Darkest Hour

Heartland #13

by Lauren Brooke

Heartland is a horse farm nestled in the hills of Virginia, but it's much more than that. Heartland is like no other place - it's a place where the scars of the past can be healed, a place where frightened and abused horses learn to trust again.

An equine flue is infecting Heartland's horses. Despite their desperate efforts, Amy and Ty cannot keep it from spreading. They try to isolate the oldest and youngest horses - the ones with weaker immune systems - but more fall ill. To make matters worse, the late summer heat is intense, Ty and Ben are at odds, and Amy feels caught in the middle. Then, just as some horses start to get better and the weather is about to break, things spin out of control. When the clouds clear away, nothing seems the same.

Genres: Horses, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Lauren Brooke grew up in a ranch in Virginia and now lives in Leicestershire, England. Her husband is a veterinarian who specializes in horses. Her books have been published by Scholastic since Mid-2000, starting with the first book of the Heartland book series. The first book of her popular Chestnut Hill series was published in 2005.

According to an interview on scholastics' website, Lauren Brooke has been riding since before she could walk. She also said she competes in a few local-level horse shows and events.

There may be some other people in books and movies named Lauren Brooke:
Amazon lists the author of "Book of spiritual regeneration" (1995) as Lauren Brooke.
IMDB.com has a record for an Actress named Lauren Brooke. Her only movie is "Wiseguys vs. Zombies" (2003) as Goat Man's Wife.

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book, I love reading about horses so this book was very interesting to me. There is a lot of bad things that happen and good things so there's quite bit of drama which makes the book more exciting.I would recommend it to someone who enjoys reading about horses and the country life. I wanted to keep reading it to finish it because it was so exciting and it made you just want to keep on reading it. The emotions that i had were sad because of horses that come to heartland that have been abused in someway and its sad to read about that. I was also happy because when Amy the main character helps the horses and makes them know everything will be okay.
The main character is Amy Fleming. Amy is a young girl about 14 that runs Heartland. She has a very special touch that she uses on abused or abandoned horses and she makes them trust people again. Her grandpa helps, they have two stable workers Ty which is also Amy's boyfriend and Ben. Amy's sister Lou helps by doing the paperwork and business like things at Heartland. The main setting of the story is at Heartland. Some horses were getting a bad flu. One after the other they watched the horses get sick. Just when things were getting better a bad storm came which resulted in a tornado. After the storm, they found the barn falling down with some horses trapped inside. The main conflict was when Ty went into the barn to try and get the horses out. A horse kicked the wall and the barn came down. It knocked Ty unconscious and they later learned that he was in coma. Without him things were hard at Heartland. The turning point is at the end when the horses are getting better. Ty still hasn't come out of coma but he is showing signs that he will soon come out of it.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back on with the rereads and my first finished book of the year, Darkest Hour is probably one of the most dramatic books of the series. But it's nearing the end, so both the characters and target audience are more grown up.
So much happens though that it's a bit of a whirlwind in itself- I remembered the big things, but with some little bits, it almost felt like reading them again for the first time. I don't quite know how I'd react to a tornado; probably like Lou. I'm glad England doesn't get them, at least not quite like in the US.
However, I love the continuity of the Heartland series, with horses and characters, and some of my favourite books in the latter half are coming up, so I'm looking forward to going back over them. :)

[Snoepjess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, but a tad sad.

[Amber]

aaawwweeesssooommmeee!!!:]]]

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has such a massive cliffhanger at the end

[Mark Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book

[Kireja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I'm a huge fan of the Canadian TV series Heartland, I've never read the Heartland book series that the show is based on because it was pretty difficult to get my hands on these books. Since they're out of print/dated, the books aren't in circulation at the public library and some vendors were also selling these books at ridiculously high prices (I saw one book going for $131 CAD), so clearly I wasn't going to fork over that much money for a book that might turn out to be a dud. So imagine my surprise when I came across "Darkest Hour" at a local store for just $1!

"Darkest Hour" is the thirteenth book in the Heartland series and yes, while I did read this book out of order, I wasn't confused or lost at any point in the story because I remembered the characters from having watched the show. That being said, someone who's never watched Heartland should obviously read the series in order.

