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Phantom Stallion #1
The Wild One
When 13-year-old Samantha returns home to her family′s cattle ranch in Nevada, she′s worried. She moved away two years ago to recover from a bad fall off her beloved mustang, Blackie, and she′s still not sure she can get back in the saddle. Her new colt doesn′t seem to like her, and the other ranchers treat her like the boss′s spoiled daughter, and Blackie has been missing since that fateful day. But that′s just the beginning. When Sam suddenly finds the fate of a mysterious mustang who may or may not be the missing Blackie - resting in her hands, she has to learn to be a real cowgirl, ready or not. The classic theme of a girl and her horse is set against a backdrop of mustangs, tumbleweeds, and a West that′s still Wild. Phantom Stallion #1: The Wild One On a moonlit night, a mustang comes to Sam. Is it Blackie grown up and gone wild? Is it the legendary phantom stallion? Or could it be both? Ages 10+
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Terri Farley
121 books408 followersTerri Farley is the best-selling author of books about the contemporary and historic West. Her PHANTOM STALLION series has sold over 2 million books world-wide and it relaunches with new art & content in March 2023.
Terri's most recent non-fiction book Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to
Save Them (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a Junior Library Guild selection; winner of the
Sterling North Heritage award for Excellence in Children's Literature.
Terri's only contemporary fantasy is SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA.
Terri is an advocate for the West's wild horses and for young people helping to make their voices heard.
https://www.facebook.com/PhantomStall...
https://twitter.com/Terri_Farley
https://www.instagram.com/terrifarley/
Terri's most recent non-fiction book Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to
Save Them (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a Junior Library Guild selection; winner of the
Sterling North Heritage award for Excellence in Children's Literature.
Terri's only contemporary fantasy is SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA.
Terri is an advocate for the West's wild horses and for young people helping to make their voices heard.
https://www.facebook.com/PhantomStall...
https://twitter.com/Terri_Farley
https://www.instagram.com/terrifarley/
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 155 reviews
July 5, 2010
I love this book. ESPECIALLY the connection between Sam and her previous colt blackie who grows up and changes colour to gray and almost silverish. 2 years ago, Sam had gotten her very own horse, Blackie. He was a wild mustang but with very good nature. She had just tamed and haltered him when she decided to ride him out of ranch with her friend and trainer Jake. The horse somehow spooks, bucks her off, and his hind hoof hits her in the head. She gets sent to San-Fransisco to her aunt until she recovers. when she comes back, she meets a horse who come to her one night. He comes real close but then goes away again. She meets him every night after midnight. she comes to realize with a shock that this is her horse. But then she figures out that there is another very wealthy man who is after her horse. And to top it off, her dad and Jake are over-protective after the accident. She goes through alot of tough decision-making and is determined to save her horse......
October 9, 2014
Oh gosh, I would have ADORED this book as a youngster. Even as a mostly-adult, it was still pretty entertaining. I have to admit, I have a preference for English riding over Western and wild mustangs and the whole shebang, but really, anything horse-related will catch my interest by default.
My only real complaint--that may or may not be a compliment--was that I felt like I was being dropped in the middle of a series, not picking up the first one. The world and the characters had all this developed backstory with a great setting. I almost wanted to read the backstory, because I couldn't quite sort out the relationship dynamics between everyone in the present. Still, honestly, I felt like I was plopped into a fully-realized world and actually had to work to keep up. It's so nice to read a children's book that doesn't talk down to its readers.
If the sequels ever fall into my hands, I think I'll probably read them. :)
My only real complaint--that may or may not be a compliment--was that I felt like I was being dropped in the middle of a series, not picking up the first one. The world and the characters had all this developed backstory with a great setting. I almost wanted to read the backstory, because I couldn't quite sort out the relationship dynamics between everyone in the present. Still, honestly, I felt like I was plopped into a fully-realized world and actually had to work to keep up. It's so nice to read a children's book that doesn't talk down to its readers.
If the sequels ever fall into my hands, I think I'll probably read them. :)
January 9, 2022
I decided to reread this series out of nostalgia and wow. I think I like it better than when I first read it.
It is meant for younger audiences and that means some of the twists were pretty obvious. However, it still had some pretty good uh-oh moments. There were also some great one liners.
The one issue I had was Sam's age. She is thirteen which isn't an issue in and of itself. However, Sam has a very loud personity and some very strong morals on mustangs. While there were some dumb teenage moments, I think it would be more realistic if Sam was a teensy bit older.
