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wispila's review
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.75
For a graphic novel about stealing a horse, the horses aren't all that glorious looking. Thats my only criticism of the book. The book itself does a fantastic work of criticizing the legal system and the racing industry. We are cheering for the underdog fighting for the benefit of the animal, but it seems like the world truly does not give them the chance to become the black horse to win...
nerfherder86's review
5.0
Excellent graphic novel about a woman who "steals" a Thoroughbred horse to save it from being further injured while racing, and the long drawn-out ordeal that ensues over years as she fights to keep the horse safe and to get her racing training license reinstated. The author is related to the subject of the book (they're cousins, I think), and he was intrigued by her story when she revealed that she was essentially a fugitive hiding a horse for years! The main point of the story is to show how cruel racing Thoroughbreds as juveniles, at age two, can be if the horse is not allowed to come along slowly and properly gain its strength, and is raced too often when not yet mature. Gail, the trainer, has been training "Urgent Envoy" using her humane methods, but the greedy lawyer with whom she partnered in buying the horse wants to race him too soon, eager only to win money. When the horse is injured, Gail wants to rest him, but the greedy partner says no, and she has no legal recourse because he owns a majority of the horse and outvotes her. So, she steals the horse out from under him! She endures years of poverty, arrests, and tons of legal trouble in her battle to be vindicated that her training methods were best for the health of the horse. I found it a fascinating read, as I wasn't familiar with her case although I knew a lot of the racing stuff already; I enjoyed seeing it in a graphic novel format, with excellent realistic line drawings in brown ink. The afterword is written by Gail herself to urge readers to protest racing 2-year-olds; she doesn't object to racing as a sport but just to this particular aspect of it.
darthchrista's review
4.0
I liked this book, because it showed me a side of life I’m not familiar with. I picked it up because I remember loving Seabiscuit by Laura Hildenbrand. This is adjacent to that book. I enjoyed seeing someone really fight for what they believe in. It’s not easy not in the end it is worth it. The author definitely accomplished shining light on some dark places in horse racing and calling people to grassroots action.
briface's review
5.0
This book is a perfect example of how sometimes you have to break the law to do what is right, even if you lose everything. Inspiring.
rlaferney's review
4.0
A fascinating blend of biography and comics, Grand Theft Horse tells the true story of unsung American hero, Gail Ruffu, who risked everything to rescue a horse who was being mistreated merely for profit in horse-racing. Lovers of horses, biographies, and true stories, will love this graphic biography.