Wild Horse Spring

I never acted like anything I did at Dad’s was fun, even though it was, because Mama would get jealous. I had been thinking and thinking about living with Daddy and Lynn. But I hadn’t said it out loud to anyone. But then there was Diana. Could I live with her? I wish I could figure out where I belonged.

Book: Wild Horse Spring (Sisters in All Seasons) by Lisa Williams Kline, Zonderkidz, 2012

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-18

Subjects: Blended Families, Sibling Relationships, Obedience, Wisdom, Identity

Summary: First the ranch with horses and now a beach with wild horses nearby! Diana definitely approves of the locations of this vacations. Stephanie, not so much. Will her dad ever stop pressuring her to be someone she’s not? Her dad is a city boy and she’s a city girl. She wants no want in these wild adventures that Diana seems to thrive on. This time it’s not a wild wolf Diana finds, but a wild horse – an injured one. The worst thing to Stephanie is that Diana wasn’t alone when she discovered it. She was with the boy Stephanie is attracted to! Now there are investigations against them and the boy she likes and all kinds of problems again. Why can’t Diana just stay out of trouble?

Notes:  This is the second in the Sisters In All Seasons series. The series is about two sisters who are part of a blended family. Both have parents who have divorced. Diana’s mother has married Stephanie’s father. Both of their other parents are still around and in the picture, although not as much. The sisters are extreme opposites in personality and interests. Diana’s focus is on animals – she finds people hard to deal with due to her lack of effort to “fit in” and her willingness to say exactly what she thinks at any time. Stephanie’s focus in on people – animals scare her. Stephanie’s weakness is trying so hard to get along with anyone that she doesn’t always say no to things she knows she should – whether it be to Diana or friends.

This book continues the challenge the girls face as they try to figure out how to be sisters. Jealousy comes into the picture as Diana has a chance to be alone with the boy Stephanie has a crush on. Unity comes when he is accused of a crime and they have to work together to protect him. As with the others, a lot of the problems come from Diana’s disobedience to authority and Stephanie’s desire to please everyone.

In this book, Diana outright admits she does not believe in God. She finds herself doing what feels like praying when in a difficult situation and questions who she is praying to if she does not believe in God. There are no answers given though. It’s merely a picture of a teen questioning. No adult or other teen comes and helps her figure anything out.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 1/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Nehemiah 9:6 – You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I appreciate it!