Otherwise, it was a great book and far more captivating than I expected.
It is meant for younger audiences and that means some of the twists were pretty obvious. However, it still had some pretty good uh-oh moments. There were also some great one liners.
The one issue I had was Sam's age. She is thirteen which isn't an issue in and of itself. However, Sam has a very loud personity and some very strong morals on mustangs. While there were some dumb teenage moments, I think it would be more realistic if Sam was a teensy bit older.
Otherwise, it was a great book and far more captivating than I expected.
March 11, 2009
I love this book. It's all about a wild horse that no one ever sees excpet this one little girl. Therefore; she calls it the Phantom. However, it's secret name is Zanzibar. I love that name!
January 5, 2023
I'm glad I decided to binge this series on audiobook for the new year. It's already very pleasant. The Phantom Stallion series is one that I adored when I was at the target age range for this series. It was absolutely meant for me and other horse-obsessed girls who wanted to imagine ourselves in Sam's shoes, having a special relationship with the most beautiful and mysterious stallion on the range. Farley truly knows who to paint some beautiful and emotional scenes of magical moments with horses, while also being realistic/accurate about horse behavior. Trust me, I educated myself fully on them as a kid and she never irked me with inaccuracies. The only thing that ever irked me in this series was that jerk Slocum (sp? I gave the physical copies I had to my cousin's daughters so I can't check how it's spelled anymore!) who was so greedy and selfish he was willing to hurt horses just to have them as trophies at his ranch. But he's supposed to be irksome, so he does his job as a character well.😛
I was surprised how much of this first book I actually remembered. Before starting the audiobook, I remembered the basic plot, but as I was listening, I found I remembered nearly the whole thing word for word. I don't remember how many times I read it as a kid, but apparently, it was enough to remember it well over a decade later. XD I was especially glad to find that, even though I'm 30 now, I still enjoyed the story nearly as much as I did as a kid. Farley really did a good job of balancing the story so that it's reasonably emotional, being from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl and all, but it's not uber melodramatic like some contemporary books for teens can be. I also appreciate again that she never hyper-sexualized the teens in the series. *glares at the many so-called YA books today trying to normalize and romanticize teen sex* Sam is 13 and she acts like it. She acknowledges thinking a boy is cute but any relationships are age-appropriate. There's also a good balance in her relationships with the adults around her. She's allowed to be capable and independent as is appropriate for her age but still accepts help and advice from adults, too.
So, overall, I'm enjoying my reread. Part of my reason for doing this is because, as a kid, after I reached book 13 in the series, my mom struggled to find any more physical copies of the later books. To this day I don't know why, as I was under the impression that they were pretty popular, but alas, she couldn't find them and I was never able to finish. (For all I know they may have been on ebook, but to this day I've never owned an e-reader.) Now that all 24 books are on audio, I'm excited to finally finish and find out what happens to these characters and horses that I loved.
Content Advisory:
This is a very appropriate series for kids age 8 and up. Middle Grade age kids and young teens who love horses will find plenty to enjoy without parents having to worry about what else they might come across.
As stated above, Sam can acknowledge that a boy is cute (the particular cute boy in this book is her childhood friend, Jake) but there's no romance, and Sam and Jake's friendship is still platonic and perfectly appropriate. There is a point in the book where Sam is sneaking out at night (but not sneaking very well, apparently, because the adults are aware of it) to meet the Phantom Stallion at the river and her grandmother gets concerned that Sam and Jake might be sneaking out together. When asked, Sam denies it firmly and is not happy about the suggestion.
Sam sometimes makes impulsive choices as is typical for a teenager, and is sometimes in danger (typically, it's danger related to interacting with an unpredictable wild horse). She sometimes has arguments/disagreements with her father, but is overall respectful of him and her grandmother, and loves them, and they are actively involved in her life.
The only violence is horse-related. There are many mentions of an accident Sam had a few years before the series even starts in which she was trying to train her young horse "Blackie" for riding and something startled him so that she fell off and he accidentally kicked her in the head. No graphic description, but Sam has vague memories of pain above her ear, and Jake, who witnessed it, tells her there was a lot of blood. She was knocked unconscious and hospitalized, so it was a big event in her life.
