At Risk

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Abbotsford, B.C.

Nineteen-year-old Tia Winter’s summer job as a counsellor at the
Circle Four Ranch for troubled youth promises the opportunity of
combining her “two very different passions—psychology and horses.”
Her charge, 16-year-old Sage Knowles, “a runaway and convicted
thief,” presents an enormous challenge for the rookie trail rider.
Realizing that one year of psychology studies has not prepared her for
Sage, Tia turns to fellow counsellors for advice and guidance.

The ranch, “located on a remote part of the Rocky Mountains,”
supports the Equine Facilitated Counselling concept and Tia, raised on a
farm, believes EFC will work if she can get Sage to understand and
communicate with a horse. Under Tia’s guidance, Sage overcomes her
initial fear of horses, and bonds with the old mare. Sage’s
aggressive, tough-girl, defiant attitude moderates as she participates
in various tasks associated with ranching, including barn cleaning, tack
maintenance, horse grooming, cattle branding, cattle herding, repairing
fences, and even some horse whispering.

When $10,000 disappears during a fund-raising dance, Sage becomes a
likely suspect; however, Tia defends her charge and launches her own
investigation to clear Sage. During a hair-raising escape from a fierce
forest fire, Tia finally identifies the real thief, thereby cementing
her relationship with Sage while learning some truths about her own
issues.

The action-packed and suspenseful adventure unfolds with realistic
dialogue and colourful, detailed descriptions of ranching activities and
teen antics. Sage and Tia’s relationship evolves formulaically with
character development geared to the limits imposed by the hi/lo genre
(the SideStreets novels are “high energy books for reluctant
readers”). Guest admits she prefers happy endings and unabashedly
facilitates a successful outcome to the conflicts. Although some
careless editing mars the narrative, the unrelenting pace and variety of
characters combine to provide an entertaining adventure. Recommended.