Reviews

Pony by R.J. Palacio

thefabnp's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

the_bookish_musings_of_mari's review against another edition

adventurous sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

rmarcin's review against another edition

4.0

A bit of coming of age, a bit of history in this story of a young boy, Silas, who attempts to find his father who was captured by a group of horsemen. Silas, along with his friend, Mittenwool-a ghost, ride a baldfaced pony to rescue his father. Along the way, they meet a marshal, and then a sheriff (Cornwall), as they attempt to save his Pa from the men. Silas's dad is a brilliant man, applying for a patent for irontypes, a form of photography. But, the men wanted Pa for another reason-they suspected him to be Mac Boat, a notorious counterfeiter and thief.  
The story of Silas is tender and sweet, and your heart will go through various emotions as you read this tale of a young boy with a deep love for his parents, and the ability to talk to the dead. 

natcat's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I didn't know what to expect from this book; I picked it up solely because of the title and because I wanted to see what horse books were like these days (I absolutely devoured horse books as a kid, but it's been a while!). This is a horse book in that a horse is a main character, but it's not a horse book in that it's about horses - it's The Blue Roan Child rather than My Friend Flicka.

It's also beautiful and lyrical and deceptively simple - I think I'll be thinking about it for awhile! It's also the first book I've read in a while where the first person POV is absolutely earned and worthwhile - there is no other way this story could be told, Silas's voice is so distinctive. 

I enjoyed this book a lot, from the descriptions of the forest to the way the ghosts are part of the world, and especially the way the story is told, inventive and thoughtful and such a delight to read. The characters are also lovely, vividly drawn and with more depth than I was expecting, initially.

Tanner being a ghost the whole time was a particularly good touch, and I was delighted when Jack did turn out to be queer (it's nice to have my "hmm, is he gay?" thoughts pan out for once!).

helleb1's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

goblin_w_ksiazkach's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

lannthacker's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It's an adventure that spans a lot of emotional terrain with unique characters and great language.

mrsclinelms's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

emilysreading's review against another edition

4.0

Pretty pretty prettyyyy good

kathythelibraryteacher's review against another edition

5.0

I’m not sure what I expected of this book but it took me completely by surprise. It was a wonderful and unique coming of age story that kept me engaged and in love with young Silas and his friends. As Silas is catapulted into a search for his father, the reader is given insight into a captivating adventure story and the very nature of humans. “forests, like all living things, are not one thing or another, but a mix of many things together.”