When Sam asks about a scar on The Phantom's neck, Jake tells her that Slocum once lassoed the horse out on the range and tied the lasso to a barrel of cement so he could go after another horse. Phantom was injured while panicking and fighting his way free. (No description.)
There is some description during a later incident where Phantom is tricked by Slocum into a corral where the horse then panics and injures himself slamming into things trying to escape. There's some description of blood running down his legs.
Slocum is a smoker, but everything he does is associated with his sleezy personality, so it's not depicted in a positive light.
Slocum says "That d****d Jake Eli" early on, referring to the fact that he blames Jake for Sam's accident, but it's made clear that it was no one's fault.
Slocum threatens Sam near the end of the story when she brings several of his illegal acts to light. The threats are not graphic, but the government official who witnesses it suggests getting a restraining order.
I was surprised how much of this first book I actually remembered. Before starting the audiobook, I remembered the basic plot, but as I was listening, I found I remembered nearly the whole thing word for word. I don't remember how many times I read it as a kid, but apparently, it was enough to remember it well over a decade later. XD I was especially glad to find that, even though I'm 30 now, I still enjoyed the story nearly as much as I did as a kid. Farley really did a good job of balancing the story so that it's reasonably emotional, being from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl and all, but it's not uber melodramatic like some contemporary books for teens can be. I also appreciate again that she never hyper-sexualized the teens in the series. *glares at the many so-called YA books today trying to normalize and romanticize teen sex* Sam is 13 and she acts like it. She acknowledges thinking a boy is cute but any relationships are age-appropriate. There's also a good balance in her relationships with the adults around her. She's allowed to be capable and independent as is appropriate for her age but still accepts help and advice from adults, too.
So, overall, I'm enjoying my reread. Part of my reason for doing this is because, as a kid, after I reached book 13 in the series, my mom struggled to find any more physical copies of the later books. To this day I don't know why, as I was under the impression that they were pretty popular, but alas, she couldn't find them and I was never able to finish. (For all I know they may have been on ebook, but to this day I've never owned an e-reader.) Now that all 24 books are on audio, I'm excited to finally finish and find out what happens to these characters and horses that I loved.
Content Advisory:
This is a very appropriate series for kids age 8 and up. Middle Grade age kids and young teens who love horses will find plenty to enjoy without parents having to worry about what else they might come across.
As stated above, Sam can acknowledge that a boy is cute (the particular cute boy in this book is her childhood friend, Jake) but there's no romance, and Sam and Jake's friendship is still platonic and perfectly appropriate. There is a point in the book where Sam is sneaking out at night (but not sneaking very well, apparently, because the adults are aware of it) to meet the Phantom Stallion at the river and her grandmother gets concerned that Sam and Jake might be sneaking out together. When asked, Sam denies it firmly and is not happy about the suggestion.
Sam sometimes makes impulsive choices as is typical for a teenager, and is sometimes in danger (typically, it's danger related to interacting with an unpredictable wild horse). She sometimes has arguments/disagreements with her father, but is overall respectful of him and her grandmother, and loves them, and they are actively involved in her life.
The only violence is horse-related. There are many mentions of an accident Sam had a few years before the series even starts in which she was trying to train her young horse "Blackie" for riding and something startled him so that she fell off and he accidentally kicked her in the head. No graphic description, but Sam has vague memories of pain above her ear, and Jake, who witnessed it, tells her there was a lot of blood. She was knocked unconscious and hospitalized, so it was a big event in her life.
When Sam asks about a scar on The Phantom's neck, Jake tells her that Slocum once lassoed the horse out on the range and tied the lasso to a barrel of cement so he could go after another horse. Phantom was injured while panicking and fighting his way free. (No description.)
There is some description during a later incident where Phantom is tricked by Slocum into a corral where the horse then panics and injures himself slamming into things trying to escape. There's some description of blood running down his legs.
Slocum is a smoker, but everything he does is associated with his sleezy personality, so it's not depicted in a positive light.
Slocum says "That d****d Jake Eli" early on, referring to the fact that he blames Jake for Sam's accident, but it's made clear that it was no one's fault.
Slocum threatens Sam near the end of the story when she brings several of his illegal acts to light. The threats are not graphic, but the government official who witnesses it suggests getting a restraining order.
July 4, 2014
Awwww, this book was what first got me interested in reading. Before this book I used to think reading was lame. But, I have always loved horses so when i was in 5th grade and I saw the horse on the cover I was interested. It was AWESOME! So are the other 23 books in the series, I highly recommend to anyone. Especially if you're a mom and your little girl is having a hard time getting into reading. It's great.
