Customer Reviews

Close Call (Thoroughbred)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book was o.k. Even though I think the series should stick to racing, I thought it was fine having an Eventing theme in this book. The next books are racing based, so I'm not worried. #42 Bad Luck Filly is about Melanie and the black racing filly, Perfect Image, who was introduced in Ultimate Risk. I'm glad she's related to Wonder. #43 is Fallen Star. Cindy McLean (they say Blake, which is a mistake, she's adopted by the McLeans) returns and is bitter. Star develops a disease and fights for his life. I hope this doesn't ruin his Derby/Triple Crown chances! #44 Perfect Image, is also coming out. I don't yet know what it's about. Anyway, back to the book Close Call, I like Parker a lot, but this book didn't really appeal to me that much. There was no real resolve at the end. It leaves you asking "so did Parker make the Olympic team or not?" I think that Parker and Christina have a close relationship than displayed in this book and that if Lyssa was really bothering Parker that much, he could talk to Christina about it. The book jumps from scene to scene and is unsettled. I don't think Brad and Laviana are really capable of being THAT aweful! What horrible parents! I like how close to Foxy Parker is. There were A LOT of mistakes in this book! First off, Ashleigh didn't win the Derby on Wonder, Jilly did. Ashleigh won it on Pride. Wonder won the Derby and the Belmont, not the Derby and Preakness. Pride won the Derby and Preakness. This also means Jilly was the first woman jockey to win the Derby, not Ashleigh. Anyway, the book was O.K., but definitely not of the THOROUGHBRED stature.

Something seems to be bothering Jenny. Baseball has always been an escape for her and her eleven-year-old friends. All of a sudden, Jenny begins acting strangely, picking fights and arguing over close calls. Then there was the problem with the big kids, led by Jenny's stepbrother Billy, who chased them off the ball field by throwing rocks at them.

Jenny's friends are determined to find out what is wrong so they can keep their after school games going. It just so happens that they learn about compassion and prejudice at the same time.

Close Call is a sports book for kids of both sexes. The teams are pretty evenly co-ed and there is a balanced mixture of baseball action and interpersonal relationships.

Much of the exposition unfolds in dialog and some of the chapters seem a bit too short and break off in the middle of a scene. It's a little choppy, but this might work to the advantage of reluctant readers who need to take a break.

I absolutely LOVE the Thoroughbred series, and now I buy every single one that comes out. Sometimes it seems that the ideas for the stories get used again, but there is always something new at Whitebrook.

I liked how Christina used to be into racing, because it kept the series fresh and made you want to read the next one. However, I don't think she should become a jockey. Hello? She's too tall. In #28 they describe her as taller than Ashleigh, and Ashleigh is 5'3", making Chris a pretty tall jockey.

So this book was nice to take a breather from racing and see what else Thoroughbreds can do. Foxy is great, and so is Parker, but Christina needs to get a grip. Parker is under stress, and she is not listening to him. Then she gets mad because he is worried about the event and not her for two seconds.

The bad thing about this book is that you don't find out if he makes the Olympic team or not. Uhhh, isn't that what this book is supposed to be about?

We can only hope Christina comes to her senses and starts eventing again before I die of boredom over the same plotlines used over and over.

i thought close call was really good. i like racing better thaneventing but it was still good. lyssa was kind of annoying but i guessshe was nice enough. i really hope kevin and melanie will get back together. i like foxy and parker but i want to know if they made it to the olympics. the new author made some mistakes like JILLY won the kentucy derby and BELMONT on wonder not ashleigh and townsend prince won the preakness...lavina and brad are horrible i hate them. i wish the seris would focus on whitebrook a little more and christina's and melanies racing careers...all in all close call was good but i hope the next books would come out sooner im always waiting...

Okay, over all this book was pretty good, besides I miss racing! Even though I am a Morgan fan myself and want to go into showjumping someday, this is my favorite series. I can read about showjumping and eventing in Saddleclub books or basicly any series. But I find racing is much more excting to read about. I really don't like Cindy at all and I was gald when she disapeared. She was a major snob! She won the the biggest race in the world when she was 16 and was worried the Ashleigh was going to beat her the whole time. No offense to Glory, but if I was her I wouldn't have brought in a horse no one knew to a place that I just got to! Chris isn't a snob! Okay so she did't like racing at first, big deal! She ended up liking it and she switched. Star rocks and I didn't like Sterling that much anyway. She didn't have time for her so she sold her to a very nice person, it's not like she sold her to Brad! She is a very good rider and I hope Star goes on to win the Triple Crown. What happened to all the horses and people? Cassidy, Katie, Heather, Dylan? Oh and the horses Pride, Champion, Princess, Mr.Wonderful, Sterling, Sierra, Jazzman, Shining, Fleet Goddess, Limless Time???? Hello! I MISS THEM!!!!

This book was the first of its kind in the Thoroughbred series, it was written from a male point of view (Parker). This book was very good, but as you may have noticed, he is REALLY stuck up most of the book and thinks that everything going wrong is Lyassa's fault (you can really see some of the Brad in him there). But through out the book you can see how he is understanding what is happeneing, but the sad part is, he doesn't really get everything until like the last chapter of the book. And then, they never tell you if he makes it (but they drop some major clues) so all in all, it wasn't the best Thoroughbred, but it was right in the middle, so it is worth your time. Plus, you get to here about Katie again, did anyone else notice how we have heard from her in like 8 books, and she is still Christina's "best friend"?

That book was great! The plot twists were very intresting and reading a book from Parker's point of view was very intresting. Parker has always been one of my favorite people in the series and I am glad that the book was written this way. I was also very glad that Dylan and Katie were back in the book even though for very short times. There were some problems with this book though, it was well written but the new authors have to get there facts strait! Ashleigh did NOT ride Wonder in the Derby, Jilly did...etc.. Other then that the book was very good!

I thought this book was really good! I have read better in this series like cindy's heart break but this was a good book, I am glad they went back to eventing for a book cuz that was a very big part awhile ago and I don't think they should just drop it like they dropped the characters! I feel chris and parker should of talked more throughout the book though! but I also thought it was kinda nifty that parker doesn't get along with every one and know we know he's not perfect cuz they made him lose wich is kinda good! well all in all this book was really good! if anyone knows about the book fallen star can you please write to me and tell me what it is about I would really appreciate that~ I would also recommend all the tb series but here are some of the best cindy's heartbreak,without wonder, and I thought star in danger was pretty good~~~ I suggest reading them all!

I don't know if you all noticed but Dylan and Katie were mentioned briefly in this book. Christina and Parker see Katie at the party, and Kevin tells Parker he saw Dylan in the flower shop earlier. I am glad the "new authors" have found a way to bring them back into the series. I also think it's good that Cindy is coming back, but we are still missing many other people/horses. I am trying to reread all the books to find all the missing characters and make a list to send to Joanna Campbell. I am hoping she will write a Super Special or something about what happened to them.

This book was awesome. I really liked it and the writers style. Besides the tiny mistakes that don't really make a difference anyway it was the best! I like the eventing scene more then the racing but I really hated Lyssa in this book. And you usually can't just come out with some old ranch horse and win an event against olympic riders. Well it was a awesome book and for anyone considering buying it I would definetly!