Flying Changes

It helps to love horses to enjoy this book and I do. I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. At times I really felt for Annemarie , as a mother but most times I must say I did not agree with her parenting style. Her daughter Ava is a spoiled brat and Annemarie does not properly handle situations like when she has temper tantrums and speaks so disrespectfully to her mother. Then when she refuses to look after her horse or return to the competition to support her fellow riders and Annemarie drives her home, well, inexcusable. At other times I really have to laugh at her as things tend to happen to her in a clumsy, nerdy way.
I liket he way Sara Gruen writes.

I enjoyed Gruen's first novel about Annemarie Zimmer, Riding Lessons, and the sequel does not disappoint.

Annemarie is still struggling with her daughter Eva, who wants more than anything to train for competition in the one of the most dangerous horse sports, eventing. Still haunted by the riding accident that took the life of her beloved horse Harry and nearly left her paralyzed, Annemarie panics everytime she thinks of Eva taking a jump. But when Eva is caught smoking pot behind the school and is expelled, Annemarie decides that letting Eva go to a nearby farm to train with a top rider just might be the best thing. There, Eva meets Smokey Joe, a blue roan Nokota gelding who has thrown everyone who has tried to ride him. To everyone's show more amazement, Joe and Eva bond and all seems well.

But things are not going well with Annemarie and her boyfriend, who seems to be evading her hints that they should make their relationship more permanent. Then Eva goes to her first major horse trial and disaster strikes.

Annemarie is a believable narrator, neurotic and anxiety ridden as she is. I would love to hear more about her and her family, who seem like real people.

Gruen is spot on in her descriptions of horses and their relationship with humans. Many horse stories are marred by glaring mistakes or far-fetched scenarios, but Gruen's horses are the real deal. I would know Hurrah and Joe in a minute if I saw them -- and like Annemarie and Eva, I would love them for not only for their beauty but for their personalities. These are not stereotypical "hero" horses like the Black Stallion; they are real horses, described by a real horsewoman. show less

Gruen's sequel to "Riding Lessons," still falls very far short of the standard she set for herself in "Water for Elephants." In "Flying Changes" we see a continuation of the life of Annemarie and her difficult 16-year old daughter, Eva. The story is thin. Annemarie finds love and her daugher finds a riding school. There is some tragedy, of course but the quality that makes this book almost irritating to read is the level of distraction. From time to time the author will throw in a ton of detail on some issue which is irrelevant to the plot, while, at the same time she omits information that would be handy to have in a book on riding--such as some explanation of what a "flying change" actually consists of and a description of a "double show more oxer." In addition, Annamarie is the sole POV in the book, and not a terribly sympathetic character, coming across as whiny and immature. show less

After reading Riding Lessons and being thoroughly annoyed by Annemarie Zimmer and her daughter Eva, I wasn't sure if I really even wanted to begin this one. I only did because I already owned it. But boy I'm glad I did. Gruen has used this sequel to develop all the characters from Riding Lessons into characters you can really care about. Plus the situations are more believable. This turned out to be quite an enjoyable book.

This is the second book of a two book series. I have already reviewed the first book Riding Lessons and that being said I really enjoyed this book a lot better than the first one. The main character in the first book was quite irritating and it was difficult to sympathize with her. In this book, while she still does some frustrating things, she is a much more believable character. I stayed up all night finishing this one; I couldn't put it down. I also found that this book tugged a bit more at the heartstrings. Gruen really developed each character from the first book and I found myself drawn into wanting to know more. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Flying changes performed by a horse can be a beautiful thing to watch or it can be rough and disjointed, sometimes caused by its handler. Just as adjustments in life may or may not be handled well by families.
Annemarie Zimmer has numerous objections to her daughter's desire to compete at an international horse trials which involves jumping as one of the events, triggering fears and memory of her own accident.

Ann Marie is still one of the most annoying characters I nave ever encountered in a book, but she did manage to experience a bit more personal growth in this sequel.