July 5, 2018
These were my absolute favorite books as a kid and rereading did not disappoint. :)
July 20, 2014
This is a very worthwhile read about a girl called Sam who has been raised on a ranch but living away from it for two years. Now she is returning and wonders what life will be like. She had been training a dark grey colt but he got spooked and threw her and ran away, and her family doesn't know where he is.
Sam finds a pale grey stallion coming to drink by moonlight near the ranch house, and realises that as grey horses get lighter each year, this could be her colt. But he is wild and running with mustangs. Sam is to take on cattle work and she finds out about a Bureau of Land Management station where wild horses are rounded up and sold because they would overgraze the land. She is terrified that her lovely horse will come in there and be sold to a hard-hearted rancher.
The issues are well explored and life on the cattle drive is shown in realistic detail.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to young people of a wide range of ages.
Sam finds a pale grey stallion coming to drink by moonlight near the ranch house, and realises that as grey horses get lighter each year, this could be her colt. But he is wild and running with mustangs. Sam is to take on cattle work and she finds out about a Bureau of Land Management station where wild horses are rounded up and sold because they would overgraze the land. She is terrified that her lovely horse will come in there and be sold to a hard-hearted rancher.
The issues are well explored and life on the cattle drive is shown in realistic detail.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to young people of a wide range of ages.
December 24, 2012
This series was by far my favorite as a child. Terri Farley has a gift for writing these wild horse stories. As a child her attention to detail was more than satisfying and took my mind to that place where Sam rode her horse across the Nevada desert. I also loved the real-life situations Sam was put in, they definitely helped me deal with my own situations. If you love horses, I would definitely recommend this series to you.
March 6, 2015
This is the only fiction horse series I like. The main character, Sam, is a (bad) western rider, loves horses and not her own popularity, doesn't care about shows, isn't flawless with the horses, and doesn't deal with drama people. All things that make this book very different from most horse books. (Most horse books are really bad, in my opinion. This is a nice diversion from that!)
January 13, 2021
This book comes alive with each and every scene. An enthralling book. I could never put it down until I finished. The ending leaves you satisfied and longing for more.
July 9, 2023
Still love these books as an adult! Excited the series is getting a re-release ❤️
August 2, 2021
I absolutely loved this series as a kid! It got me into reading. I really enjoyed rereading it as an adult.
September 10, 2024
3.5 stars
I am on a nostalgic kick lately and decided to re-read this series. I knew going in that these books would be simple. As a kid I probably would have given them 4, maybe 4.5 stars, but they're not the most amazing writing ever. These books are fun, wholesome horse books! There is some disobedience of parents and Sam does make some poor choices but I feel like they are shown to be poor choices, the adults are not treated like idiots, there is no language, little to no romance, and lots of lessons learned. You just don't find books like that these days. Each one is it's own story with character development and some larger story elements building from one book to the next.
I am on a nostalgic kick lately and decided to re-read this series. I knew going in that these books would be simple. As a kid I probably would have given them 4, maybe 4.5 stars, but they're not the most amazing writing ever. These books are fun, wholesome horse books! There is some disobedience of parents and Sam does make some poor choices but I feel like they are shown to be poor choices, the adults are not treated like idiots, there is no language, little to no romance, and lots of lessons learned. You just don't find books like that these days. Each one is it's own story with character development and some larger story elements building from one book to the next.
April 6, 2012
The Wild One (Phantom Stallion #1)
By Terri Farley
After recovering from a severe head injury and loosing her best friend/ companion, Blackie who she also called Zanzibar, thirteen year old Samantha Forster finally returns back to the farm. Two years ago, Sam was in a fatal riding accident when her horse, Blackie, took off; “she went one way, he went the other, and his off hind hoof caught you[her] in the head” (139). Finally back on River Bend Ranch, Sam jumps right back into riding on her new mustang named Ace but she couldn’t stop thinking about Phantom; the mysterious wild, grey mustang who she saw, running through the desert plains, on her drive back to the farm. There was something about this stallion that stood out to Sam. Could the Phantom be her old horse Blackie who grayed out with age? The Phantom seemed to be attached to Sam and met her at the river some nights. At times, she even got so close “that she could touch the stallion” (167).
