BOOK REVIEW : A VERY GOOD CHANCE
Assalamualaikum, dear
I was beyond excited to find out that Sarah Moore Fitzgerald had a new book coming out, and yaaaa that cover is just way too gorgeous.
Out of the two books (I still haven't read her first book
-- Back to Blackbrick -- but I will soon).
I still love The Apple Tart of Hope more but it's safe to say that I was not disappointed with A Very Good Chance. I'm rating this book 4.5 stars!
Synopsis from goodreads:
Set in Dublin and Siena, with its dizzying, dare-devil Palio horse race, this is a story about taking chances, being brave and learning the best way to see the world.
Some people step through a wardrobe to find adventure, but Minty follows the twisty-turny trees into Nettlebog. There she finds Ned Buckley -- the moody, mysterious boy who never talks at school. As Minty's world disintegrates around her, she searches for refuge in Nettlebog, and she discovers more about Ned : he's able to ride wild horses. And he knows things about the human race that will save her. Or there's a very good chance at least.
This book has a lot of focus on friendship -- the kind that doesn't start off on the right foot but once given the chance, becomes powerful and inspiring. It's about family -- about it failing apart and the consequences of it. It's also about horses, which I found to be random at first but I was touched and amazed with the relationship between horse and rider.
I absolutely love the writing. I thought that the plot was decent, but it did't stand out as much as writing. There were so many beautifully - constructed thoughts and sentences that made me want to write them on stick-it notes and paste them on my walls, tweet them to the world, and mark them with colourful tabs. Some captured how I felt about friendship and love, while others inspired me with hope about life and having the power to choose how you want to live it.
The writing does have a Middle Grade vibe to it, so I'd say its more MG than YA. It's very innocent and appropriate for anyone to read.
I can't say that I adore the characters much, but I really appreciated seeing development in the main character, Minty. I got a bit emotional reading about the family issues she had to face, and I was proud of how she learnt to stand up for herself when nobody wanted to listen or consider what she wanted.
All in all, I really enjoyed A Very Good Chance and would recommend it to everyone who loves Middle Grade books. It's short (around 180 pages), but wonderful. If you liked The Apple Tart of Hope, I think you'll like this too. Thank you Sarah Moore Fitzgerald for another beautiful book!
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