Sky Horse

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are Cairo Kelly and the Mann, The Gamma War, and The Tomorrow Tunnel.

Thirteen-year-old Becky is isolated on a wilderness ranch on Mustang
Mountain in rural Alberta. Her snobby cousin Alison, from New York, as
well as Alison’s unlikely friend Meg are being sent out to join her
for the summer. The three are in conflict from the moment they meet at
Calgary Airport. Alison is disdainful of everything, while Becky’s
dislike of all things “horsy” is almost as irritating. Meg, who is
totally out of her element in both of the other girls’ worlds, tags
along quietly. Partway up the winding mountain road leading to the
ranch, a near collision with an elk leaves the girls and their young
cowboy escort stranded in the middle of a freak June snowstorm. If that
isn’t enough excitement, throw in a raging river, two washed out
bridges, a grizzly bear, a plane crash, a spirited horse, two seriously
injured adults, a couple of budding romances—and you have Sky Horse.

This book is a clone of adolescent fiction from the 1940s and ’50s.
The characters are flat stereotypes, the plot premise is unlikely, and
the solutions to problems are unrealistic and unbelievable. In addition,
it takes two chapters to decide which of the three girls is the central
character. Aside from lots of action, there is little else to recommend
this novel. The scary part is that this is the first book in a series.
Not a first-choice purchase.