The Wild One(Phantom Stallion #1) by Terri Farley, is an amazing book full of adventure and mysteriousness. This great book is well written and full of detail. It is a very moving book that is based on a devoted horse lover who got hurt but immediately mounted up right after recovering. No matter what the injury is, any horse lover will get back on a horse again. I also learned from this book that you should never give up hope. Sam never gave up looking for Blackie even after two years since he got loose. Things do, sometimes, pay off in the end like when Sam found the Phantom or what could be long lost Blackie. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would suggest it to any one even slightly interested in horses. The book is full of adventure, fun, and friendship. My only opinion to the author would have been to stay consistent with their writing. At times I would be reading one paragraph and the next is a completely new day which confused me some. Some dialogue was difficult to understand as well because it was written using heavy southern accent which was harder to understand. Even though the writing style particularly for me, this was a very captivating book that sucked me right in the moment I opened it.
Rating this book from a 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best, I would definitely rate this book a 5! I really enjoyed reading this book and would read it again, for sure, some day. From the moment I started reading it, I just couldn’t put it down. This is by far my most favorite book I have read this year. I would suggest this book to anyone of my horse friends. It is such a great story that I learned a lot from. I enjoyed every minute I read this book and couldn’t have chosen a better book. The detail in this book made everything feel so real! It is definitely a book I will never forget. I loved reading this book and I highly suggest that others read it too.
By Terri Farley
After recovering from a severe head injury and loosing her best friend/ companion, Blackie who she also called Zanzibar, thirteen year old Samantha Forster finally returns back to the farm. Two years ago, Sam was in a fatal riding accident when her horse, Blackie, took off; “she went one way, he went the other, and his off hind hoof caught you[her] in the head” (139). Finally back on River Bend Ranch, Sam jumps right back into riding on her new mustang named Ace but she couldn’t stop thinking about Phantom; the mysterious wild, grey mustang who she saw, running through the desert plains, on her drive back to the farm. There was something about this stallion that stood out to Sam. Could the Phantom be her old horse Blackie who grayed out with age? The Phantom seemed to be attached to Sam and met her at the river some nights. At times, she even got so close “that she could touch the stallion” (167).
The Wild One(Phantom Stallion #1) by Terri Farley, is an amazing book full of adventure and mysteriousness. This great book is well written and full of detail. It is a very moving book that is based on a devoted horse lover who got hurt but immediately mounted up right after recovering. No matter what the injury is, any horse lover will get back on a horse again. I also learned from this book that you should never give up hope. Sam never gave up looking for Blackie even after two years since he got loose. Things do, sometimes, pay off in the end like when Sam found the Phantom or what could be long lost Blackie. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would suggest it to any one even slightly interested in horses. The book is full of adventure, fun, and friendship. My only opinion to the author would have been to stay consistent with their writing. At times I would be reading one paragraph and the next is a completely new day which confused me some. Some dialogue was difficult to understand as well because it was written using heavy southern accent which was harder to understand. Even though the writing style particularly for me, this was a very captivating book that sucked me right in the moment I opened it.
Rating this book from a 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best, I would definitely rate this book a 5! I really enjoyed reading this book and would read it again, for sure, some day. From the moment I started reading it, I just couldn’t put it down. This is by far my most favorite book I have read this year. I would suggest this book to anyone of my horse friends. It is such a great story that I learned a lot from. I enjoyed every minute I read this book and couldn’t have chosen a better book. The detail in this book made everything feel so real! It is definitely a book I will never forget. I loved reading this book and I highly suggest that others read it too.
November 29, 2011
This entire series is fantastic! Terri Farley has created a clean educational setting for a fun adventure filled story! Just the first book had me hooked! I even still enjoy reading them, though I'm not a kid any more.
Sam has returned home after an accident that happened over a year ago involving her horse Blackie. When she returns there is a new leader of the herd of mustangs near her home called the Phantom, because of his ghost white appearance and how he and his herd can vanish so quickly. Sam finds out something incredible about this horse and she is thrown into adventure after adventure for the next 23 books. I just wish there were more!
Sam has returned home after an accident that happened over a year ago involving her horse Blackie. When she returns there is a new leader of the herd of mustangs near her home called the Phantom, because of his ghost white appearance and how he and his herd can vanish so quickly. Sam finds out something incredible about this horse and she is thrown into adventure after adventure for the next 23 books. I just wish there were more!
