Ride On

by Faith Erin Hicks

In Ride On , this middle grade graphic novel from Faith Erin Hicks , twelve-year-old Victoria is burned out from the high-pressure world or riding competitions. Can she get back to basics and rekindle her love of horses? Perfect for fans of Best Friends and Stargazing!

Victoria has always loved horses. But riding in competitions is high stakes, high stress, and shockingly expensive. And even though Victoria’s best friend Taylor loves competing, Victoria has lost her taste for it.

After a heartbreaking fight with Taylor, Victoria needs a new start―at a new stables. A place where she doesn’t have to worry about anything other than riding. No competition, no drama, no friends.

Just horses.

Edgewood Stables seems ideal. There are plenty of horses to ride, and Victoria is perfectly happy giving the other riders the cold shoulder.

But can she truly be happy with no friends?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Comics, Young Adult, Friendship

218 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2022

About the author

Born in the wilds of British Columbia, the young Faith frolicked among the Sasquatch native to the province before moving to Ontario at age five. There she was homeschooled with her three brothers, and developed an unnatural passion for galloping around on horseback, though never without a proper helmet (because you only get one skull). After twenty years of suffering through Ontario’s obscenely hot summers, she migrated east, and now lives beside the other ocean in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She worked in animation for a bit, and now draws comics full time. She’s not sure how that happened either.

Reviews

[Faith Erin Hicks]

Ride On is out today! I wrote and drew this graphic novel which is a little bit based on my own experiences as a horse crazy girl. I rode horses for many years (from childhood to late teens), stopping only when I left home for university. Ride On is inspired by that love of horses and also by my growing love of science fiction and fantasy, and in particular the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation. I really hope people enjoy this comic, and maybe see a little of their own experiences in it.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calling all Horse Girls! Are you currently or were you obsessed with horses in the past? In my middle grade days I was drawing horses and had them up on a pedestal in comparison to other animals. Fortunately my family lived on a farm and we had horses and ponies we could ride frequently. I never had formal lessons, but spent hours on the back of my pony Trudy. This new graphic novel from Faith Erin Hicks is perfect for all those kids who have been enjoying the works of Raina Telgemeier, Jennifer L. Holm, Shannon Hale, and Kayla Miller. Victoria switches from one riding stable to another. She just wants to ride without the pressure of competition. Along the way she meets learns some life lessons about making new friends and learning to embrace additional hobbies. The anxiety of competition is also addressed in helpful and realistic ways. Love the colorful art and the inclusion of the retro sci-fi show in the plot.

Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Aoife - Bookish_Babbling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorabubble 1/2hr read - so much to enjoy for little (and grown) "horse girls" 🦄

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession to make.

I was a Horse Girl.

The horsiest of Horse Girls (minus competing since I rode Western and never competed or rode with a stable or anything official like that).

Thankfully I didn't know the disdain and hatred directed towards horse girls when I was a kid and teen, because it would have tanked any of the minimal self esteem I already had.

So this book was like coming home, and reading about Victoria, who realized she didn't want to compete, but wanted to just ride horses and also not have that consume her life, was amazing. I loved the juxtaposition of a love of science fiction and horses, and the way Hicks addresses the lack of diversity in the stable world, and how it's heavily powered by how much money parents can throw at the stables and their children for them to succeed.

Vickie was a hard nut to crack as a character, although I related to her quite a bit (although as a kid I was probably unfortunately a lot more like Taylor). Norrie was a damned delight. LOVED her.

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family not only bred Trakehner horses but was also really heavily into competitive dressage riding, well, except for me, that is, and no, not at all because I did not like horses, but because with my gross and fine motor skills and balance issues, I was sadly a child and later also a teenager with a pretty bad riding form, tended to majorly embarrass my always demanding perfection regarding riding and competing parents (and finally ended up simply refusing to ride anymore at all due to constant criticism and put-downs). So yes indeed, I really massively appreciate and respect how with her 2022 middle grade graphic novel Ride On (which is loosely based on personal experience) Vancouver born and now residing in Halifax author/illustrator Faith Erin Hicks readily acknowledges both textually and also illustratively (and right from the start) that the world of horseback riding (and in Ride On this means using an English and not a Western saddle), while potentially amazing, can often be high pressure, competitive and is equally very expensive, and not just for riders who own their own horses, since even riding gear, lessons etc. are or at least can be pretty darn pricy and may thus prove inaccessible to and for those without the required financial resources and means.

