The Horse Who Carries the Stars by Darby Karchut

The Horse Who Carries The Stars by Darby Karchut

Format:  Paperback-ARC

Publisher:  Owl Hollow Press

Number of pages:  246

Publishing:  August 6th, 2024

Source: Author in exchange for an honest review. 

Opening Lines:  "It was almost time.  Sundown, and heels-to-heaven.  Her time."

Thirteen-year-old Reece Harding is helping her grandparents on the family's ranch in Valencia, Colorado.  She loves the quiet the ranch provides and the responsibility of tending to the horses.  Although she's still a little bitter over the sale of her beloved horse, Rio, to pay for her older sister Ashley's college education.  Reece's spirits lift when her Poppy surprises her with a black Appaloosa mare named Kip.  The mare is everything Reece had hoped for, provided they can manage to train Kip to listen to their commands.  When an approaching wildfire threatens the ranch, Reece jumps into action in order to bring all the horses to safety can she mange to get Kip to finally follow her lead?

I've been an avid reader and fan of Darby Karchut's books for several years, enjoying her Del Toro Moon series and her latest book, On a Good Horse.  The aspect I've grown to love most about these books is the southwestern feel, and in particular that they're set in Colorado.  It stirs a bit of homesickness in me, but I adore her depictions of Colorado's rugged landscape, the experience of horseback riding across the plains, and navigating its streams.  Throw in a prickly pear cactus and some local wildlife and I can vividly picture it all, right down to Reece hauling bags of feed from Poppy's truck.  Who couldn't love all the cowboy/regional expressions like, "Earn your keep," "Sure as spit," and my favorite, "Big hat, no cattle."      

I enjoy the dual points of view of Reece and internal dialogue from Kip.  It's interesting to see both of their perspectives about why Kip doesn't exactly follow all of her directions.    Alex and Reece also make such a great duo; his ability to keep a level head and remain calm complements Reece's stubbornness and impulsiveness.  He somehow manages to persuade her to take a moment and reflect before acting.  I really enjoy these two together.  

Reece is quite the character.  Early on in the story, she overhears her grandparents talking about something serious, and she suspects that her parents might be getting a divorce.  She's frustrated that no one will listen to her about being able to manage Kip and takes huge risks to try to prove that she can ride her.  I would definitely pair The Horse Who Carries the Stars with On A Good Horse, as it features Alex's story, and the two stories are so interconnected that they really should be read together.  Once again, a heartfelt thanks to Darby for the opportunity to read this in advance of its release.  I enjoyed all the action and most of all observing the development of Reece's relationship with her grandparents.  I would highly recommend this to middle grade readers who enjoy horseback riding and southwestern settings.