October 2, 2015
The cover artwork is better than the story.
I may have liked this when I was 8, but at 45 I found it to be deliciously silly. Farley (no relation to Walter Farley) has very little knowledge of how horses really behave. Also, four-year-old horses are usually called colts and NOT stallions. A four-year-old mustang colt would have very little chance of leading a herd. But then, of course, this book is a girl's wet-dream come true and not based too tightly on reality.
This reminds me of the Saturday afternoon TV show "Thunder" where a girl has a secret relationship with a wild black stallion that always comes out of nowhere in the nick of time.
I may have liked this when I was 8, but at 45 I found it to be deliciously silly. Farley (no relation to Walter Farley) has very little knowledge of how horses really behave. Also, four-year-old horses are usually called colts and NOT stallions. A four-year-old mustang colt would have very little chance of leading a herd. But then, of course, this book is a girl's wet-dream come true and not based too tightly on reality.
This reminds me of the Saturday afternoon TV show "Thunder" where a girl has a secret relationship with a wild black stallion that always comes out of nowhere in the nick of time.
August 8, 2011
I know im a "little" old for the Phantom Stallion but to tell you the truth i really enjoy these books. First of all they pass the time well. Secondly, i like horses... a lot. And also they're good books to read inbetween reading all the long, somtimes confusing, books.
I do recomend these books for any age! Esspecialy younger kids. I think they would be great books for their first chapter book, not too hard but still challenging to the young ones.
I do recomend these books for any age! Esspecialy younger kids. I think they would be great books for their first chapter book, not too hard but still challenging to the young ones.
October 7, 2010
Maybe for an 8th grader, but my third-grade girl was just NOT interested.
August 28, 2012
not good
May 13, 2016
Finally finished it!!!! It was so good! I can't wait to get the next one!!!
July 7, 2017
I've read a lot of pre-teen horse books and this was by far the worst.
May 31, 2022
No better uplift for a tough time or a tough prior read than a girl and her horse. First in a series.
August 5, 2023
Alright I decided to reread this whole series to justify it occupying one of my kitchen shelves instead of like, dishes. So far it has a secure home up there.
Sam returns to her family ranch 2 years after a freak riding accident that caused her family to send her away to resume her life of being a cowgirl. The horse Sam fell off of was her own half-mustang colt that she raised and trained, and spooked as he was he took off for the open range to join the bands of wild horses that roam the Nevada deserts. After a mysterious silver stallion visits Sam in the dead of night, she realizes that her once-black colt turned grey as he grew up, just like his sire. Unfortunately, this flashy silver stallion is the target of some bad-actors who would rather capture him and break his spirit than let him run free. This theme is present through this book and the rest of the series if I remember right.
Something that I think is cool is how this series gives representation of a group of girls who don’t get a lot of good role models in books: 13 year olds. Middle Grade fiction is for the age group of 8-12. Young Adult fiction is heavily dominated by characters that are 15 and older (and are commonly written as if they should be in college, not highschool). and the 13 & 14 year olds get the short end of the stick, for the most part they can read about characters younger than them or characters older, with issues they don’t always relate to. But Sam is 13 at the introduction of this series and she reminds me of myself at that age. Sam is very passionate about what she loves, which is mostly just horses. She understands that owning a ranch is hard work and everyone has to pitch in to get everything done. She does her part with minimal complaining, she does have gripes about chores sometimes but she mostly keeps those to her internal monologue because as much as she hates some work, someone has to do it and it all is a part of the reason she gets to ride a really cool horse every day. Sometimes she is careless, sometimes she doesn’t think about how her actions might impact others, sometimes she gets so excited focusing on one thing that she just forgets about her other responsibilities. She has a pretty good head on her shoulders but the author never lets us forget that she is 13 still and I think it is so well done.
This was one of my absolute favorite series as a kid and I'm so delighted that it is still every bit as magical now that I'm older.
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Sam returns to her family ranch 2 years after a freak riding accident that caused her family to send her away to resume her life of being a cowgirl. The horse Sam fell off of was her own half-mustang colt that she raised and trained, and spooked as he was he took off for the open range to join the bands of wild horses that roam the Nevada deserts. After a mysterious silver stallion visits Sam in the dead of night, she realizes that her once-black colt turned grey as he grew up, just like his sire. Unfortunately, this flashy silver stallion is the target of some bad-actors who would rather capture him and break his spirit than let him run free. This theme is present through this book and the rest of the series if I remember right.
