*sigh* I expected more from this book. I know it is written for elementary school aged girls, but 13-year-old Kristen would have given this novel a 1 star rating. I would have been very upset by the amount of needless drama stemming from misunderstandings (come on Sasha, use some common sense), and the 'prissy-ness' of the female characters. I didn't start wearing makeup until my 20s. I had absolutely not desire to do so at 13. Some times, I am convinced this novel was written to sell lip gloss to its young readers. In my experience as a preteen, most of the girls at my horse back riding barn, myself included, were tomboys. While I danced ballet and liked 'girly' colours, I had absolutely no interest in clothes or makeup.
When I was in grade 5-8, I longed for a series about girls who horse back rode and were my age. There were a couple of them, but I read through them very quickly and was left wanting something more. I would have been excited by Canterwood Crest but terribly disappointed.
WHY DO ALL OF THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS IN THIS NOVEL (minus Paige, who, to my 20-something-year- old self seems like she might be a lesbian) HAVE BOYFRIENDS? What do you even 'do' with boyfriends at that age? Walk around holding hands?
While I acknowledge I started dating very, very late in life, I don't think I'm an exception for not dating while in elementary school. I most certainly had crushes, but even if they had returned my affections, I don't think it would have gone anywhere. I was too busy horse back riding, playing soccer and keeping my grades up!
I really wish Heather were the protagonist in this series. Sasha is so dull. She's nice, she's pretty, she's loyal and sweet, but she has no spunk. Heather is stubborn, determined, intelligent and prone to anger and jealousy, which is what I love about her. She's gutsy and relateable. I liked that she played a more central role in this novel, but her two best friends, Allison and Julia, are still interchangeably underdeveloped. They might as well have been merged into one character.
So, 13-year-old Kristen rates this novel 1 star because the characters are boy crazy, prissy (fashion and makeup obsessed), and there is not nearly enough drama and plot line dedicated to horses and horse back riding.
24-year-old Kristen won't give this book 1 star because it was mildly enjoyable and did involve horses; one stars as reserved for novels that should be used to start bonfires, and this book is too good for that, yet not good enough to satisfy me at any age.