Children's author Amy Alznauer (The Strange Birds of Flannery O'Connor) adds to the tradition of great "horse girl" books with her charming middle-grade novel Where the Wild Horses Are.
Six-year-old Nash and her cousin Benny share a dream: to each have a horse of their own. Like both of Nash's parents, Benny is Deaf, and she and Nash, who is hearing, are as close as sisters, signing to each other from their windows across their Chicago alley. Then Nash and her parents move to Smoke County, Pa., separating the cousins. Now 12, Nash bemoans her horseless state, until she learns about the Extreme Mustang Makeover competition, a summer program in which she would train a "certifiably wild horse." Her parents let her sign up with the condition that Benny, who is visiting for the first time since Nash moved, signs up too. Nash is thrilled by her progress with her horse, but Benny's presence feels strange. The girls have spent so much time apart, and Benny has so much in common with Nash's mother that Nash questions her friendship with Benny, her relationship with her parents, and even her horse dreams.
Alznauer deftly captures the voice of a 12-year-old about to receive a dream opportunity while also figuring out who she is as Nash of Smoke County, Pa. Nash's earnest, first-person perspective is reflective, allowing readers to cheer with her during highs and root for her during lows. Where the Wild Horses Are features an enjoyable community of characters and a relatable, kind protagonist chasing the dream of having a horse of her own. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer