Oh how I love the writing of Palacio! I loved the book Wonder, so I was very excited to see Pony available here to read! And for me, it lived up to the expectations that I had.
I love the writing, the descriptive world-building, and actually, overall, I loved the story. I love historical fiction, and I was honestly left spellbound in so many places.

Surprisingly beguiling, semi-Western story, set in Victorian times in the US. A boy who has only a ghost for a companion wakes up one morning to see some crooks cart his father off, thinking he will partake in their plan to counterfeit money – he is a dab hand at chemicals and printing, and photography and suchlike. When the horse that was supposed to take the lad too returns alone, he decides it is a sign he must go and rescue his father – a journey that takes him through the darkness of humanity and out the other side, mostly alongside a near toothless aged marshall…

Yes, there is the wonderful sense of well-done magical realism about these pages, with a real sense of the unusual in the characters, the thin line between the living and the dead, and more. The ghost friend doesn't know why he's kicking around, and our hero would certainly wish for his mother to still be alive – she died in childbirth. There is also the sense this is too long and flowery for its own good, as well, however, especially as one point to be had about one character is both kind of unexplainable and yet bleeding obvious.

Ultimately the message is that love ties threads that exist beyond the generations – the mother is often thought of, and both our previous character and what has happened before has a bearing on who we are now and what we can become. Ultimately, too, the message is that yes, this author has something not related to "Wonder" in her – the two off-shoots of that I read showed little promise of such things. A pleasantly surprising four stars, although it ought to be said some readers younger than the teen bracket will struggle with the MC's literary and relatively high-falutin' vocab.

Before I start my review I need to clarify that this is not my usual genre, and I’m unlikely to be the type of reader this book is specifically aimed at, with me not being a tween/teen! This may be why my rating is fairly low.

A few years ago, I watched ‘Wonder’, then, discovering it was a book first, I read it and fell in love with it. This is the reason why I wanted to read Palacio’s latest offering, however unfortunately, for me, this book pales in comparison.

The book has an unusual pace; some parts are definitely exciting, some deeply moving, however, I found myself skimming and scanning a large proportion of the story as it wasn’t holding my interest.

The premise is interesting, and I can imagine it being turned into a movie too, but this book was a bit of a disappointment overall. As I stated at the beginning though, I am not Palacio’s target market, and this is not my usual genre so I feel this review may seem a little unfair. Apologies to the author, but I preferred your previous work immensely. 2.5-3 stars.

Ok 4 stars from me because it was a very heart-warming and easy read about a young boy facing his fears to find his father who has been taken away. I enjoyed the flashback moments that built up this relationship between Silas and his dad. The people (dead and alive) that Silas met on his adventure and how they all shaped his journey was enjoyable to read.

An immersive adventure story with a strong wild west vibe. There's danger and hardship woven together with themes of grief and loss. The ghosts initially felt out of place but everything came together in the end. I found it emotional and spiritual and loved the friendships and bonds between the characters, especially Silas and Mittenwool. It had a brilliant ending and I thoroughly enjoyed reading my first western novel that stands out on the bookshelf. I also have to mention the wonderful cover, which instantly drew me towards the book in the first place.

Having really enjoyed Palacio's previous novel, 'Wonder', I eagerly picked this up. I hadn't realised it was a children's book, but it didn't matter anyway as it's one of those well written stories that is enjoyable for adults as well. The narrator is Silas, a twelve year old living a quiet life in 19th century USA. Until several men arrive at his home and kidnap his father. When one of the men's horses returns riderless, Silas fears the worst and decides to follow and attempt a rescue,

The novel has a strong supernatural element - Silas is able to see and hear things that others cannot. He is accompanied on his adventure by Mittenwool, a ghost he has been friends with for his whole life. Silas' gift is both a blessing and a curse - it has left him isolated but also gives him access to world that is not visible to most people.

Silas is a very likeable character whom you want to succeed, and the people around him are well drawn too. The story zips along at a good pace, and it doesn't duck away from genuine peril and sadness despite it's 'children's' label. It maybe lacks some complexity, but no more so than a lot of adult books I've read and enjoyed less. The 19th century setting allows for a child to have adventures that wouldn't be possible in the same way in the modern world.

I am always careful about recommending a book as suitable for a particular age group as children differ in their maturity and reading abilities. I'd say it was probably appropriate for junior school age children (age 7 and up) in terms of content and readable by children within that age group although possibly not the youngest within that. It's the sort of story I could imagine having really loved and remembered if I'd read it as a child and I'd recommend it as a book to buy as a gift to young readers.

Given that it was written by the same author as “Wonder”, I was expecting something similar but in fact it was totally different.

This was a historical story, extremely descriptive and filled with adventure from the start. I feel that both the story line and how this book was written leans more towards the older group of 12 upwards rather than the audience that it has been set at.

It did have me gripped and wanting to find out more but if I’m honest I did prefer the style of “Wonder” to this.

The writing of this book blew me away. I am a bit lost for words now. I love it, absolutely love it.

The story is about a boy, Silas, with a special marking on his back after he got struck by lightning. He has a friendly ghost as a friend and companion. One night, three men came for his father and him, claiming that his father was a criminal with a different name. His father left with them, probably to protect his son and the men promised to return him safely home in a week. The following day, Silas woke up to one of the men's ponies at his door. He set off to rescue his father.

