ANDREA YOUNG
Author of "Finny and the Boy from Horse Mountain"
Against the backdrop of the high-stakes and intensely competitive equestrian sport of show jumping, Finny, a fifteen-year-old girl in California, adopts Sky, an emaciated, untrained horse without her parents’ knowledge. Finny seems to have an affinity for the neglected and unwanted. Soon after adopting Sky, she meets Joe, a sixteen-year old, runaway. Shy, but with a wisdom beyond his years, Joe’s love for horses and ability to train them gives Finny hope that she too can compete in the show jumping arena—against rich girls on fancier horses.
But nothing is easy or certain. Finny and Joe know Sky has tremendous potential but his unusual temperament makes him extremely difficult, if not dangerous to train. Keeping both Sky and Joe a secret from her parents is vital, but when Joe catches the eye of another girl that always gets what she wants, things get even more complicated. When Joe’s mysterious past catches up with him, things go from bad to potentially fatal.
A Thrilling Novel
for Teens and Tweens!
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Finny and the Boy from Horse Mountain
"Mother-Daughter book clubs have become increasingly popular over the years as terrific ways to increase the special bond between them, share the joy of reading, and learn how to look at writing with a more critical eye.
Finny and the Boy from Horse Mountain is the perfect book for just such clubs. Written for those between 9-13 years, it is also an exhilarating read for adults. Finny, a girl whose parents have divorced and started new families of their own is not so much unloved as just sort of left over. She loves horses and finds fulfillment by working at riding stables and spending time with her beloved rescue horse, Sky.
Joe, a runaway, is also deeply involved in the horse world; he specializes in breaking wild horses making them suitable for riding. Through a series of both tragic and heartwarming events, they find each other and develop a relationship that fills both of their need for “family.”
Andrea Young’s characters really come alive. The plotting is tight, suspenseful, and thrilling. As a choice for a Mother –Daughter book club, it will offer readers the opportunity to discuss the meaning of family, the angst of the teen-age years, the good and evil nature of humans, and what it means to follow your dreams. Impossible to put down, readers will hate to see the story end. Luckily, this is first of a trilogy; happily, we’ll meet up with Finny and Joe again."
- Sally G. Reed, Executive Director United for Libraries
“Love it! This book beautifully represents the special bond between the horse and rider. It demonstrates that with hard work and persistence you can reach your goals. Add a first love to the mix and you have a great story!”
- Kiligan McGrath, FEI North American Young Rider, Gold Medalist
"Finny and the Boy from Horse Mountain is an exciting and touching read for horse lovers of any age. Its a story of young love, excitement, and of course the love and devotion to animals that brings together so many people. Finny and Joe, along with Sky, the horse, are the perfect characters to tell a story that will captivate you from page one. The perfect mix of the 'wild west' side of horses and the competitive world of showjumping, this is a must read for any horse lover."
- Georgina Bloomberg, Author of "The A Circuit"