Review and Giveaway: "The A Circuit"

"The A Circuit"
by Catherine Hapka and Georgina Bloomberg

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 24, 2011

Source: ARC sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars



Summary from goodreads.com:

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 or The 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.

My Review:

I can't resist a good horse book and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The story had a bit of a slow start for me because there was a lot of insider show horse info and lingo. But after I adjusted to the setting, I was caught up in the world of show horses.

The three main characters were complex and likable. Zara, the wild child, takes some getting used to, but Kate was totally believable in her perfectionism. I think I liked Tommi the best, a snobby heiress on the outside, but with a heart of gold if you care enough to look underneath the facade.

I can see how this book would be a great stepping stone for girls who love to read about horses. It's very odd that there are so many books about horses for middle grade readers, but practically none for older teens. I think it's a great niche to fill. However, it's a really big jump from the innocence of the middle grade books to a book with such themes as sex, drugs, and drinking. So parents be warned of that before giving this one as a gift.

There practically has to be a sequel, because there are a lot of stories left unfinished.  Zara still has a lot of growing to do before she's completely likable and one of the romances was left a bit open ended.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5

Setting: 5/5

Romance: 3/5

Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5 love it!
Writing: 4/5



Bottom Line: This is a fun story for older teens where the stable is its own little world with lots of drama, and of course, lots of horses! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series if there is one.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Bloomsbury has generously provided a brand new finished copy of "The A Circuit" for readers of my blog!



All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address! Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy
Extra Entries:
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Rules:
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  • Books will be mailed out by the publisher
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  • Ends Tues June 7
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

9 comments

  1. This looks really cute! I love horses. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Follower: Logan E. Turner
    Email: loganeturnerblog(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like a fun read - it's already on my wish list.

    Not entering the giveaway since I'm outside US/Canada. Enjoyed your review, though! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This looks like a good book. I love to read stories involving horses.

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

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  4. This sounds great - and thanks for the warning about the slow start - I love books on horses, and you're right, there aren't many out there that aren't middle grade.

    Thanks for the review! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like a good book!

    Margay1122ATaolDOTcom

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  6. I'm about to add this to my wishlist, it sounds like a fun read and the cover is gorgeous!

    ComaCalm's Corner

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds great......thanks for the giveaway

    gfc follower

    vidishamun@gmail.com

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  8. I'm going to jump on this horsey wagon and try some horse books.

    Great review.

    (not an entry)

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  9. gfc follower

    felecia@twinoaksfl.org

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Thanks so much for your lovely comments!