating 5 out of 5]

ANOTHER WONDERFUL STORY. It is not difficult to understand how this book won so many awards. It is absolutely lovely and so well written. This is the second book I have read by this author and I can say - she is not afraid to tackle the difficult aspects of the human condition in her stories and is quick to show us the healing powers that animals can have on us when we open our hearts to them. "In the heart of a mustang" shows us a young lad in terrible pain, dealing with grief and confusion about his parents relationship. One thing leads to another, and his life gets worse and worse. It is not until he hits rock bottom that he opens his heart to a friendship with a beautiful dun mare. The rest unfolds with wonder.

[K.L. Penaluna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well-written book is a page-turner! The characters are well developed, especially Hunter who as a teen boy has reality hit him smack dab in the face causing a chain-reaction of events that lead him to a home in the desert for troubled boys. There, he is withdrawn and angry. That is, until a little dun mare, who was rounded up with other wild horses by the Bureau of Land Management, chooses Hunter to be her friend. As their relationship grows into one of trust and loyalty, calamities occur that require both Hunter and the mustang to be there for each other if they're going to have any chance for survival.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Heart of a Mustang is a universally appealing story. Its themes of forgiveness and redemption resonated not only with myself but my teen and my ten-year-old. From the viewpoint I have as a homeschooler, I found it the perfect reading level for both of them, since the older has dyslexia and the younger was ready for a challenge.
MJ Evans’ masterful understanding of horses and our relationships to them is perfectly paired with her mastery of language and storytelling. I have already recommended it to my homeschool group.

[Dorothy Mbori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

This story was so enjoyable to read. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put the book down. I don't know much about horses and was a little fearful of them. After reading this book though, I think I am now in love with horses. The book had some heart warming parts and some parts that just broke my heart, mixed with some good life lessons. I would recommend this book.

[June Creedon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wisdom is learned through the support of family and friends.

Even if you don't have manure running through your veins, you will be inspired by this book. Every person who reads it will take away a new understanding of a horse's habits and how they see the world with one eye on each side of their head .

[Kailee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book I absolutely loved reading it since I have such a huge love for horses. So if you love horses and reading this is the perfect book. I highly recommend it. I loved the moral of the story as well it just has such a good message and overall an amazing story. Very well done!

[Elle H · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. J. Evans is so good at making you love the characters in this book! You sympathize with Hunter at time and at other times you are like, “What are you doing Hunter!!” This book is so well written, and I couldn’t put it down!!

[Emmalynn Widhalm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! As a crazy horse girl, the story and bond between Hunter and Sally was so sweet and amazing to follow along with. It was such a great read, and is totally on my long list of favorites!

[Shawnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sally and Smokey and Julius and Shorty.

[Alex Peepgrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A feel good story about a boy who heals from his past by connecting with and training a wild mustang

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

-3.5/5 stars. Thank you to Goodreads & the author for sending me a copy of this book.

"In the Heart of a Mustang" centers around Hunter, a 15 year old boy whose image of his entire life is destroyed in one brief meeting with his father- a drunken convict who his mother spent his life telling him was actually a military hero. Vulnerable, Hunter is led astray by exactly the wrong type of friend and is sent to a rehabilitation-like program on a ranch in Arizona. There, he becomes enthralled with a new mustang, Sally, and through her training he learns deeper lessons such as trust and forgiveness.

Obviously, the best part about this book is the story that unfolds between Hunter and Sally- everyone loves a good horse story. The author is obviously knowledgable about horses & has clearly researched their training, making the book authentic and enjoyable. As well, I was impressed with the surprisingly dark turn that the story takes in regards to Melody's fate. To me, this gave the plot an added layer of complexity, especially in Hunter's final meeting with his father. Through most of the book the 15 year old had seemed overly melodramatic to me, yet this turn of events showed his growth as a character.

While I liked the middle parts of the book, the beginning and end weren't quite as strong for me. The beginning of the book starts quickly with no real build up- the first scene is Hunter learning the truth, then almost immediately being carted off to the ranch. Towards the end (Sally's break out, the coyote scene), things got slightly ridiculous and a little hard to suspend disbelief.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with surprisingly more depth than I had originally thought, and I would absolutely recommend it to any YA lovers or horse lovers.

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

When fifteen year old Hunter learns the truth about his father he is hurt and angry. Feeling betrayed and disillusioned, he starts running around with a rough crowd, becomes reckless, and gets into serious trouble for his actions. Consequently, he is sent to Promise Ranch, a facility for at-risk boys. The ranch offers counseling, love, and support, in a home-like setting. But Hunter resents being sent away and wants nothing to do with Promise Ranch or their programs. Upon arrival at the ranch Hunter is paired with a rescued mare which was on the brink of starvation prior to its adoption. Under the guidance and direction of an old cowboy, and through the heart of a mustang, Hunter learns to care for the mare while letting go of the anger he has harbored since learning the truth about his father.

Author M.J. Evans has crafted a coming of age story which speaks to the hearts of readers on many levels. The bond between Hunter and his mare makes for a genuinely riveting tale that will not soon be forgotten. This story grabs the reader’s attention immediately, taking them through the struggles of a troubled teen who must come to terms with his angst. The author brings to life very real problems and situations. In the Heart of a Mustang is one of the finest books ever written for teens and preteens. This book is strongly recommended for young readers.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In the Heart of a Mustang" is award-winning author M.J. Evans at her best. If you love horses, you’ll love this story. If you don’t love horses, you’ll love it anyway. It’s a heartwarming story about Hunter, a teen sent to a ranch for troubled boys, and Sally, the wild mustang he meets and connects with. The novel deals with a range of issues faced by young adults today, and it realistically portrays the bond between friends—both human and animal—and the power it provides to forge ties and change lives. The characters are well defined and easy to relate to. Also, the story is well written and filled with amazing details that will not only entertain but educate. I highly recommend this book to adults and young adults alike.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, this book was intense! This is the fifth fiction book MJ Evans has written, and was clearly written for a slightly older audience than her previous fantasy adventures—young adult rather than middle grade. The story was powerful and covered themes such as forgiveness and redemption very effectively. As always, her writing was beautiful.

Along with being an author, MJ Evans is an avid equestrian and she expertly included this passion of hers in the book. There was fascinating detail about the wild horses of the American West and how to train them. You don’t have to be a horse person to love the book, but if you are, Evans' inclusion of these details is an extra bonus.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, this book was intense! This is the fifth fiction book MJ Evans has written, and was clearly written for a slightly older audience than her previous fantasy adventures—young adult rather than middle grade. The story was powerful and covered themes such as forgiveness and redemption very effectively. As always, her writing was beautiful.

Along with being an author, MJ Evans is an avid equestrian and she expertly included this passion of hers in the book. There was fascinating detail about the wild horses of the American West and how to train them. You don’t have to be a horse person to love the book, but if you are, Evans' inclusion of these details is an extra bonus.

[Connie Huddleston · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Heart of a Mustang tells of the angst of a young teen as he struggles to learn who he is and make good choices for his life. The book is full of horses, the outdoors, and strong adult role models. Having been a parent of a troubled teen, I found this book to be emotional but heartfelt. Evans captures the thoughts and feelings of young Hunter and reveals his struggles in a way that might guide other troubled teens to realize they are not alone. C.M. Huddleston, author of Greg’s First Adventure in Time.