SWEET & BITTER RIVALS

A prep schooler who loves horses competes with her new stepsister in this series opener by the author of the Canterwood Crest series.

Seventh grader Abby arrives for the start of her second year at Massachusetts boarding school Saddlehill Academy eager to reunite with friends but with mixed feelings regarding new stepsister Emery, who’s entering sixth grade. Despite both girls’ participating in the Interscholastic Pony League, they hadn’t known each other until their parents began dating. Abby, whose mother abandoned her, tries to befriend Emery, but someone leaks a doctored video that purportedly shows Abby bad-mouthing Emery. Abby’s determined to find out who did it. Saddlehill is a fairy-tale dream—in addition to the gorgeous barn, there’s a local beach, a pool, a campus sweet shop, and the ability to order dinner delivery whenever students wish. Some elements of diversity are woven into the cast: Abby and Emery are cued White; Abby’s best friends are Vivi, who is Black, and Thea, who is Korean American. Thea’s sister is an amputee. Abby had a same-sex crush, and a Brazilian immigrant student is now using they/them pronouns. But there’s no socio-economic diversity, and the characters move effortlessly inside a very rich, financially privileged world. Despite the scads of drama, there’s little true emotion, and the story truncates abruptly, presumably leaving its resolution to the sequel.

Effortless and effervescent; ideal for horse-crazy girls ready to move beyond The Saddle Club.