Unhappy Appy

When I swung down from Towaco, my legs felt heavy. Usually I can ride all day and not be ready to quit, but now I felt worn down. I’d tried so hard.

Book: Unhappy Appy (Winnie the Horse Gentler) by Dandi Daley Mackall, Tyndale House Publishers, 2003

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 12-17

Subjects: Friendships, family relationships, divorce, prayer

Summary: Hawk is as unhappy as her horse. And that’s not good ‘cause her horse is quite grumpy these days. If Towaco isn’t biting someone, he’s moping as if he doesn’t care about anything in life. Winnie thought that Hawk was getting to be her friend, but lately Hawk doesn’t seem to want to be her friend. It’s back to the ignoring at school and the always choosing to hang out with the popular kids instead of Winnie. Meanwhile Winnie’s dad is starting to spend a considerable amount of time with another woman. Winnie’s mom has only been dead for a couple of years. How can he even think about this? Winnie wants to turn to God, but still just has some doubts about Him and His goodness after her mom’s death.

Notes: Winnie has to learn an important lesson about friendship in this book. Hawk is truly avoiding Winnie, but the reason for it means she needs Winnie’s friendship more than ever. It’s a time for Winnie to fight for it, just like she does with the horses, not give up. She also continues to learn more about prayer as she struggles to talk to God and believe that He cares about the little details in our lives.

Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 37:23 – The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.