And with the latter sadly increasingly becoming the reality for main protagonist Victoria in Ride On alongside of the fact that while she loves horses and is a very talented rider, Victoria is not really into riding competitions and the high drama and stress of these competitions anymore and not to mention that she also has other interests, such as watching her favourite science fiction television show Beyond the Galaxy, but with this being something that her erstwhile best friend Taylor is shown in Ride On as not even remotely understanding, this major difference and bone of contention between Victoria and Taylor regarding riding as a sport, it causes Taylor to not only completely snub and denigrate Victoria but is as a result equally making Victoria when she changes riding stables from Waverley to Edgewood to not want to make any new friends there to avoid possible trauma and a repeat of what happened at Waverley (something that fortunately changes as Ride On progresses, but only after some dramatics, an insulted Norrie actively shunning Victoria and having her friends follow suite, although quite reluctantly, until there is a gradual thawing and breaking of the proverbial ice between Norrie and Victoria).

But albeit it is indeed heartbreaking how in Ride On, Victoria’s friend Taylor does not want to comprehend and accept that Victoria might want to enjoy horseback riding simply for the sake of riding, instead of feeling the need or the desire to compete, it somehow makes me feel much textually worse and hugely frustrated to read about Taylor refusing to acknowledge Victoria’s financial issues and struggles regarding the costs of horseback riding (so that Taylor’s dreams of winning ribbons is one thing, but her refusal to admit and to acknowledge that she can only do riding comfortably and easily because her parents are wealthy enough for this is hugely and amazingly obtuse and is also something that is not ever fixed in Ride On either since even when Taylor and Victoria chat at the Waverley show, Taylor still refuses to validate Victoria’s feelings, thinks that Victoria should not have any issues regarding riding costs and with this definitely shows that she is entitled, clueless and totally not in any way friendship material for Victoria).

Fun, delightfully illustrated (and with wonderfully realistically depicted horses, and that I also love and appreciate the depicted and organic ethnic diversity of Ride On and that there even is a boy at Edgewood), especially my inner child and my inner teenager (and with my above mentioned personal experiences regarding horseback riding not necessarily being fun and personally satisfying), yes, we both absolutely adore the combination of Faith Erin Hicks’ text and images for Ride On. And just to also and finally point out that Hicks’ depiction and description of stable and riding dramatics and “politics” that some reviewers seem to have found unrealistic and unbelievable, these are in fact what makes Ride On a five star graphic novel for me, as yes, what is being textually and visually presented in Ride On does often happen in riding stables where training to compete is considered all-important, above everything and is as thus such not fantasy but in fact reality, is the truth or at least the potential truth, like for example, Norrie’s original suspicions in Ride On that Victoria might be a spy from Waverley sent to scout out Edgewood might on the surface seem ridiculous and hard to believe, but that these kinds of conspiracy theories do indeed exist and flourish in the intensely, in the highly competitive world of competitive horseback riding.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

i audibly reacted to one intense part 😂 this was so freakin cute! norrie was annoying af but at least she's a decent friend i guess lol

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet and heartwarming read! Not only was it perfectly paced with a lively cast and engaging plot, I adored all the characters and their friendship. Vickie was a sympathetic protagonist and I loved how super spirited Norrie was, especially when next to the aloof Hazel (one scene in particular made me laugh). I also really enjoyed Vickie's arc and how this book shows that we don't necessarily have to follow a set path or pursue the same thing that our peers are doing.

The artwork and colour tones are gorgeous, with the latter making it easier to differentiate past and present. The costumes! Vickie's hair! The horses!

