A welcome trip to New Zealand, and an unwelcome trip for Folly, the oddly-named girl leading her pony Tooth on a quest. Disgusted at the idea of moving, and moving in with a new step-mum, Folly is determined to go to the top of the North Island, where there is a sacred place, and dispose of the ashes of her mother. It's a several-day trip, to be done in secret, ignoring the fact she will be missed quite quickly, but if it helps her evident Electra complex, then all is well and good. I mean, her pony and she can talk perfectly well to each other, so there's that to help.

This proves to be a more complex story than that whimsical summary might suggest. Sure, I don't think all the elements work together – I think I could have done without a more serious threat for the whole expedition, as it jars with the quaintness of the rest. But Tooth and Folly make a very strong pair to read about, her narration is very finely presented, and the way the magic of the cross-species communication is done so matter-of-factly is definitely the right approach. We are in New Zealand after all – who knows what else we ought to just accept about the place? So I didn't think this perfect, but it would make a fine and dramatic kids' movie – if it weren't cinematic enough already. A strong four stars.

Grieving the loss of her mother, 12 year old Folly is furious at her father for apparently replacing her so quickly and her little brother for accepting the interloper.

He takes her mother's ashes and runs away with her talking pony Tooth to undertake a pilgrimage of sorts. But along the way, little goes to plan - though there are plenty of adventures in store for Folly and Tooth, including encounters with a wild woman in the woods, a boy with unusual interests, and some very dangerous men whom she manages to get on the wrong side of...

Will Folly and Tooth live to tell the tale of their harrowing journey?

This is an intelligent, sensitive story about traditions, a search for meaning, and coming to terms with loss. Worth a read, it gets 3.5 stars