I always enjoy Faith Erin Hicks’ YA work and Ride On was no exception. I re-read it before I started writing this review and liked it just as much the second time, so it’s definitely a keeper. Ride On follows Victoria, who starts riding at a new stable after leaving her more competitive one. She doesn’t want to make any new friends and rejects the attempts to befriend her by the friendly Norrie. Over the course of the novel, Victoria has to figure out if she’s open to friendship and riding again, or if she’s going to stay closed off and away from everyone. Each of the four teens at the stable also has their own narrative arc, and they’re woven together well.
Ride On captures the power of shared fandom really well, as well as the power of a genuine apology. I also liked the message that people grow and change, and some friendships don’t survive that. Sometimes we can get the societal message that we should keep all our friends in our life, but it just doesn’t always work out. It was good to see a more nuanced portrayal here then the message of “stay friends at any cost” that I’ve noticed elsewhere. And as always, Hicks’ art is wonderful and expressive. I especially was impressed with how well she drew horses, which are a notoriously difficult thing to draw. She really captures the beauty and personality of each horse.
This is a sweet and thoughtful book that anyone who likes horses will enjoy!