Something that I think is cool is how this series gives representation of a group of girls who don’t get a lot of good role models in books: 13 year olds. Middle Grade fiction is for the age group of 8-12. Young Adult fiction is heavily dominated by characters that are 15 and older (and are commonly written as if they should be in college, not highschool). and the 13 & 14 year olds get the short end of the stick, for the most part they can read about characters younger than them or characters older, with issues they don’t always relate to. But Sam is 13 at the introduction of this series and she reminds me of myself at that age. Sam is very passionate about what she loves, which is mostly just horses. She understands that owning a ranch is hard work and everyone has to pitch in to get everything done. She does her part with minimal complaining, she does have gripes about chores sometimes but she mostly keeps those to her internal monologue because as much as she hates some work, someone has to do it and it all is a part of the reason she gets to ride a really cool horse every day. Sometimes she is careless, sometimes she doesn’t think about how her actions might impact others, sometimes she gets so excited focusing on one thing that she just forgets about her other responsibilities. She has a pretty good head on her shoulders but the author never lets us forget that she is 13 still and I think it is so well done.
This was one of my absolute favorite series as a kid and I'm so delighted that it is still every bit as magical now that I'm older.
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May 4, 2020
I was so happy to find these books again! Even my city library no longer has copies, but they were a huge point in my youth. Even better, 15 years later they hold up! So many times I'm disappointed when I pick up books I once loved to see they hold only nostalgia and cringe-worthy simplicity.
While the books are written for a younger audience, Farley does an excellent job of not talking down or over-simplifying things to the reader. There's communication between Sam and her father, and realistic expectations. He supports and protects her, and her actions have consequences. Which I loved!
Sam returns home after two years recovering from a riding accident. She spent the time in San Francisco with her aunt, but is greatly anticipating her return to her family's ranch in Nevada and finding out what happened to her young colt.
It's a blend of change and consistency she has to balance. Her old friend Jake has taken it upon himself to be her watchdog, vowing to keep her out of trouble. Unless she's forced to strangle him as he keeps clucking over her. She's just in time for the cattle drive, a perfect opportunity to get to know her new horse - Ace - and get used to the saddle again. Things don't go as planned, but she has the chance to reconnect with a wild silver stallion who might be her long lost colt.
A great start to a 24 book series, if you have the opportunity I highly recommend giving these a chance!
While the books are written for a younger audience, Farley does an excellent job of not talking down or over-simplifying things to the reader. There's communication between Sam and her father, and realistic expectations. He supports and protects her, and her actions have consequences. Which I loved!
Sam returns home after two years recovering from a riding accident. She spent the time in San Francisco with her aunt, but is greatly anticipating her return to her family's ranch in Nevada and finding out what happened to her young colt.
It's a blend of change and consistency she has to balance. Her old friend Jake has taken it upon himself to be her watchdog, vowing to keep her out of trouble. Unless she's forced to strangle him as he keeps clucking over her. She's just in time for the cattle drive, a perfect opportunity to get to know her new horse - Ace - and get used to the saddle again. Things don't go as planned, but she has the chance to reconnect with a wild silver stallion who might be her long lost colt.
A great start to a 24 book series, if you have the opportunity I highly recommend giving these a chance!
January 22, 2021
It feels unfair to add the entire series to my read shelf as I can get through one of these books in two hours, but I really wanted to write a review.
Growing up I absolutely loved these books and I'm pleased to say that they still hold up. Farley has written a truly fantastic middle grade series. She doesn't write down to her readers, she takes time to explain aspects of ranching and horses without bogging down the story, there are scenes and dialouge that is genuinely funny, and she manages to keep each book fresh.
I think the true strength of this series is the characters. From the main character Sam to the horses, each character feels fully developed. They really do jump off the page. Sam is kind and generous without being a pushover. The issues she faces are relatable for a large swath of the series' intended audience. All in all, she is simply a very easy character to root for.
Her best friends Jake and Jen are just as fun. Jake is a worthy first book boyfriend crush who alternates between being thoughtfully mature and vexing...like a real teenage boy. Jen is witty, sarcastic, and loyal. Her family troubles give her a surprising amount of depth and serves as a good way for Sam, and by extension the reader, to ruminate on the severity of their own problems.
I really can't recommend this series enough.
