On a Good Horse by Darby Karchut
Source: Author, NetGalley, Purchase, and Owl Hollow Press
Rating: 5 stars

**MINI REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: Y’all, I truly cannot get enough of these reads! Darby Karchut has a gift for writing characters who are full, beyond interesting, fully developed, and absolutely memorable. Once again, for me, those characters are the TALKING HORSES. In this read, I felt a real connection to the horses as each worked to not only find his place on the ranch but among their humans as well. In this instance, there is a horse for each human, but the smaller of the humans, Alex, has never been around horses and must learn to trust the mount his dad, Roberto has given him as a gift. The true heart of this story is the connection between Alex and his horse. Though they cannot talk to one another, the communicate in a myriad of other ways which is often so kind and so tender. This is the story of trust and friendship, both of which blossom as the connection between a boy and his horse grows.

Finally, I have said it before and I will continue to say it: if you aren’t reading Darby Karchut, get started. Her books are beautifully written, thoughtfully conceived, and full of endearing and wonderfully likeable characters. What’s more, Karchut’s books are appropriate for any age reader and I highly encourage you to encourage your kids to dive into her books. You won’t regret it!

In general, this was an emotionally beautiful story about a father-son relationship which I liked a lot.
The author did a beautiful job in writing the story. It is never easy changing your life unexpectedly and adjusting to new situations. To that end, the author nicely writes about how Alex adjusts to his new life with his father and develops a bond with the horses.

Also, the author’s strength is in developing the relationship between Rob and Alex. Altogether, she paces the story in a steady manner where you see both of them slowly breaking barriers to emotionally connect with one another. To be honest, there were times where I didn’t like Alex because of the way he used to lash out at Rob. But later, you slowly start to see them realize their mistakes and adjust themselves. Similarly, I also liked Reece as a nice supporting character. She has her own issues without the horse but keeps blaming Alex at times for not taking care of it properly.

After reading this book, I honestly felt like taking a trip to the ranch and learning to ride a horse. Significantly, there are some interesting terms I learned like the difference between the horseshoer and a farrier. Moreover, I also liked how the chapter squeezes in a chapter here and there from the horses’ perspective, which made it very interesting. On a side note, I loved that the story is set against the gorgeous backdrop of Sierras de Córdoba.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful middle-grade book, and look forward to reading some of the author’s other novels.

This story is about Alex, who has been living with his mom and has little contact with his dad, a horse trainer. When Alex's mom dies, Alex ends up going to live (unwillingly) with his dad. His dad is emotionally distant but wants to do the right thing. He buys Alex a horse in hopes that Alex will want to continue to live with him. The horse is also one of the story tellers, which is an excellent addition to the story. I think kids are going to like this one a lot.

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After Alex’s mother dies unexpectedly, he is sent to live with his estranged father who buys him a horse which helps him with his grief as he tries to cope with the death of his mother and also gives him an opportunity to bond with his father. This is a heartwarming read that explores themes of family and lightly touches on grief.

Great book about horses, reconnecting, and finding love unexpectedly in ways it can help one heal. Alex’s mom died and so Alex goes to live with his dad, whom he barely knows, for the summer while his aunt and uncle have work. Alex’s dad buys him a horse, and Alex learns to ride and help his dad with his job horse shoeing . Alex and his dad begin to bond and he thinks he wants to stay if his dad wants him to.. His aunt wants him back,but Alex decides his love for his dad and his horse are too great and he decides to stay.

After the death of his mother Alex is sent to live with his father who shoes horses for a living. Can the 2 develop a relationship?

The book wasn't bad but I felt that the really climactic event took place too early in the book and then it was just a slow burn.

