www.crackingthecover.com
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • Home
    • Picture
      • Ages 0-3
      • Ages 2 and up
      • Ages 3 and up
      • Ages 4 and up
      • Ages 5 and up
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 8 and up
      • Author Interviews
      • Bedtime Stories
      • Gift Guide
    • Middle Grade
      • Author Interviews
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 7 and up
      • Ages 8-12
      • Ages 9-12
      • Ages 10 and up
      • Gift Guide
    • YA
      • Author Interviews
      • Reviews
      • Adult Crossover
      • Gift Guide
    • Seasonal
      • Back to School
      • Christmas
      • Earth Day
      • Easter
      • Fall
      • Father’s Day
      • Mother’s Day
      • Gift Guide
      • Halloween
      • Spring
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Winter
    • Diversity
      • AAPI Heritage
      • Autism Month
      • Black History
      • Chinese New Year
      • Pride Month
      • Women’s History
    • Crossover
    • About
      • Review/interview policy
      • About our reviewers
    www.crackingthecover.com

    Wild One from Terri Farley’s Phantom Stallion series gets new content

    0
    By Jessica on May 9, 2023 ages 8-12, Middle Grade
    THE WILD ONE, by Terri Farley, Aladdin, March 21, 2023, Paperback, $7.99 and Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)

    Some 20 years after it was first published, Terri Farley’s Phantom Stallion series returns with a new cover and bonus material in The Wild One.

    When 13-year-old Samantha returns home to her family’s cattle ranch in Nevada, she’s nervous. She moved away two years ago to recover from a bad fall off her beloved mustang, Blackie, and she’s still not sure she can get back in the saddle. She’s having trouble bonding with her new horse, Ace, the other ranchers treat her like the boss’s spoiled daughter, and Blackie has been missing since the day of Sam’s fateful accident.

    But that’s just the beginning. On a moonlit night, a mustang comes to Sam. Is it Blackie grown up and gone wild — or the legendary phantom stallion? When Sam suddenly finds the fate of the horse resting in her hands, she has to be a real cowgirl, ready or not. —Synopsis provided by Aladdin

    The Wild One may have been around for 20 years, but this is my first encounter with the first book in a series about a girl, her horse and the American West. And after reading it, it’s not hard to see why the Phantom Stallion series has stood the test of time.

    The setting.

    The adventure.

    The horses.

    Take your pick.

    Of course, you can’t have good story without a strong character. And in The Wild One, you get two — Sam and the mysterious mustang.

    Sam is a strong girl who more than anything wants to please her father. She knows his strict rules are in place for a reason, even if she forgets them sometimes. After being away for two years, Sam reintegrates with the ranch remarkably well. Especially since she’s immediately thrown back in. I understand her father’s reasoning behind all this, but he’s not exactly a “warm” character and seems to expect a lot from a kid who’s been gone for two years. Of course, this allows for Sam’s story to unfold, so it’s necessary. Sam’s grit helps her stand out among other contemporary protagonists.

    Through Sam, readers also get to know mustang. While the story is told from Sam’s point of view, she gives you a true sense of the mustang and his mindset.

    Other supporting characters — Jake (a young horse trainer), Dad and Gram — are explored enough to feel like more than props but have room to grow in further books.

    The Wild One is the sort of book that will appeal to budding and fully fledged horse lovers. It’s got mystery and adventure and a lot of heart. And at just over 300 pages, it’s a good choice heading into summer.

    There are 24 books in the Phantom Stallion series, and it looks like Aladdin will be revisiting at least three of them — Mustang Moon is slated for a July 5 release and Dark Sunshine on Oct. 10.

     

    Copyright © 2023 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Jessica
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Jessica Harrison is the main reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. Prior to creating Cracking the Cover, Jessica worked as the in-house book critic for the Deseret News, a daily newspaper in Salt Lake City. Jessica also worked as a copy editor and general features writer for the paper. Following that, Jessica spent two years with an international company as a social media specialist. She is currently a freelance writer/editor. She is passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices.

    Related Posts

    ICYMI: Books offer Middle-grade magic for summer reading

    Sara Shepard’s Penny Draws a Best Friend is authentic read

    Excellent Land of Broken Promises explores immigrant experience

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • goodreads
    • amazon
    • bloglovin
    • mail
    Subscribe by email
    Follow
    Recent Posts
    June 2, 2023

    ICYMI: Books offer Middle-grade magic for summer reading

    June 1, 2023

    Return to Alyson Noël’s time-traveling adventures in Ruling Destiny

    June 1, 2023

    Mini Review: Hello Hummingbirds is adorable board book

    May 31, 2023

    Sara Shepard’s Penny Draws a Best Friend is authentic read

    May 30, 2023

    Excellent Land of Broken Promises explores immigrant experience

    Archives
    Categories
    On Writing

    “The dance with words and the way the hair on the back of my neck raises when it works right is what I live for.”

    —Gary Paulsen

    “I write because I exist. Because I read. Because I breathe.”

    —Lindsay Eager

    “Books are kind of like the sense of smell: inhale one page and memories come rushing back.”

    —Keir Graff

    Cracking the Cover is a website dedicated to picture, middle-grade and young adult books. It features reviews, author interviews and other book news. PLEASE NOTE: We are not currently accepting self published books for review.

    Copyright © 2010-2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

    Reviews Published Professional Reader 2016 NetGalley Challenge 100 Book Reviews

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.