Growing up I absolutely loved these books and I'm pleased to say that they still hold up. Farley has written a truly fantastic middle grade series. She doesn't write down to her readers, she takes time to explain aspects of ranching and horses without bogging down the story, there are scenes and dialouge that is genuinely funny, and she manages to keep each book fresh.
I think the true strength of this series is the characters. From the main character Sam to the horses, each character feels fully developed. They really do jump off the page. Sam is kind and generous without being a pushover. The issues she faces are relatable for a large swath of the series' intended audience. All in all, she is simply a very easy character to root for.
Her best friends Jake and Jen are just as fun. Jake is a worthy first book boyfriend crush who alternates between being thoughtfully mature and vexing...like a real teenage boy. Jen is witty, sarcastic, and loyal. Her family troubles give her a surprising amount of depth and serves as a good way for Sam, and by extension the reader, to ruminate on the severity of their own problems.
I really can't recommend this series enough.
April 12, 2023
Copy loaned to me by a student
I'm so glad to see that this series is being reissued, especially since the student who loaned me this book wants tales about Western riding rather than English riding. There's a lot of adventure in the US West that is very intriguing, and Sam is a great character who is dealing with some issues beyond the horse related ones. Not too many issues; the horses certainly come first, and there isn't much romance, which my student didn't want.
I do sort of wish they had made a few tweaks in the text; this was written in 2002. While I noticed things like watching movies in theaters, wearing a bathrobe, and writing on purple stationery (all things few young people would do now), my student only noticed that there were some things she didn't quite understand, so it's not all that critical.
I did have some questions about the wisdom of going on a ten day riding excursion after being away from horses for two years, but I can't argue with the descriptions of the landscape of the West, and the allure of the wild horses!
I'm so glad to see that this series is being reissued, especially since the student who loaned me this book wants tales about Western riding rather than English riding. There's a lot of adventure in the US West that is very intriguing, and Sam is a great character who is dealing with some issues beyond the horse related ones. Not too many issues; the horses certainly come first, and there isn't much romance, which my student didn't want.
I do sort of wish they had made a few tweaks in the text; this was written in 2002. While I noticed things like watching movies in theaters, wearing a bathrobe, and writing on purple stationery (all things few young people would do now), my student only noticed that there were some things she didn't quite understand, so it's not all that critical.
I did have some questions about the wisdom of going on a ten day riding excursion after being away from horses for two years, but I can't argue with the descriptions of the landscape of the West, and the allure of the wild horses!
July 19, 2024
I've decided to reread this series, which my sister and I loved when we were kids. She was the real horse girl between us, while I read anything I could get my hands on (this has not changed). I have fond memories of these books and the nostalgia just kept hitting as I revisited this one! Familiar characters and even turns of phrase had me running to tell my sister, and we've come to the conclusion that this series was literally formative for us. Like, you can trace some of our preferences and personality quirks back to it. It's amazing.
All sentiment aside, the story is a strong one, with Sam returning to River Bend Ranch two years after her accident, seeking to prove she belongs there rather than in the city, and of course protecting the freedom of her horse, Blackie. The descriptions of ranch life and cowboy culture, and of the bond between humans and horses, are as absorbing as they were when I was younger. And I'm excited to watch Sam grow over the course of this series, all over again.
All sentiment aside, the story is a strong one, with Sam returning to River Bend Ranch two years after her accident, seeking to prove she belongs there rather than in the city, and of course protecting the freedom of her horse, Blackie. The descriptions of ranch life and cowboy culture, and of the bond between humans and horses, are as absorbing as they were when I was younger. And I'm excited to watch Sam grow over the course of this series, all over again.
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May 10, 2017I love the book. Sam comes back to the ranch after two years in San Fran due to a riding accident that scarred her and her friend for life. Her friend is a boy named Jacob but goes by Jake. He feel responsible for her accident. Sam's accident is when she is riding her colt, Blackie, and he gets scared and runs away. she losses her reins and when she leans down to grab them, her colt sees her and goes on way and she goes another. Blackie steps on the side of her head. Poor Jake saw the whole thing in slow motion. There is a website called FanFiction that has other stories and in one, it says that Jake locked himself in his room and cried for days, and stopped eating etc. From the time I finished that book I daydreamed and dreamed about Jake. I think I have a crush on a person in a book. He is so protective in her. I wish I had a friend like that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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