Pony Club Secrets

I've just read the last couple of books in this series, Liberty and the Dream Ride, and Nightstorm and the Grand Slam.

I bought the first book for my daughter last Christmas, just based on the fact that it was a horsey book, I hadn't heard of it, or anything about the series.  So when Miss Missy told me that the pony died when she was just a chapter or so into the book, I started thinking "What did I just buy?"  And when she told me the main character snuck out and got a belly-button ring without telling her mother, it became "What...?!!!"

So I asked if I could read it after her.  And I found it to be a great read!  I found the books exciting, and I liked the writing style.  Although the books all have a very similar pattern, they continued to be quite readable right through to the end.  At the start of every book, there is a re-cap of the accident that caused Mystic's death, but it is introduced in a different way each time, so doesn't become too repetitive, and I assume that is for editorial reasons as much as anything else, for people who haven't read the other books (my daughter did complain about it).  Of course Issie is able to solve mysteries, and save the day when none of the grown ups can!  And I was a bit annoyed that she twice took off in the middle of a competition to save the day (in Fortune and the Golden Trophy, and again in Liberty and the Dream Ride).  I was also annoyed at a few inconsistencies in Nightstorm, Marcus's hair changed from ginger-blond to honey-blond, and the horse truck was in too places at once: Kate took off to Glasgow in the horse truck, and then just minutes later, Issie is getting ready for her next cross-country ride in the horse truck.  I was also annoyed that Issie sat GCSE's even though she lives in New Zealand.  But apart from those little annoyances, I really did enjoy the books.