OUTSIDER GIRL

A girl from an unstable home discovers inner strength and courage in Kumor’s debut YA novel.

Shy 12-year-old Sandy and her 15-year-old brother Nick are sent to live with their “Granpa” in his dirty, “paint-thirsty house” after their mother is hospitalized due to an unspecified mental illness. The transition is tough: The siblings struggle to fit in, the fridge is nearly empty, and their beer-drinking, cigarette-smoking grandfather isn’t overly nurturing. Over time, however, the trio settles into a rhythm; they divvy up chores, add vegetables to their meals, and start attending Sunday mass. When a schoolmate invites Sandy to visit the horse stables where she rides, it is life-changing. Sandy is often lonely, and she suffers the harassment of a group of boys, but at the stables she finds a sense of belonging. Before long, she is hired to clean stalls and learns to ride. Sandy forms a close bond with Credo, a temperamental Appaloosa rescue who has likely been abused. As trust builds between Sandy and the horse, they help one another heal from their complicated pasts. In the novel’s harrowing conclusion, Sandy is forced to test her newfound bravery. Kumor’s depiction of the bond between the damaged horse and the struggling adolescent is affecting, but despite ample opportunities for drama, the author struggles with pacing—unfortunately, tension doesn’t begin to build until near the narrative’s ending. The writing overall could be elevated (“Horses were interesting. She liked looking at pictures of them”), though the short chapters and plain language make the story accessible to reluctant readers. The point of view jarringly switches (oddly, sometimes to Credo’s somewhat poetic perspective), but the characters lack nuance, and readers are often given information rather than being immersed in the emotionality of the scenes. Additionally, some plot points, such as the creation of fake pornographic images of numerous school kids (including Nick and Sandy) seem out of place with the novel’s tone.

Heartwarming moments aside, the story falls flat.