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A review by ljcarey011
Pony by R.J. Palacio
2.0
This book feels like the middle-grade book equivalent of Oscar bait. What I mean by that is that it feels like somebody went "what does a classic, best-selling, award-winning children's book sound like?" and then forgot this is the 21st century. In the end, trying to write like a "classic" resulted in something that felt more phony than heartfelt. Frankly, I, an adult who loves books about the supernatural and horses, was bored out of my skull. I'm not clear on how a kid would get through this book as it waffles about, never quite wades into adventure until the very end, and paces along so glacially that I repeatedly checked to be sure I wasn't missing something. The language was stilted and neither "pretty" nor "interesting."
On top of that, the book creates a dozen loose ends and rather than skillfully weaving answers in throughout the book, it info dumps everything on you at the very end, such that it feels like a chronic improv game of "And then..." I kid you not, we get call backs to every little mystery/event in the last paragraph.
Then, the "pony" of the title. We get repeatedly told that the pony is magic, but the pony never actually seems all that magical. It would have just been a bog standard pony if we hadn't repeatedly been told it was magic. In the end, the pony is a part of a plan that helps the good guys, but the pony is more a passive participant, not the one calling the shots in its rescue mission. But, sure. The pony is "magic." Let's be real, the mere presence of a pony will be enough for the horse crazy young readers, but it really was extremely underdeveloped, like much of the story.
In general, a book that pulls all the strings far too obviously, such that the book feels ingenuous in addition to be boring. Not one I'd pick up for your kid.
On top of that, the book creates a dozen loose ends and rather than skillfully weaving answers in throughout the book, it info dumps everything on you at the very end, such that it feels like a chronic improv game of "And then..." I kid you not, we get call backs to every little mystery/event in the last paragraph.
Then, the "pony" of the title. We get repeatedly told that the pony is magic, but the pony never actually seems all that magical. It would have just been a bog standard pony if we hadn't repeatedly been told it was magic. In the end, the pony is a part of a plan that helps the good guys, but the pony is more a passive participant, not the one calling the shots in its rescue mission. But, sure. The pony is "magic." Let's be real, the mere presence of a pony will be enough for the horse crazy young readers, but it really was extremely underdeveloped, like much of the story.
In general, a book that pulls all the strings far too obviously, such that the book feels ingenuous in addition to be boring. Not one I'd pick up for your kid.