A review by theawkwardbookw
Dark Horses by Cecily Von Ziegesar
3.0
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*I received this book as part of Booktube Tours in exchange for my honest review*
VIDEO REVIEW TO COME SEPT 30th:
Dark Horses is told from two perspectives, Merritt a self destructive teenaged girl and an ex race horse named Red. After the death of her grandmother and horse, Merritt walks out in the middle of her SAT test after a night of drinking. Her parents opt to send her to Good Fences, an equestrian based rehab facility, where she meets Red. Red belongs to the owner's daughter Beatrice who also attends Good Fences. Red has been unable to bond with anyone and hasn't allowed anyone to ride him for years, until he meets Merritt. Their bond quickly catches the attention of Beatrice's owner, a very wealthy business man who decides to fund Merritt and Red to compete in horse races around the United States. Merritt develops a friendship with Beatrice and also a possible love interest in her competition, a rider named Carvin. Red does not take lightly to Merritt's new found friendships, anyone who comes between himself and Merritt poses a threat and he will stop at nothing to keep the two of them together forever.
The book was extremely easy to read, fast paced and fun to read. I really enjoyed the changing POV between Merritt and Red. I loved Red's point of view, he was such a jerk and I was laughing at most of the things he thought about. I still don't know how I feel about Merritt... at times I found her very bland and boring but other times I really liked her as a character. The insta-love between Carvin and Merritt was a bit of a bummer to me, although it took awhile for their relationship to actually develop, the initial onset came way to quickly in my opinion. You could really tell that the author has an extensive knowledge about horses and equestrian lifestyle based off of the vocabulary she uses and her writing in general on the topic. The writing did occasionally go off on tangents that I didn't find relevant to the plot development, it was still an enjoyable read! I did feel like the plot was a bit too far-fetched and convenient at times though. I also found the ending to be unresolved, I really want to know what happens next with Merritt and Carvin! Overall, I enjoyed the story!
*I received this book as part of Booktube Tours in exchange for my honest review*
VIDEO REVIEW TO COME SEPT 30th:
Dark Horses is told from two perspectives, Merritt a self destructive teenaged girl and an ex race horse named Red. After the death of her grandmother and horse, Merritt walks out in the middle of her SAT test after a night of drinking. Her parents opt to send her to Good Fences, an equestrian based rehab facility, where she meets Red. Red belongs to the owner's daughter Beatrice who also attends Good Fences. Red has been unable to bond with anyone and hasn't allowed anyone to ride him for years, until he meets Merritt. Their bond quickly catches the attention of Beatrice's owner, a very wealthy business man who decides to fund Merritt and Red to compete in horse races around the United States. Merritt develops a friendship with Beatrice and also a possible love interest in her competition, a rider named Carvin. Red does not take lightly to Merritt's new found friendships, anyone who comes between himself and Merritt poses a threat and he will stop at nothing to keep the two of them together forever.
The book was extremely easy to read, fast paced and fun to read. I really enjoyed the changing POV between Merritt and Red. I loved Red's point of view, he was such a jerk and I was laughing at most of the things he thought about. I still don't know how I feel about Merritt... at times I found her very bland and boring but other times I really liked her as a character. The insta-love between Carvin and Merritt was a bit of a bummer to me, although it took awhile for their relationship to actually develop, the initial onset came way to quickly in my opinion. You could really tell that the author has an extensive knowledge about horses and equestrian lifestyle based off of the vocabulary she uses and her writing in general on the topic. The writing did occasionally go off on tangents that I didn't find relevant to the plot development, it was still an enjoyable read! I did feel like the plot was a bit too far-fetched and convenient at times though. I also found the ending to be unresolved, I really want to know what happens next with Merritt and Carvin! Overall, I enjoyed the story!