The Secret Horses of Briar Hill
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Description
Described as "reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia" in a starred review, The Secret Horses of Briar Hill shows readers everywhere that there is color in our world—they just need to know where to look.
There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill hospital—the mirrors that reflect the elegant rooms once home to a princess, now filled with sick children. Only Emmaline can see the creatures. It is her secret.
One morning, Emmaline climbs over the wall of the hospital’s abandoned gardens and discovers something incredible: a white horse with a broken wing has left the mirror-world and entered her own.
The horse, named Foxfire, is hiding from a dark and sinister force—a Black Horse who hunts by colorless moonlight. If Emmaline is to keep him from finding her new friend, she must surround Foxfire with treasures of brilliant shades. But where can Emmaline find color in a world of gray?
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016
"Endearing characters, metaphors for life and death, and a slow revelation of the horrors of war give this slim novel a surprising amount of heft."—Booklist, Starred Review
"In clear, gripping, flawless prose . . . this exquisite, beautifully illustrated middle-grade novel explodes with raw anguish, magic and hope, and readers will clutch it to their chests and not want to let go."—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
"Reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia, Elizabeth Goudge, or a child's version of Life of Pi. . . . Readers will love this to pieces." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"Magical, terrifying, and full of heart. Open these pages, and ride true."—Newbery Honor-winning author Kathi Appelt
"A remarkable book. Astonishing!"—Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse
Book Information
Posts
I really like historical middle grade books because while they convey a good sense of a time period, they are focused more on personal stories than the bigger picture and combine the tragedy with beauty and magic. This book is no exeption. It's just as engaging to adult readers than to its target audience. The clear writing works really well and the setting and atmosphere are spot on. Emmaline is a believable protagonist, too, and her quest very appealing. Some minor critiscm is that I wasn't invested enough into the non-magical elements of the book and didn't feel for the characters the way that I should. I think that is due to Emmaline focussing way more on the horses with everything else happening on the side. Also, in this magical realist kind of stories, I like the magical elements to aid the real life part of the story, but in this, it felt like when Emmaline pursued her goal she was actively going against that. It made sense, it just isnt my preference. Still, I had a good time with it and it truely had the elements of a classic story.
Description
Described as "reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia" in a starred review, The Secret Horses of Briar Hill shows readers everywhere that there is color in our world—they just need to know where to look.
There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill hospital—the mirrors that reflect the elegant rooms once home to a princess, now filled with sick children. Only Emmaline can see the creatures. It is her secret.
One morning, Emmaline climbs over the wall of the hospital’s abandoned gardens and discovers something incredible: a white horse with a broken wing has left the mirror-world and entered her own.
The horse, named Foxfire, is hiding from a dark and sinister force—a Black Horse who hunts by colorless moonlight. If Emmaline is to keep him from finding her new friend, she must surround Foxfire with treasures of brilliant shades. But where can Emmaline find color in a world of gray?
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016
"Endearing characters, metaphors for life and death, and a slow revelation of the horrors of war give this slim novel a surprising amount of heft."—Booklist, Starred Review
"In clear, gripping, flawless prose . . . this exquisite, beautifully illustrated middle-grade novel explodes with raw anguish, magic and hope, and readers will clutch it to their chests and not want to let go."—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
"Reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia, Elizabeth Goudge, or a child's version of Life of Pi. . . . Readers will love this to pieces." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"Magical, terrifying, and full of heart. Open these pages, and ride true."—Newbery Honor-winning author Kathi Appelt
"A remarkable book. Astonishing!"—Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse
Book Information
Posts
I really like historical middle grade books because while they convey a good sense of a time period, they are focused more on personal stories than the bigger picture and combine the tragedy with beauty and magic. This book is no exeption. It's just as engaging to adult readers than to its target audience. The clear writing works really well and the setting and atmosphere are spot on. Emmaline is a believable protagonist, too, and her quest very appealing. Some minor critiscm is that I wasn't invested enough into the non-magical elements of the book and didn't feel for the characters the way that I should. I think that is due to Emmaline focussing way more on the horses with everything else happening on the side. Also, in this magical realist kind of stories, I like the magical elements to aid the real life part of the story, but in this, it felt like when Emmaline pursued her goal she was actively going against that. It made sense, it just isnt my preference. Still, I had a good time with it and it truely had the elements of a classic story.