Definitely a graphic novel not to be missed ❤️

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cudowna historia o przyjaźni i o tym, że nie ważne co robisz i gdzie jesteś, warto pozostać wiernym sobie <3

[greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

i knew i was gonna love this graphic novel when i saw that it was the same author as pumpkinheads! this was such a cute and heartwarming read.

the characters were well developed and i don’t think i can choose my favourite honestly. 😭 i relate to them all in different ways lol.
i also appreciated best friend dynamics between victoria and taylor because i know these situations happen in real life and that’s how you know you outgrew your friends.
honestly the friendship between all 4 of these characters was so wholesome!

the artwork was also really cute. the author definitely manages to suck you into the story and feel connected to it as well as the characters. i loved the horses in this book as well they all looked so cute. 😭

as a horse lover myself with no means to ride one, i definitely appreciated the topics of this novel. i felt like i was there in the stables myself with these characters and honestly i loved seeing how supportive they were of each other.
i didn’t particularly care about this sci-fi tv show going on in this book, but other than that i thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend picking this one up!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gentle and engaging story about kids who love horses . . . and an old Star Trek-like sci-fi TV show.

Hey, I too like horses and science fiction!

The plot mostly revolves around friendship, with the protagonist falling out with one friend at her old stable and slowly making friends with the kids who ride and work at the new stable she's just joined. It's fine, but the horses and sci-fi bits are better.

[Kayla Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ride On tells the story of Victoria, a competitive horseback rider who switches stables to get a fresh start. There she meets a group of teens who try to befriend her through common interests. Faith Erin Hicks tells a compelling story with lovely art. One of the details I loved was Victoria growing her hair out distinguishing between present and flashbacks.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is more of a tween friend drama story than a horse story. There are some good lessons to be learned but it's a little heavy-handed.

The artwork is good. It's realistic enough for me and no one looks weird. I like the sci-fi world. That shows more creativity than drawing horses and people. I liked the diversity of the people and could easily identify which character was which.

Victoria is a great character. I liked her very much. She has her head screwed on straight and understand priorities. She just loves horses and wants to ride! Competing, winning ribbons (English riding), the Olympics- all that is just not for her. Plus her mom can't afford extra lessons. I feel bad that Victoria feels she has to go without because her mom can't afford it but when she wants to ride, she helps out around the stable. Right now, she's burned out from working every day all last summer and just wants a break to be a kid. Victoria's best friend Taylor is not much of a friend. She's an obsessed mean girl who isn't understanding or sympathetic to Victoria. Victoria is single-minded in pursuit of a goal and that's great but Victoria has the right idea - balance. Friends should support one another. Victoria is happy for Taylor when Taylor gets her own horse. She doesn't sulk or get angry! Reading between the lines though, perhaps Taylor is upset because she wanted to hang out with Victoria and they shared these dreams together and sees them growing apart, as kids do in their tweens and teens. It's not that deep though.

Victoria moves from the swanky Waverley stable to the more average Edgewood stable and that unknowingly makes her a target of Norrie, the queen bee of Edgewood. Norrie fears Victoria is some kind of spy or has nefarious intentions. Norrie is TOTALLY crazy! Her fears don't make sense to anyone, not even her friends. Norrie talks way too much and I don't blame Victoria for being anti-social. I'm an anti-social introvert myself and prefer animals to people. It doesn't mean I am or Victoria is rude/mean/stuck up. Norrie comes on too strong and is kind of scary. Her best friend Hazel is quiet and likes being friends with Norrie because Norrie talks enough for both of them. Hazel seems kind and fair, unlike Norrie who is overly emotional and dramatic. Sam is the only boy at the stable. He loves horses and just so happens that in order to spend time with horses, he has to spend time with girls. It doesn't mean he wants to date them. He puts up with a lot of horrible bullying and teasing from his family because of it. He's a sci-fi nerd and loves a Star Trek type show that bonds the kids together. I liked seeing them nerd out over the show and Victoria's interest in storytelling. Being excited for a new season of the TV show illustrates how creative Victoria is and how right she is to pursue other passions in addition to horses.

