Born to Run
Ann Hunter
Young Adult Contemporary
Alexandra Anderson is on the run from the law.
When the thirteen-year-old orphan can run no further, she collapses at the gates of the prestigious racing and breeding farm, North Oak. Horse racing strikes a deep chord in her. She hears a higher calling in the jingle jangle of bit and stirrup and in the thunder of hooves on the turn for home. It tells her she has a place in the world. But when the racing headlines find her on the front of every sports page, she realizes North Oak is no longer a safe haven.
Money can’t buy love, but it just might secure Alex’s future. Will everyone at North Oak still want to offer her a home when they learn of her unspeakable crime?
On the heels of Joanna Campbell’s beloved Thoroughbred Series, and Walter Farley’s Black Stallion, comes a brand new young adult horse racing series that will sweep you away like a runaway Thoroughbred.
Uncaged Review: Alexandra is brought up in the foster system, and she was dealt a crappy blow with her foster home. The foster mother is a drunk, mean, and beats and abuses the kids in her home. When she finally escapes and gets to North Oak, then maybe she’ll begin to heal. She instantly bonds with a young colt named Promenade. Even though the people at North Oak take her in (there is more to this story that you find out in the end of this book as to why they so quickly agreed) – her past with the law and the foster home will return….
There was some confusing parts – one scene would just quickly switch to another one without more than a paragraph break, and do a bit of a time skip, which threw me out of the story a bit.
A nice start to this series, I had to let my own prejudices that I have for the horse racing world be put on the side for this story – but it was well told. Obviously there are many secrets, and not all of them get answered in this book but it doesn’t toss you into a major cliffhanger. Reviewed by Cyrene
4 Stars