This book really surprised me, and in the best way possible. I went into it thinking that it'd be a cliché YA book with terrible, sappy writing but boy was I wrong; the writing style was crisp and engaging and the storyline was thoroughly captivating. The only fault that I can find with this book was when the British authors "forgot" that their story was set in Virginia and they wrote "rubbish" instead of "garbage". Overall, a really great read for fans of the show, Heartland, as well as those interested in horses. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Tibbara's Den · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading these back to back really makes the mistakes stand out. In this one, the author has a horse who was female in the previous book, a male. While that was really annoying every time that horse was mentioned, the reason I didn't love this one was that the author tried to do too much. I think both plots were really interesting, but I think it would have worked better if split into two books. With the illness, the strain between Ty and Ben, the situation with Daniel, then the storm and the aftermath, nothing really felt all that impactful as it quickly moved from one thing to another.

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - This one was really quite emotional and a great example of what this series is really all about; a serious love of horses and connecting with people! Everything seems to go wrong in this book and I now have to pick up the next one in the series right away because not everything got wrapped up in a tidy bow like the other books!

[David Burnworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can remember watching the episode that this book became. It was terrible Ty getting hurt when the barn collapsed and worse that he is still in a come. I enjoyed how the family and the community came together to help get things going again at heartland. The best part was ty's mother coming to Heartland.

[Jane Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have recently started watching the series "Heartland" on cable tv and wanted to read the books that inspired the series. I like the family-oriented story and the characters who are human and compassionate. I liked this book as much as I do the series and read it in one sitting. I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about family and animals.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Heartland and the horses are facing equine flu. Everyone at the farm is determined to keep everything clean and the horses in isolation to keep the flu from spreading. It is a very tense time, and it forces the farm workers to get it together and find a new outlook and attitude on life. This is a great middle grade series for horse lovers.

[kat♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh my this one was a bit of a whirlwind and the sad cliffhanger... this was a great read from the series and this one just delicately weaves that reminder “tell people you love them because you dont know what will happen” and its true. this book series really does have a way with teaching deep lessons but in a simple yet impactful manner

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragedy befalls Heartland.
Equine flu is a very serious problem. Especially when its a farm. It really will sweep through a whole farm and leave devastating results. Not only have I dealt with infections first hand but know that the after effects are worse than the flu itself.

[Clemence D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que de nouvelles aventures dans ce nouveau tome entre la mise en quarantaine du haras et les chevaux qui tombent malades les uns après les autres. Laura ne sait plus où donner de la tête. Sans compter la tension qui monte entre les habitants de Heartland...

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I blazed through this one in a day. It’s the first one to end with a serious cliffhanger. Now I have to grab the next one!

[Olivia H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely most traumatic book of this whole series. Very suspenseful and stressful, and you have to go right into the 14!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emotional and suspenseful. Great family drama.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4,5⭐️

[Dagmar T. Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denne bog var lidt hård at læse på grund af den tid, som vi lever i lige nu med Covid-19. Det var en rigtig spændende bog, hvor Ty kommer alvorligt til skade under tordenvejret, og man føler med ham og Amy.

Jeg har givet bogen 5 ud af 5 stjerner.

[Caitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I connect with this book well, because it relates to my life. I have four horses, and I spend a lot of time with them. So I can tell when they’re happy, curious, upset, etc. When I read the book I could clearly visualize what the horse was doing and/or feeling as it was described in the book. I could also relate to the way Amy was feeling, especially when she was working with ill tempered or scared horses. My horse is sometimes stubborn and difficult to work with. So I understand how you have to have a lot of patience when you’re working with a horse whether it’s ill tempered or not. There is also a lot of emotion that goes into dealing with horses. Some good ways, some bad. One of the good ones for me would have to be the thrill of galloping on a horse. Another part that is similar that is when I’m dealing with a scared or high strung horse. They tend to pace a lot and flare their nostrils when they’re scared. This is well described in the book when Amy is trying to calm down a scared horse, after the barn had collapsed due to the storm. Amy is similar to me, she reacts to situations similar to how I would, so it made the book fun to read. Amy also has lots of knowledge about horses which was very helpful for me.

[AmbWitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

And another one. Although this one has a huge catastrophe in it (or rather even two), I still don’t have much to say on the matter. This used to be one of my favourites because it was so full of action.


Well the kiss with Daniel was interesting. I had a feeling that he liked her and I loved the idea of it causing problems with her and Ty as they seemed too perfect most of the time. I know that Ben had caused problems between them both but that was only briefly. They could have done more with this plot line of Daniel liking Amy but it was only briefly touched upon. But then again, they barely ever see each other, Daniel isn’t the sort of guy to push it and Amy only has eyes for Ty.


It was awful that Dylan(think this is the right one) died. Although we didn’t really see all that much of this horse, I thought he was great and ended up imagining how hard it must be to tell someone that their horse had died in your care, even if it was through a freak accident.
And oooh no, Ty!


That was probably the worst review I’ve ever written but I don’t care.

[Amanda Schell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the heartland series!!! All of them! And in case you were wondering the TV series is pretty good too <3

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: Heartland, Darkest Hour
Do you wish to learn to let your horse trust you again? Do you wish that your horse’s scar of the past can be healed?
Well heartland is where the place where you learn all those. They do their work with kindness .Not force; in this book, an equine flu is infecting heartland’s horses. The main character Amy and the stable hands Ben and Ty try to keep it from spreading. They tried to separate the oldest and youngest horses-the ones with weaker immune systems-but more falls ill. To make matters worse, the late summer heat is intense, Ty and Ben are odds, and Amy feels caught in the middle. Will they make it? Find out in the book! Also, I would recommend this book to girls that understand horses .

[Isabella Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a favourite for me, I just had to find out what was going to happen to Amy and everyone at Heartland, so I read it within a day! 😊

In this story, we follow Amy’s life as she looks after the new horses which have arrived for training at her Mother's farm, Heartland. All seems to be going well until an outbreak of Equine Flu rages through the stables and Amy is left to wonder how they will cope. To make matters worse, the Virginia summer heat is stifling and the storm clouds are rising. Will Amy be strong enough to face the damage left after the storm? And will she be able to nurse the sick horses back to health?

*Feel free to check out my overview for the Heartland series over on my Substack blog:

https://thepaintedcaravan.substack.co...

Isabella Ann of The Painted Caravan ♡

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

As if Amy's schedule wasn't busy enough, several of Heartland's horses have come down with equine flu. Amy and Ty are working around the clock to quarantine the sick horses in the back barn. Ben is upset because this means he can't compete with Red for several weeks. In the midst of the illness, Amy visits Daniel and Storm, and Daniel kisses her. Now Amy is confused, but before she can talk to Ty about it, a tornado hits Heartland.

I raced through this book hoping that everything would turn out okay... but I had to race through to the next volume because many things were left unresolved! I wished there was a little more romantic tension between Daniel and Amy - although Amy and Ty seem like a good couple, not much of their chemistry shows up in these books.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had very well developed, flawed characters, with a true sense of what the characters were feeling... for the most part. As an experienced horse-person, I was a little disappointed by the lack of realism of certain portions of the equine encounters in this book - in real life, training a horse is NEVER that simple, straight-forward or easy. But, it was a quick read and worth the 2 or so hours I put into it. Even though this book is near the end of the series, the characters are introduced and the story recapped, so I wasn't completely lost. It was a pretty good book that I did enjoy. I've actually started watching the television series, so I am enjoying this series quite a bit more now.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Heartland books are a fun read, and they’re pretty quick to get through for me. You get your horses and your heartache from Heartland. These books are pretty steady, all continuing the story of Amy, Lou, Ty, Jack and the assorted horses.
The writing and subject matter are obviously intended for children, and can be a bit clunky at times for individuals with a higher reading level.
Since there isn't a lot to say, this review is similar to past reviews of this series. I recommend this series to kids who love horses, or parents who want there children to read something that's about hard work and some of life's tough lessons.

[livresetsonges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je pense que nous avons ici un des livres les plus dramatiques de la série. Il annonce de grands changements, et un passage doucement mais sûrement à l'âge adulte. Ce livre m'a beaucoup touché. J'ai trouvé que la catastrophe naturelle et les drames qui vont avec ont été très bien amenés. On ressent vraiment la détresse des habitants d'Heartland, la peur… Ce livre fait sans conteste partie de mes livres préférés de cette série.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am loving this one so much! For a horse love such as myself this book series is wonderful! Am still a child at heart always! And I am not a big fan of too much drama and chaos or heat break and this one is really family oriented as well as soothing to read, which for me is one of the main reasons I love to read. To calm down and relax :):):):):):):)
Happy New Year to Everyone :):):):)