The storyline is intriguing and the writing is just impeccable. It is not an easy read though as some of the words are not easy. I would probably put it down as more for KS3 students.

Pony has to be one of the best middle-grade books I’ve read in a long time. It’s one of those stories that left me thinking about the characters and storyline for ages afterwards. It’s a story full of emotion, mystery and adventure – added with an element of supernatural magic which takes the reader to another level. Pony is set in 1800s America, so as well as the topics mentioned above, there is also history to add to its many qualities, which all knit together to make the perfect book. I devoured this story in no time, eager to know the outcome – what happened to Sila’s genius of a father? Who is Mittenwool and where did he come from? And last but not least, the mysterious and magnificent character that is: PONY.
R. J. is a brilliant author who has captured the setting, emotion and pace perfectly. After reading Pony, I shall be buying Wonder and many more of R .J.’s future books.

I loved this book so much, it was brilliantly written and I just loved the old style pictures they really added to the enjoyment of the book. Giving it that period details made you really feel like you were part of the past and got you in the mood for reading it. Its also giving an insight to the child of what is was like in the past. I loved the mystery around most of the characters. I started reading this to my 9 year old daughter but I soon realised she wasn't getting into the book but I was so I read it myself. I would of thought this book was more orientated to the young adult aged 12 and up, but adults like me will love it aswell. The adventure aspect of this book was amazing and it grabbed me and I wanted to read more. Its a great book for those who do reading challenges and need a book for a coming of age story. Its also great for a western book. I loved the fact that the book had so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. There was plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat. Its a page turner which I just could not put down. I connected well with the characters as there was plenty of detail that made you love or hate them. There was a great sense of atmosphere with this story. I love stories with tension that whats going to happen next or what will he do next. The ending was super brilliant but I'm not going to give anything away. Thanks to the author and publishers for bringing this tremendous book to life for us all to enjoy.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog http://wix.to/C4FsEzy?ref=2_cl

All my children loved Wonder, they have read the book and watched the movie. My youngest daughter in particular is a huge fan of the book and has read it several times. When I told her I had a copy of Pony to read she was very excited. In hindsight, I probably should not have mentioned it was by R. J Palacio because she was expecting a similar book in style and content and initially Pony and Wonder seem to be very different books.

After reading the opening chapters, she did need some encouragement to continue, again because it was not the book she was anticipating reading. It took her another twenty or thirty pages and then she was enthralled . In her own words, this is just a magical a book as Wonder just a different type of magical.

She loved the characters the characters , the mystery and how Silas learned to face his fears.. After the rocky start she ended up really enjoying this one and found it an emotional read. Lesson learned there for her too about persevering and reading outside of genre's she is comfortable with.

4.- 4.5 stars from her and her older brother is reading now on her recommendation.

Will buy the paperback for their collection, stunning cover and one they will re-read here.

Bella - 100000000/5 (age 9)
We watch Silas Bird embark on a journey to save his father, a Scottish boot-maker, with the help of his trusty friends 'Mittenwool' and Pony - not knowing that he was kidnapped by a bunch of famous criminals! I loved the silly names for his animals - a pony named Pony and a mule called Mule, it made me laugh out loud! I absolutely loved Pony, this is possibly for older kids, but i think this is a terrific book! There was lots of twists and turns, and I loved trying to guess what would happen next, but it also made me cry and I didn't expect that!

Charlie - 5/5
Set in the 1800’s, we follow introverted Silas Bird & his ghost friend, Mittenwool, on their journey to find his father, a Scottish boot maker and photographer, who was stolen away by strangers looking for a mystery man named 'Mac Boat'. This was the first historical fiction novel that I have read with Bella, and so was unsure whether she would take to it... but she LOVED it, and although this is aimed for children, as an adult, I really really enjoyed it too! We could not help but fall in love with all of the characters, they were written so beautifully and developed throughout the novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how one book could have us laughing one moment, crying the next & then completely stunned a couple pages later... This was truly a beautiful book that
will stick with me for years too come.

The author R J Palacio will be familiar to many, due to the huge bestselling book “Wonder”. Seeing an unrelated book by the same author intrigued me, and I didn’t know what to expect. This historical novel is completely different. The main character is a 12 year old boy, Silas Bird, whose life is turned upside down in the night when armed gunmen come and take his father. Silas is left with a pony and guided by a ghost who only he can see, and he goes after the bandits to try to find his father.
It’s an interesting story, and I did enjoy it. The premise is definitely original and layers of mystery are gradually solved as the story reaches its conclusion.

Wow. What a book! I was utterly spellbound by R.J. Palacio’s latest offering, Pony. It is an intricately created, totally unpredictable and deeply emotional book, which grabbed my attention from the first page to the last.

The story begins with the protagonist, Silas, waking to find three bandits taking his father away. The twelve-year-old is left alone - with only his ghost friend as company. When a mysterious pony arrives at his door the next morning, Silas decides he must face his fears and journey into the unknown to find his father. What follows is an epic voyage, connecting him to his past and his future.

Pony is an adventure story, about courage, conviction and never giving up. It is a coming of age tale about the importance of the bonds that connect us, showing us that we are never truly alone. I found it deeply moving and was completely swept away by the story. It’s different to anything I’ve ever read and I applaud the wonder that is R. J. Palacio for yet another utterly brilliant creation.

I will definitely be adding Pony to our Year 6 bookshelf: in my mind, it is a future classic and I feel very lucky to have had a sneak preview. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.