Info: Title: The A Circuit
Author: Georgina Bloomberg & Catherine Hapka
Series: The A Circuit #1Publisher: Bloombury USA Childrens
Publication Date: May 16, 2011
Source: Purchased.
Synopsis:
The A Circuit is the top of the top when it comes to horse shows. It's a world with its own rules and superprivileged lifestyles. Teens travel the circuit all year, showing horses that cost as much as some homes.
Tommi, Kate, and Zara are all elite competitors on the circuit, but they come from totally different backgrounds. Tommi is a billionaire heiress trying to prove she has real talent (not just deep bank accounts). Kate puts the working in working student-every win has been paid for with hours of cleaning stalls. She's used to the grueling schedule, but Fitz, the barn's resident hot guy, is about to become a major distraction. And then there's Zara. She's the wild child of a famous rockstar, but she's ready to take riding seriously. Can a party girl really change her ways?
Readers who enjoy peeking into the elite world of Gossip Girl orThe A-List will feel right at home in this new series with its friendships, drama, and privilege set against the backdrop of competitive horseback riding.
Review:
I enjoyed this one, mostly because I'm a giant horse nerd. I think it's definitely possible that if this story had been set in any other sport or activity, I probably would not have liked it at all. But because it featured horses, it got heaps of bonus points.
I think my favourite thing about this book is that Georgina Bloomberg knows her stuff. She competes at the top of the sport, so her descriptions of anything involves horses are authentic and spot on. I don't know how self-explanatory or confusing this would be for non-riders, since she doesn't overly explain everything, which was a big plus for me, since that would have been boring for someone who already knows.
Besides the horses, which I obviously loved, the characters didn't wow me. Tommi and Kate weren't bad, but didn't jump off the page for me. Zara was super annoying. Occasionally in the second half of the book, I'd start to feel a bit bad for her, but then she'd go do something really stupid or mean and I'd go back to being annoyed at her. Fitz also pissed me off.
Really, this book reminded me of Gossip Girl (the show, since I haven't read the books. Oh and I just realized GG is mentioned in the synopsis too). A bunch of insanely rich teenagers who tend to be spoilt and full of drama. Right down to the token "poor kid" (ie: middle class).
I feel like this book is aimed at people who know a thing or two about horses, but also enjoy high school drama. And it's exactly that. So if that's you're thing, you'll enjoy it. If you're not interested in either horses or teenage drama, pass on this one.
I enjoyed this one, mostly because I'm a giant horse nerd. I think it's definitely possible that if this story had been set in any other sport or activity, I probably would not have liked it at all. But because it featured horses, it got heaps of bonus points.
I think my favourite thing about this book is that Georgina Bloomberg knows her stuff. She competes at the top of the sport, so her descriptions of anything involves horses are authentic and spot on. I don't know how self-explanatory or confusing this would be for non-riders, since she doesn't overly explain everything, which was a big plus for me, since that would have been boring for someone who already knows.
Besides the horses, which I obviously loved, the characters didn't wow me. Tommi and Kate weren't bad, but didn't jump off the page for me. Zara was super annoying. Occasionally in the second half of the book, I'd start to feel a bit bad for her, but then she'd go do something really stupid or mean and I'd go back to being annoyed at her. Fitz also pissed me off.
Really, this book reminded me of Gossip Girl (the show, since I haven't read the books. Oh and I just realized GG is mentioned in the synopsis too). A bunch of insanely rich teenagers who tend to be spoilt and full of drama. Right down to the token "poor kid" (ie: middle class).
I feel like this book is aimed at people who know a thing or two about horses, but also enjoy high school drama. And it's exactly that. So if that's you're thing, you'll enjoy it. If you're not interested in either horses or teenage drama, pass on this one.
Find the Book:
Goodreads | Amazon
| Chapters
Find the Author:
Georgina's Goodreads | Catherine's Goodreads | Georgina's Facebook
Goodreads | Amazon
| ChaptersFind the Author:
Georgina's Goodreads | Catherine's Goodreads | Georgina's Facebook
I'm not sure about the drama but I do love horses! Great review!
ReplyDeleteYou actually don't see that much 'teenage drama' in YA these days, so on that front this book sound kind of refreshing! Something you might give an actual teen to read... Glad there were horsey aspects here you loved!
ReplyDelete