The Sewing Mom

Ariel’s Journey – A Book Review

27th October 2008

Ariel’s Journey – A Book Review

posted in books, movies, tv |

I spent my weekend reading a book that my daughter had received, Ariel’s Journey, written by Doug Kane and Christy Wood. This book is the first in a series revolving around the lives of several teenage girls, their families and their love of horses, particularly the Icelandic breed of horse. Doug Kane, one of the authors, owns an Icelandic horse farm in Ohio, and incorporates his knowledge and experience with this unique breed of horse when writing these books.In Ariel’s Journey, the story begins with an introduction to the female characters and how they came to be where they are. As high school girls tend to do, they don’t always get along, even though they really do have so much in common. The Icelandic horses, or “Icies”, start out as a point of contention, some people thinking they’re not as good as other breeds of horses. In an effort to resolve some of their differences, an overnight trail ride and camping trip is planned for the girls who are not necessarily willing participants.During the trip, the girls not only discover their own strengths and abilities, they also learn of the amazing abilities of the “Icies” who take them on a journey back in time. The girls learn to overcome their differences in order to better work together to fight off enemy warriors and rescue a princess. Once the girls return home, they find they have forged close friendships, become stronger physically and mentally, and look forward to their next adventure.

I found the book to be a good read and appropriate for pre-teens on up. Some of the dialogue is a bit slow, or repetitive and sometimes awkward. I also thought the romance between one of the girls and a boy she meets from 800 years in the past could have been left out. It didn’t really add anything to the main plot of the story and, since the 2 characters really knew nothing about each other, it was based purely on a physical attraction.

I enjoyed the battle planning and the involvement of the girls. They were not only involved in the actual planning, but played integral parts in the winning of the battle and rescuing of the princess. The battle was exciting and played out in a way that was surprising and exciting to read.

After finishing the book last night, I immediately recommended it to my daughter. I think she will enjoy it as much as I did, if not more. I’m also thinking of getting another copy as a gift for one of my daughter’s friends. I definitely recommend this book and think you should get your own copy of Ariel’s Journey.

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There are currently 6 responses to “Ariel’s Journey – A Book Review”

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  1. 1 On October 28th, 2008, Kate said:

    I envy you. I keep trying to screen the books my little one reads but between her books and my own, I can’t keep up! I wonder how you do it.

    posted on October 28th, 2008 at 6:02 am

  2. 2 On October 29th, 2008, Duni said:

    Hi Lynne,
    do you think this book is suitable for German students aged 16 – 18 who have about 5 years’ worth of English as a foreign language?
    I always have difficulty recommending books, because either they’re too childlike or the sentence structure is too difficult!

    Duni’s last blog post..Home Improvement

    posted on October 29th, 2008 at 3:30 am

  3. 3 On October 29th, 2008, Duni said:

    Hi Lynne,
    do you think this book is suitable for German students aged 16 – 18 who have about 5 years’ worth of English as a foreign language?
    I always have difficulty recommending books, because either they’re too childlike or the sentence structure is too difficult!

    posted on October 29th, 2008 at 3:32 am

  4. 4 On October 29th, 2008, lynne said:

    Kate – Trust me, I have to stay up late at night to get any reading done! I don’t prescreen my daughter’s books, mainly because we don’t like the same types of stories. I do tend to read some of her books because that’s what we have around here!

    posted on October 29th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

  5. 5 On October 29th, 2008, lynne said:

    Duni – I think this would be an excellent book for those who have English as a second language. The story is very easy to follow and is designed for kids in the age group you are talking about.

    posted on October 29th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

  6. 6 On November 17th, 2008, The Ice Horse Adventures - Ariel’s Journey | Parent Reviewers said:

    [...] Sewing Mom – I found the book to be a good read and appropriate for pre-teens on up. Some of the dialogue is a bit slow, or repetitive and sometimes awkward. I also thought the romance between one of the girls and a boy she meets from 800 years in the past could have been left out. It didn’t really add anything to the main plot of the story and, since the 2 characters really knew nothing about each other, it was based purely on a physical attraction. [...]

    posted on November 17th, 2008 at 8:31 pm