McKenna's Path

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 31 Jul 2019 | Archive Date 01 Nov 2020

Talking about this book? Use #McKennasPath #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Suzie McKenna has a desperate need to get away from her mom—and most importantly her mom’s creepy boyfriend. She comes up with the perfect way to escape, taking her beloved mustang mare, Gypsy, with her. She’ll ride to her father’s ranch. She has the knowledge, the maps, and the need; but does she have the ability?

Join Suzie and Gypsy as they make their way from Victor, Idaho to Dubois, Wyoming. Only the Bridger-Teton National Forest stands between them and the safety of her father. 

When Gypsy is found loose and injured, can searchers find Suzie before it's too late? 

Suzie's divorced parents, Mike and Sherry McKenna, share a burning need to locate their wayward daughter. Can they stand each other’s company long enough to get the job done? Ride with them as they answer this question and maybe even discover what tore their marriage apart.

Suzie McKenna has a desperate need to get away from her mom—and most importantly her mom’s creepy boyfriend. She comes up with the perfect way to escape, taking her beloved mustang mare, Gypsy, with...


Advance Praise

"TNtrailrider

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT READ FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES HORSES AND ENJOYS THE OUTDOORS

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2019

This is an interesting insight into this part of the world. Admiring the grandeur of the Tetons from your car window is one thing but to be a young girl, out there alone on horseback, is quite another. Suzie McKenna was upset when she left her mother's house in Idaho and attempted to ride through the mountains to her father in the neighboring state of Wyoming; things get much worse halfway through an already long and arduous journey when her mare has a fall and Suzie is hurt. Now she's alone and injured, with a storm closing in. What made her undertake such a ride in the first place? How does her mother react when she finds her daughter gone? Who searches for Suzie, and will they find her in time?

Kasey Riley knows her way around a horse, that's for sure, and the details are clearly authentic. She has a gift for 'orienteering' and describes the situation and the terrain so accurately, the reader is out there with Suzie and just as terrified...wanting to turn the page to see 'what happens.'"

"TNtrailrider

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT READ FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES HORSES AND ENJOYS THE OUTDOORS

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2019

This is an interesting insight into this part of the...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781086868371
PRICE $2.99 (USD)

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)
Download (PDF)

Average rating from 8 members


Featured Reviews

A tale of survival against all odds, this book definitely kept you captivated. I was rooting for Suzie the entire time, and was praying that she’d be found.

This book follows Suzie, a young teenager who has grown up riding horses through the Tetons. After one last leer from her mom’s perverted boyfriend, she decides to ride cross country to her dad’s house. After a fall from her horse, she is left alone in the wilderness, with search parties days away, leaving her with only her wits.

I think the switching of perspectives worked great in this book. In most survival books, we only get the perspective of the survivor. In this one, we got to read about her parent’s search, which added a whole new element of urgency. I honestly preferred their chapters, because I loved watching them work through all of their problems.

The cover of this definitely doesn’t prepare you for what’s to come, I was expecting a light story, with a bit of romance. Instead, I got something that kept you guessing. I really loved how this didn’t focus on romance though, it would’ve detracted from the story. Suzie’s parents reconciling was one of the best written elements of this, and I was really rooting for them.

I could really picture this book in my head. It helped that I was driving through area similar to where it was set, so I could just see people riding horses across the land. Although I normally avoid survival stories, I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kasey Riley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Terrified that her mother’s fiancé will follow through on his perverted threats and with no help from her enamored mother, Suzie and her beloved mustang Gypsy trek through the mountains towards the safety of her father’s ranch. We see Suzie’s travels, her parents’ reconnecting and beginning to mend the hurt from their divorce, and get a glimpse into the wilderness of the Tetons.

As a whole, this was a quick read that involved plenty of character growth and tied up all the loose ends in a satisfying way. I won’t say this is a light read, as the author does not hide the reality of Suzie’s home situation, but it shows some very real emotions and takes you on an adventure through the twists and turns of the mountains and of life.

However, I did not feel that I could give this book five stars. There were a few ‘pet peeves’ of mine; the pacing felt a bit rushed in spots and slow in others, and the dialogue did not flow as well as I think it could have. I also felt that there were some questionable views towards women that were expressed by the male characters. These observations detracted from the story for me; it does not make sense that a police officer should be driven away from helping someone because he is uncomfortable around tears, and a father whose child just went through a harrowing experience might feel a little more empathy for her tears.

That being said, there were plenty of good moments. We see Suzie's parents reminisce over heartwarming family memories, and relationships grow stronger through the course of the novel. What starts out as a desperate flight for safety resolves in something no one could have imagined.


Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy to review!

Was this review helpful?

Wonderful Teton Mountains Horse Adventure
This is a wonderful adventure story. It was written for a teen audience, but this Grandma. The description of trail riding in the mountains is spot-on. From packing the animals to feeding them and helping them on dangerous terrain, the author definitely speaks from experience. The backstory about the family is also very realistic. The way many loose ends are tied up at the end was the icing on the cake. The author leaves just enough unsaid to give the reader something to ponder for quite a while. I will be looking for more of this author's books to read as well as giving them as gifts to my teenage grandchildren. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was a good story of a teens journey on her mustang horse Gypsy, after confronting her mom about her boy friend coming on to her and isn't believed.
She plans to ride her horse through the Bridger-Tetons National Forest from her moms place in Victor Idaho, to her Dads place in Dubois, Wyoming .
When tragedy strike and her horse Gypsy is found riderless and injured by a group of riders, the search for the rider begins and Suzie's father and mother come together as well to find her.
A good story of a parents journey to rediscover what had gone wrong with their marriage, as they ride into the mountains to find their daughter.
It is also an eye opening journey for Suzie, injured and without her horse having to brave the elements of the wilderness.
This books really keeps you reading to see what happens in the story. Well written and full of knowledge about how to survive in the wilderness, and about horses.
I would like to thank BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

What a wonderful book! It hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. This is a book for all ages that loves horses and a good adventure story. This book is a winner!! Thank you BooksGoSocial via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I read and enjoyed this book and sent a review to Fresh Fiction. When this is released I will post another review elsewhere. Meanwhile I have rated the title highly on Goodreads.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: