Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Cleo O'Shea rides horses. Her wealthy parents work in the movie business and have raised Cleo through a series of housekeepers, drivers, and other assorted caretakers. When Cleo's poor choices lead her into troubled times, they decide to enroll her in a boarding school on Vancouver Island.
An early interest in horses prompted Cleo's mother to enroll her in riding classes. In keeping with this interest, Cleo finds herself at Stoneleigh, a school that focuses on equestrian training. As a hobby, riding had always been fun, but now that Cleo's school experience revolves around riding and competition, she is not so sure about it. Finding Alex Ford seems to improve things a bit.
Alex has never truly fit in. His early childhood was spent pretending his bicycle was a horse. His odd obsession with competitive dressage didn't win him many friends or even acquaintances. When his mother left, Alex became more and more responsible for his twin sisters. His father's interests became more focused on staying drunk and living in the driveway in an old RV. Grappling with a drunken father, a lack of money, and the possibility of being more interested in boys than girls, has Alex feeling anxious and alone. Meeting Cleo gives Alex a courage he never realized he had.
Life in ANOTHER KIND OF COWBOY revolves around dressage riding and competition. Cleo and Alex meet and then find themselves sharing the same trainers, a couple of retired horsemen living on a nearby farm. Filled with Susan Juby's refreshing humor, one-of-a-kind characters, and some serious teen issues, this book is sure to be popular with both male and female readers. As a result of the detailed dressage descriptions and interesting storylines, I found myself imagining what might be a fun film version of the book.
Cleo O'Shea rides horses. Her wealthy parents work in the movie business and have raised Cleo through a series of housekeepers, drivers, and other assorted caretakers. When Cleo's poor choices lead her into troubled times, they decide to enroll her in a boarding school on Vancouver Island.
An early interest in horses prompted Cleo's mother to enroll her in riding classes. In keeping with this interest, Cleo finds herself at Stoneleigh, a school that focuses on equestrian training. As a hobby, riding had always been fun, but now that Cleo's school experience revolves around riding and competition, she is not so sure about it. Finding Alex Ford seems to improve things a bit.
Alex has never truly fit in. His early childhood was spent pretending his bicycle was a horse. His odd obsession with competitive dressage didn't win him many friends or even acquaintances. When his mother left, Alex became more and more responsible for his twin sisters. His father's interests became more focused on staying drunk and living in the driveway in an old RV. Grappling with a drunken father, a lack of money, and the possibility of being more interested in boys than girls, has Alex feeling anxious and alone. Meeting Cleo gives Alex a courage he never realized he had.
Life in ANOTHER KIND OF COWBOY revolves around dressage riding and competition. Cleo and Alex meet and then find themselves sharing the same trainers, a couple of retired horsemen living on a nearby farm. Filled with Susan Juby's refreshing humor, one-of-a-kind characters, and some serious teen issues, this book is sure to be popular with both male and female readers. As a result of the detailed dressage descriptions and interesting storylines, I found myself imagining what might be a fun film version of the book.