The sibling relationships in this story are mostly refreshing. Victoria has a great relationship with her (older?) sister Elouise. Elouise supports Victoria and her passions. Norrie has an academic rivalry with her older brother. Norrie seems to have ADHD while her older brother is focused on academics. Unfortunately their parents have created a bad situation by holding Tashir up as an example. I can relate to Tashir! Sam's brothers tease him and he hates it but when it comes down to it, they love their little brother and support him. All the friend and sibling drama is kind of corny but typical for novels aimed at tweens. There are zero parents and only two adults who work at the riding stable. Ms. A is fair and she seems to understand not just what the horses need but what the kids need as well.

I'm not a horse person. I bought this for my niece who is horse mad. She's a western rider and does rodeo so I don't know if she'll like this book. There may not be enough horses and riding for her. I hope she likes it though and learns a bit more about making and keeping friends.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good story with easy to the eyes art sequences. I wasn’t invested while reading it.

[elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed reading it but it felt incomplete idk

[papilionna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieser umfangreiche Comic ist nicht nur etwas für Pferdemädchen. Er behandelt Themen wie Einsamkeit, Zugehörigkeit und die Veränderungen, die mit dem Erwachsenwerden einhergehen. Was, wenn man merkt, dass sich die eigenen Interessen verändern und man mit seinen Freunden plötzlich gar nicht mehr so viel gemeinsam hat?

Die Protagonistin Viktoria ist sehr liebenswert und nachvollziehbar geschrieben, sodass man mit ihr mitfühlen kann. Auch die anderen Charaktere sind divers, haben ihre eigenen Geschichten und Probleme und runden die Story gut ab.

Die Pferde spielen im Buch gar keine so große Rolle, vielmehr dient der Reiterhof als Schauplatz für die persönlichen Beziehungen und Entwicklungen der Charaktere.

Die Illustrationen sind richtig schön und ansprechend koloriert. Generell macht das ganze Buch mit seinem Hardcover einen sehr hochwertigen Eindruck und wie bereits erwähnt, war ich positiv überrascht von seinem Umfang.

[aspho’ · Rating 5 out of 5]

sometimes you read a book where people are so kind it makes you wanna cry and that’s how i felt reading the passage about the renfair. life can be so great. people have friends. people share moments with their friends. adults can dress up and go to medieval festivals and connect with young people who share the same passion and everyone is having a good time. i’m emotional


edit i see everyone talking about horses in the comments and here i am ranting about something completely unrelated. like yeah sure there are horses. the horses are there ig. but there’s also so much more <3

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is good, the story is good,but I think I'd have adored this a lot more back as a thirteen year old obsessed with horses. As an adult the novelty has worn off and I also haven't been around horses in a while. But I still really liked this, and it's a fun read with lovely artwork. 3.5 ⭐

[queendoortje · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute!! loved the horses and the story!! 🩷

[erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book and i love horses and i love horse girls

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ride On is a pleasant middle-grade graphic novel about making (and keeping) friends that never veers too dark or too off-the-wall. It's also going to be very appealing to a specific audience: horse girls. You might know one or be raising one. Faith Erin Hicks wrote Ride On just for them.

The book is still an enjoyable read even for those who are not horse connoisseurs. Victoria is a new arrival at Edgewood Stables, upsetting the ecosystem of horse lovers therein, especially because she gives them all the cold shoulder. Slowly, Victoria warms up to the potential new friends, though she was burned before at her last barn, Waverly. There's some light sci-fi fun regarding a Star Trek-style show that everyone gushes over. Mostly, though, Ride On is horses and nice people getting to know each other's quirks. Everyone wins here - it's a breath of fresh (horse barn) air.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This simple, gentle graphic novel explores a girl's love for horses, changing friendship dynamics, and interest in a science fiction TV show. This will appeal to kids who enjoy graphic novels, and even though this is mainly aimed for girls, the prominent, likable male character will give this some cross-gender appeal.