There aren't many contemporary horsey books about boys, making On a Good Horse something of a standout in the genre. Alex Nash is forced to spend the summer with his estranged father following the sudden and unexpected death of his mother while his aunt and uncle, who wish to be Alex's guardians, wrestle with the court system. Alex, who has been raised on stories of his father rooted in his mother and mother's family antipathy for him, expects nothing good to come of the experience. Over time he begins to get to know his father on his own terms, aided to some degree by an unexpected mutual love for horses and vaquero life. While the majority of the book is told from Alex's POV, occasional chapters are included from the POV of Rio, Alex's horse. In my opinion this approach, while unique, does not pay off sufficiently given the invariable confusion these chapters cause when they suddenly appear out of nowhere.

Sorry to say the words and sentences were overlapping in my advanced readers copy and I cannot read the book at all no matter how hard I tried. I downloaded the ebook many a times. They were all the same.

When Alex’s mum dies, he has to go & live with his dad, who he’s rarely seen since they divorced when he was 3 years old. Life for Alex couldn’t be more different, living with Rob Nash, horse shoer. Now in cowboy country, life revolves around horses, including Rio, the half Arab gelding dad has bought for him.

This is a good, but somewhat straightforward story of how Alex grows to love Rio, his dad and life in the wild west. Although the story kept my interest, there was little of the sorrow and anguish that would accompany the death of a parent and the move to a new life. Because of this, the story would be suitable for younger readers.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#OnaGoodHorse #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

On a Good Horse is firmly a middle grade novel about a young boy who suddenly finds himself living with his estranged father after his mother unexpectedly passes away. Forced to relocate for the summer to a small town in Colorado where his father lives, Alex contends with his grief and anger with the help of a spunky horse named Rio. The summer brings tribulations but also celebrations and a mature awareness that life’s unexpected curveballs can have surprising outcomes.

It’s a sweet story about a boy and his father and a boy and his horse. Young horse lovers will no doubt enjoy some of the horsey details, including chapters from Rio’s point of view. The plot feels a bit too saccharine for my taste and there’s no real dramatic tension despite some rather dramatic events. I never for one moment doubted the conclusion. Secondary characters are not well developed but the main characters are. Dialogue is sparse, mostly interior monologues, so there’s a lot of telling versus showing. On the plus side, Alex’s dad is a good man and a good father even if he’s a bit of the gruff, silent cowboy type. It seems that irreconcilable differences between the parents created the biggest obstacle to coparenting rather than a lack of interest or love. When he finally has the chance, Alex’s dad proves without a doubt his ability to love, care, and provide for Alex. Alex learns that grief and healing occur in many phases. He develops responsibility, empathy, and resilience over the course of the summer. Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart would be a strong recommendation for the reader who likes On a Good Horse.

What a fun, clean and sweet read!
I've never read a horse story quite like this one. I did love it because I love horses and I feel that I've come to know this one very well.
I also can't image falling asleep in the saddle. I think I'd be afraid I'd fall off and get trampled on. But good ol Rio. He's such a sweet horse.
I envied Alex in a way. He had it all and didn't even realize it. Even tho he's a great kid and all.
This new to me author is great! I liked how she pulled me right into Alex and Rio's story. Her style of writing is wonderful!
I didn't feel that this book was hurried in anyway! I loved everything about it!
This would make an awesome heartwarming Hallmark movie.
The cover is a delight! I could feel this horses' delight at running free. It looks like he certainly was enjoying himself lol!
But anyway, great characters, wonderful storyline for horse lovers everywhere in the world!
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I was very excited to read Darby Karchut's contemporary middle grade, I knew it was going to be special and it was even better than I had imagined; it is an incredibly beautiful and heartfel story and I'd absolutely recomment it to anyone, no matter their age, because even if this is aimed towards a MG audience, I'm sure anyone who read this will love and appreciate this book.

The story is told from two perspectives: Alex, and Rio, the horse. After tragedy hits, Alex is sent to live with his estranged father; now if you've read some of Darby's books before you'll know she's fantastic at writing father/son dynamics and this is another great example. Reading about how they go their way into repairing their relationship and also about Alex trying to heal after the tragedy and the role Rio plays in all of this, it's just amazing. I was left with a newfound admiration for horses and a wish to one day learn to ride one or really just interact with them because they're extraordinary creatures.

