Title: Another Kind of Cowboy
Author: Susan Juby
Publish Date: December 2007
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 352pp
ISBN: 0060765178
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Annotation: Unlikely pair, Alex Ford and Cleo O'Shea—both sixteen--become best friends through horsemanship.
Summary: Alex Ford has loved horses and dressage forever, in fact he even pretends his bicycle is a horse until his father actually wins a real live horse in a poker game. Alex is elated by this. Turnip is not the best horse, but together they become a winning team in Western riding. Having an affinity of dressage, Alex finds out that his father’s girlfriend has a dressage horse that she doesn’t ride. When a stable opens near his home, Alex begins to take lessons in dressage. This is when he meets Cleo, an incredibly wealthy dressage riding student with a colorful background involving drugs and alcohol and plenty of rebellion. Together, they become friends and untangle their life issues: Cleo is looking for love and Alex has been hiding his homosexuality. Cleo helps him gather self acceptance and strength to be who he is. As Alex gains confidence and self acceptance, his aspirations and his personal relationships seem full of promise.
Personal Response: I liked this book, yet I felt it was extremely predictable and everything seemed to happen so easily—the stable opening up near Alex’s house, the dressage horse that Alex’s father’s girlfriend doesn’t ride, the trainers supporting Alex as they are an elder gay couple. At the same time, I felt this was an inspiring story for teens to read—it shows the hardships of hiding who you are and explores an unlikely friendship.
~Reader’s Advisory~
Themes: Self-discovery, Fitting in
Age Range: 12 and up
Subjects: Friendships, Homosexuality, Relationships, Humor, Family Relationships, Dysfunctional Family, High School, Horsey, Dressage, Alcohol, Drugs, Self Discovery, Fitting In,
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