Quicksand - The Mysterious Disappearance of Dakotaroo

Review of the first in the Dakotaroo series by Krista Michelle Breen

Most of the times I sit down to write a review of a middle-grader book I have to remind myself, yes, but what would a middle-grader think? This time I had no problem with that. This time when I started reading, I was back as my twelve-year-old self before I turned to the second page. It’s a pony book!

Pony books need a nice owner/rider, an adventure, a challenge, someone doing something that the pony and his/her owner/rider will overcome, and some good friends to help them along the way. This has all of that and more. The first challenge comes when Dakotaroo disappears from her field. I liked the detail of the search including the roping in of all the available pony-riding fraternity apart from the snooty posh ones. I particularly liked our heroine’s, TJ’s, realisation that nobody much cared about her horse Dakotaroo, it was just a chance to gallop in a different place from usual. So real, so true!! I ached for TJ and was really worried about Dakotaroo.

It’s wonderful how geeky brothers can sometimes come to the rescue. And also wonderful how just when the next challenge has been unveiled, and the protagonists and antagonists kind of identified – since it was definitely unclear whether the apparent baddies were really guilty as charged – the reader can be shocked out of his or her expectation of a clichéd dangerous challenge ahead by a further twist in the tale.

It’s complex enough, it’s full of great characters, although the parents are a little hazy, as they should be in a pony book (adults, pah!) and the setting beautifully described. I don’t think you need to be pony mad to enjoy this book. As for me, I had to force myself to put it down, so as to enjoy it better! When can I start the next one?

Quicksand – The Mysterious Disappearance of Dakotaroo by Krista Michelle Breen

This book is one of the prizes in our Princelings A to Z Giveaway. 10 ebooks and a paperback to be won, all for readers aged from 9 to 99. Runs throughout April. See details by clicking the button at the top right of the page, or just click the banner to enter!