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A review by crazygoangirl
Pony by R.J. Palacio
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book was the Middle Grade March group read in 2022. I’m so glad I finally read it although it’s a year late!
I’d read Wonder by Palacio a couple of years ago and enjoyed it! She has an easy to read writing style and tackles tough themes and characters with sensitivity. Pony was more of the same, but better! This is very much my kind of book, with just the right hints of mystery and magic, to keep me hooked! And hooked I was - from the start when Silas’s father is kidnapped and he sets out with Pony and Mittenwool to look for him. Silas’s journey proves to be life changing and as he learns hard lessons and truths about his life - past & present, I was cheering him on, hoping for the best, praying for his safety and success. His bond with his father broke my heart in the best possible way!
I love how the story is structured in a linear fashion and yet there are connections that circle back in time. Every chapter is preceded by an illustration of the characters that dominate the events in it and they brought the characters to life in added detail. I love how Palacio writes her characters! There’s a wealth of them to choose from, and I find it hard to pick between Pony and Mittenwool. His mother Elsa, father Martin and short-time travel companion Marshall Farmer are wonderful as are the Sheriff Chalfont and his Deputy Beautyman. I love the weirdly wonderful names Palacio gives them, as if to raise their quirky quotient as high as she can 😃 I wonder whether it’s intentional- probably is! Even her villains have fantastical names - Rufe Jones, Seb & Eben Morton and Roscoe Ollerenshaw!
In her author notes included at the end of the book, Palacio mentions that the story originated from a dream her son once had. It led her down a winding path and she wrote and rewrote it, infusing it with her love for Greek mythology, photography and horses. Pony, to me, is the silent crusader, a quietly reliable catalyst who is unflinching in his loyalty to Silas and his mission. Their bond is ethereal and deep, symbolic of the ancient bond between a questing horse and his horse. I love horses, and Pony made me very very happy ☺️
I just read The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, which has similar themes - love, loss, grief, family all wrapped up in what is essentially a coming of age story of a young boy who loses his father. Although it was written for adults and this one is for children, I thought Pony was equally if not more effective in its messaging and tackling of delicate themes. It was shorter, on point and much easier to read even though it includes surrealist elements as well.
All in all, an extremely satisfying read that I’m not likely to forget any time soon, and one that has made me a firm fan of Palacio’s writing. Highly recommended to children and adults alike!
I’d read Wonder by Palacio a couple of years ago and enjoyed it! She has an easy to read writing style and tackles tough themes and characters with sensitivity. Pony was more of the same, but better! This is very much my kind of book, with just the right hints of mystery and magic, to keep me hooked! And hooked I was - from the start when Silas’s father is kidnapped and he sets out with Pony and Mittenwool to look for him. Silas’s journey proves to be life changing and as he learns hard lessons and truths about his life - past & present, I was cheering him on, hoping for the best, praying for his safety and success. His bond with his father broke my heart in the best possible way!
I love how the story is structured in a linear fashion and yet there are connections that circle back in time. Every chapter is preceded by an illustration of the characters that dominate the events in it and they brought the characters to life in added detail. I love how Palacio writes her characters! There’s a wealth of them to choose from, and I find it hard to pick between Pony and Mittenwool. His mother Elsa, father Martin and short-time travel companion Marshall Farmer are wonderful as are the Sheriff Chalfont and his Deputy Beautyman. I love the weirdly wonderful names Palacio gives them, as if to raise their quirky quotient as high as she can 😃 I wonder whether it’s intentional- probably is! Even her villains have fantastical names - Rufe Jones, Seb & Eben Morton and Roscoe Ollerenshaw!
In her author notes included at the end of the book, Palacio mentions that the story originated from a dream her son once had. It led her down a winding path and she wrote and rewrote it, infusing it with her love for Greek mythology, photography and horses. Pony, to me, is the silent crusader, a quietly reliable catalyst who is unflinching in his loyalty to Silas and his mission. Their bond is ethereal and deep, symbolic of the ancient bond between a questing horse and his horse. I love horses, and Pony made me very very happy ☺️
I just read The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, which has similar themes - love, loss, grief, family all wrapped up in what is essentially a coming of age story of a young boy who loses his father. Although it was written for adults and this one is for children, I thought Pony was equally if not more effective in its messaging and tackling of delicate themes. It was shorter, on point and much easier to read even though it includes surrealist elements as well.
All in all, an extremely satisfying read that I’m not likely to forget any time soon, and one that has made me a firm fan of Palacio’s writing. Highly recommended to children and adults alike!