Storm Horse - Nick Garlick

When I was younger I read some horse-y stories, but tended to find them too girly and repetitive. Storm Horse looked set to break the mould with its moody grey cover and older male protagonist, so I was eager to see how different it would be.

Our Dutch protagonist, Flip, is 12 years old. After the death of his father, he moves from Amsterdam to a stormy island. There he meets his aunt, uncle and little cousin Renske, who are to be his new family. They are poor and the island seems quiet to him, after the chaos of the city, but Flip settles and is relatively happy. Then the equine element begins when Flip rescues a drowning horse and has to help him overcome his trauma and learn to be a working animal.

For me, the story of Storm the horse was okay, but couldn’t have held the book up on its own. The plotline of a difficult horse being trained has been done so many times before. What made this book stand out for me were the setting and the human characters.

The island of Mossum is brilliantly described and I could clearly picture its village, beach and woods. The physical setting is used well, with shenanigans taking place in every different environment. The most thrilling parts are the two storms that take place. The force of the weather and the people’s fear is almost palpable.

There are few characters in the book, which, for me, was a real plus, as I got to know each of them well. Flip makes a sympathetic hero although, at times, he seems slightly too good to be true. Renske, his cousin, is a realistic seven-year-old and can be very sweet and funny. As time passes, you really get the feeling of her becoming his little sister. Then there’s the Ghost Girl who doesn’t speak but who is, nevertheless, vital in Flip’s journey of self-discovery.

I do have some qualms with Storm Horse, though. Firstly, the ending seemed too sudden – I turned the last page and thought, “Was that it?”. An epilogue might have been nice. The conclusion was also a bit too neat and I felt it wasn’t realistic that so many loose ends should be tied up in a few pages.

Secondly, this is a small thing and one that doesn’t concern me, but might concern younger readers: various combinations of Flip, Renske and the Ghost Girl are described as “the children” by the author. While Renske is certainly a child and we don’t know the Ghost Girl’s age, I think some 12-year-olds would object to Flip being described as one. He is a child, of course, but I think avoiding the word may have been a good idea – for example, saying “the cousins” for Flip and Renske and “the trio” when the Ghost Girl is included.

Nevertheless, I found Storm Horse to be a refreshing change from the typical horse book and would recommend it to those who like a more adventurous animal tale.


*This review was originally written for Cuckoo Review (New Writing North) and is reprinted with permission*