Loved the characters, loved the writing, loved the development of the story. I can only congratulate Darby for gifting us with this brilliant book, do yourself a favor and read it.

On A Good Horse is told in the dual perspective of Alex mixed in with chapters that feature the internal dialogue of Rio. Rio is sympathetic to Alex's grief and always expresses a desire in wanting to help him overcome his sadness. Rio's also the first to recognize that Alex and his father need to mend their relationship. He's sort of a link between the two where they can share information and Alex can become more "horse savvy." For Rio he just wants to ride fast across the open range and share that feeling with Alex. Karchut wonderfully captures that feeling of what riding a horse feels like for the very first time. The nervousness, anticipation and slight fear. For Alex it's developing a trust between the two. As Alex begins to take over more and more of the daily chores and care of Rio, he starts to learn more about his father, what his job entails, why his parents split apart and just what kind of man his father is. The relationship between Alex and his father and even Rio and Alex grows slowly. At first there are those awkward pauses and silences, even misunderstandings between father and son, and then you start to see these beautiful moments where they begin to connect with one another on a more personal level. This is such a beautiful story, about family and the things that connect us, I just adored the relationship that developed between Alex and his dad. Especially the moments when Alex's dad was teaching him how to shoe a horse, talking him through the steps, teaching him how to do one and then allowing him to take over and do one of his own. On A Good Horse will appeal to readers who love reading books about horses, and is perfect for someone who enjoys the complexity of familial relationships and stories about repairing the relationship between a father and son. **A huge thank you to Owl Hollow Press and NetGalley for the E-ARC **

“On a Good Horse” is a beautifully written coming-of-age story about a grieving boy, his estranged father and the magnificent horse that brings them together. After Alex’s mother dies unexpectedly, he is forced to spend the summer with his misunderstood father, whom Alex has little to no relationship with. Alex is heartbroken and angry, but the gift of Rio, a wise and noble Arabian horse, slowly but surely begins to soften Alex’s heart and mend the divide between he and his dad. This book would be a wonderful read-aloud for late-elementary and middle grade students. I will definitely be recommending it to my students. Thank you so much Net Galley for the advanced copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

This is a well written book that horse lover's of all ages will love. Alex and Rio's story will touch your heart. I loved it! Thank you Owl Hollow Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Oh my horse loving heart loved this book so much! While this book may be geared towards a middle grade audience, any age will love this story of a boy and his horse learning to heal. While I loved the chapters from Alex's point of view, I absolutely adored the chapters from Rio's point of view.

Death of a parent is a main theme in this book but is done in such an amazing way. After the death of his mom, Alex is sent to spend the summer with his estranged dad in Colorado. Alex's path to healing is carried out from the back of his new horse Rio.

I highly recommend this book and will be pressing it into the hands of everyone I can find. " Easier to carry the bad when you're mounted on a good horse"

Thank you Netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

There aren't any words for how much I enjoyed this book. It's really funny, which is good because it also deals with a boy who's lost his mom and who is basically building a relationship with his dad from scratch. It's not like they'd never met, but the divorce was acrimonious and they didn't see each other very often.

This is Darby's contemporary middlegrade debut, and it's amazing. As anyone who reads her books can attest, one of her very real strengths is writing great father-son relationships, but this one is on a whole other level. Alex and his dad (Rob) have no foundation at all (seriously, Rob is the parent who sees his kid maybe once a year and shows up with a picture book for a seven year old. And it's not entirely his fault--again, VERY acrimonious divorce and he lives far away) so seeing the two of them learn to connect is absolutely beyond touching. It doesn't hurt that Rob, bless his heart, is not above bribery (he buys Alex a horse).

Also, a few chapters are from the horse's perspective. This is a dangerous choice, because it could become sappy or weird or break the book's pacing. It's actually fantastic though; Rio is a total smartass and his chapters are wonderful and I laughed through all of them. (He's also a bit of a marshmallow but don't repeat that; he would bite me for it.)

I absolutely adore this book. Highly recommended.