This didn't amaze me. There are a lot of better-plotted graphic novels with stronger emotional arcs, especially on the common theme of friendship, but even though this isn't exceptional, it's a nice book for the target audience. There are no content issues (except for some very mild language, maybe?), so this is also great for young readers reading above their grade level.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet small story of a horse girl. There is some young friend drama. But otherwise it is romance free. Except for the love of horses. The art is good throughout. The writing is clean and compelling. There are no big victories, but lot's of small ones. There is perhaps a little less conflict than there would be if this were better. But whatever. Thanks Steve for pointing out that I missed one by the author.

[Tamsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I enjoyed the primary story, I was not a "horse girl" at any point, but I AM a Trekkie, and loved the scene where they dressed as the crew from a future spaceship and filmed themselves at a Renaissance fair. :-) A good addition to our graphic novel collection.

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 ⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of divorce, talk of financial hardship, bullying


I had a really fun time reading this graphic novel. It reminded me so much of my time showing horses and my own competitions that I would train for. I really loved the conversation of stepping away from the competing aspect of horseback riding and choosing to ride horses because you love horses and enjoy doing it. I also related a lot to the situation that happened with our main character and her previous best friend. The conflict that happened between them and the talk of all the pressure to be the best rider is something that I can relate to, as well. That's a conflict I've faced many times and it really struck a cord with me seeing it and reading about it in this graphic novel. I do wish we got to see more of the riding and the show jumping, but it wasn't a big deal breaker for me with this book. However, I will say that I didn't enjoy all the characters of this story. I had a lot of issues with Norrie's character. I found her character to be annoying and trying to find problems/drama in places where there wasn't any. She would always cause a big deal about little things that didn't need to be blown up in to a big deal especially when it came to our main character, Victoria. Norrie would constantly paint Victoria as a bad person and be upset with her for no real reason other than coming from a didn't riding stable. It was really bothersome and it definitely caused me to struggle with reading certain parts of this graphic novel because her character felt so overly dramatic.

Overall, I really did enjoy my time reading this and it definitely makes me want more books about horseback riding and showing horses. I've always loved horses and have enjoyed working with them whether it was my time showing horses, trail riding for fun, or even now with the rescue work I do with horses. Lowkey hoping the author will do more graphic novels like this in the future or even see more of these characters. You can't fool me, I know there was something blooming between Victoria and Sam, but I just want to see more of these characters and the horses. Highly recommend this graphic novel especially if you're a horse lover!


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.


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[twirlinginameadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
A cute lil graphic novel filled with horses and friendship. Appropriate and clean. Which is always nice because some junior grade books are scary nowadays!! The characters weren’t perfect by any means(no one is but Jesus lol) for example, Norrine lied to her parents. Victoria was a little rude in the beginning because of past hurt but then she apologized. I would say ages 12 and up just because that’s what the characters age group seemed to be. They were obviously either in junior or high school. The graphics were really nice! And as a horse girl, I loved how well done the graphics for the horses were! From the little details of their lead rope being tied to holding the reins correctly(for English style riding). It was pretty accurate!

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her end of the year recommendations, Betsy Bird made a comment about almost missing this one, and how much she enjoyed it. I'm going to join that club! It came out in August, but I didn't grab it until reading Betsy's review in December. 12-year-old Victoria loves to ride, but she doesn't love the cutthroat competititve part of the sport. At her new stable, all she wants to do is ride - she has no desire to make any friends or deal with any drama. But the Eldgewood Stables regulars are persistent. Could a friend or two be so bad? A great choice for horse fans, graphic novel fans and those who just like a good story.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE that I now have a graphic novel that I can point readers to who want

A friendship narrative
HORSES
Lovers of sci-fi shows
Getting over fears, embracing second chances, not making something be the be all/end all in life

Of course, it was an easy read (which is perfect with graphic novels). But who needs depth sometimes on a snoozy Sunday? ;)

[Shana Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[CSC · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a childhood-long Horse Girl with a sci-fi obsession, this one got me right in the feels. 🥰🐴

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute. As a fellow Horse Girl, I really liked reading about the kids and their different relationships with riding and horses. I really enjoyed this and the artwork is fantastic as well.