Racing Manhattan
Written by Terence Blacker
Narrated by Stina Nielsen
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
In a cheering and relatable story of adversity overcome, an outcast teen coaxes a defiant Thoroughbred back into the thrill of competition.
Alone in the world, Jay Barton is a teenage misfit with nothing much going for her besides an extraordinary talent for understanding racehorses and riding them like a pro. When, in a desperate attempt to escape her shifty, opportunistic uncle, she leaves home to work in a racing stable, Jay forms a bond with a beautiful gray mare named Manhattan—brilliant, misunderstood, dangerous, and heading for racing's scrap heap. Recognizing a fellow misfit, Jay fights to give Manhattan one last opportunity to show that she's the champion she was born to be. Together they face a world of prejudice and cruelty, fighting back the only way they know how—by becoming the best.
Terence Blacker
Terence Blacker is a columnist for the Independent and has written many books for adults and children. He is an active member of English PEN. www.terenceblacker.com
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Reviews for Racing Manhattan
23 ratings10 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know anything about the racing environment in the United Kingdom or anywhere else for that matter so it was good to learn about it. I've always loved horses so even though I'm not into racing I enjoyed reading about them and their care. I loved the fact that there was a female protagonist and she had to fight her way through the male dominated culture of racing to prove herself. Jay was really lucky since she was given more than one second chance to reach her dream of becoming a jockey. She had so many obstacles in her way, her stubborn will to win, her conniving uncle, the male dominated Arabian culture. If you like strong female characters, this is a book for you. Recommended.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jay isn't much like the other teenagers around her, but she's uniquely good with ponies. Even as a Thoroughbred, Manhattan has never made a positive mark as a racehorse. The pairing of these two misfits will be a fight involving more than a racetrack in Racing Manhattan, a novel by author Terence Blacker.Well. Even with the "cheering" language in this book's official blurb, don't mistake this for a "cheerful" tale. Despite being a story of a young lover of ponies, horses, and riding, it isn't the stuff that light and delightfully corny family horse flicks are made of.Much of it is more melancholy than that, grittier, displaying family tragedy and dysfunction; sexism, bullying, and blackmail; and the seedy side of horse racing. The heroine, outcast that she may be, isn't a timid or "wallowing in woe-is-me" sort, but she's full of rage and determination. And yet, she isn't a snarky jerk, she isn't totally beyond intimidation, and she doesn't forget how to smile.Speaking of jerks, though, some of the characters did tire me a little. There's a stretch when it seems that just about everyone Jay encounters is sarcastic, condescending, dismissive, or what have you, and an abundance of people being "mean" to the protagonist can get as irksome as an abundance of people being too friendly. But it all starts to balance out in due time, without being cheesy about it.So, no, it's not a cheerful story, but it is relatable and inspiring, with a moving and rather brilliant style. Definitely glad I picked this young adult novel up.___________I received a complimentary copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for an honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Plenty of character drama interspersed with the racing horse drama. Clear voice.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jay Barton, a sixteen-year-old orphan who is being raised by her Uncle and Step-Aunt, has a strong connection to the ponies she is racing and a talent to become a jockey. Feeling unwanted by her adoptive family, Jay runs away to Newmarket and ends up securing a job as a lad at a racing stable. Here she develops a bond with a large grey mare named Manhattan who is being abused by the lad entrusted with her care. Together, Jay and Manhattan show that females have an important place in the racing world. Great read with feel good ending.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Entertaining story about a young orphan who leaves home to get into the racing business, and finds a misunderstood and mistreated horse that she believes could be a champion: in other words, this is a pony book.I did feel that the author did a decent job of telling the story in first-person, which is not always done well, and I appreciated the fact that he did not feel it necessary to flood the reader with excess information that was not needed to tell this tale.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jay doesn't like school and her aunt and uncle are always complaining about having to care for her. She's not high maintenance but she's not one of their kids either. She loves her cousin but isn't sure about the parents. When she finds out that her uncle has plans for her, she runs away. She loves the ponies they have and race so she heads to a town that is full of stables and racing. Surely she can find a job there...Candlewick Press and Library Thing sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you). It will be published May 22nd.Jay is young but she's a strong person. She's willing to work hard to meet her goals. Her mother died several years ago and she never knew her father but she just does the best she can. She has more of a conscience than her uncle and more morals than most of the stable men.What she finds is no one wants her. She makes her pitch to the man who's known as "Magic" and his wife convinces him to put her on. She gets to help care for the horses. That's when she sees this very secure building that is locked up. There's a horse in there but it has a very bad reputation. She defies orders and goes in to meet the horse. The horse has been abused and is fearful. But Jay has her own soothing routines and knows how to develop trust. This is the best part of the story. Everyone else thinks the mare is no good and ought to be put down. Jay manages to get her out of the cage and riding again. No one knows how far this is going to go but when you put a determined girl and a determined horse together, there's really no limit.This was a very good read with lots of ups and downs. It was a pleasure to read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Racing Manhattan is the story of Jay, a young girl who dreams of being a jockey. She has a tough home life: her mother is dead, she doesn’t know her father, and her uncle and step-aunt don’t want her around. Her love of horses leads her to run away to Newmarket, the capital of horse racing in England, and find a job at a stable. However, life is still not easy for her. The other “lads,” or stable hands, are bullies, and don’t believe that she is good enough to be there just because she is a girl. Jay is able to persevere, and everyone notices when she is able to take the stable’s most notoriously difficult mare and help her run in several big races. Overall, I thought the story of Jay was compelling, and I wanted to find out where she would go next and how she would handle all of the adversity around her. I was truly shocked that so few adults seemed to want anything to do with her. Jay definitely had some flaws, but not enough for everyone in her life to give up on her. There were a few places where I thought the dialogue was not strong, but it did not take away from the story itself. The racing language was a little bit difficult to follow, though I have mostly decided this was because the story is set in England instead of America. The author’s way of breaking up the last three or four words in each chapter was an effective way to emphasize Jay’s major thoughts about herself and her life.I would recommend this story to girls who need a great “girl power” story, as it has a strong message for girls in any adverse situation. It would also appeal to anyone who loves horses. I found myself thinking that Racing Manhattan was similar to the movie Flicka, only with horse racing instead of mustangs. Racing Manhattan is a truly enjoyable story, and well written for its young adult audience.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great story of courage, endurance and perseverance! Never give up on your dreams!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I received a free copy of Racing Manhattan from the publisher as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!There are a lot of things to love about this book. For starters, the main character is a tomboy — and a well-written tomboy — which brings me back to so many of the books that I loved as a teen.There’s a lot of horse stuff in here, and it’s vividly done while still being accessible for someone (like me) who isn’t too familiar with horses.But I think my favourite part was the inclusion of social issues. A lot of the book focuses on being a girl in the male-dominated jockey world. Awesome, frustrating, and empowering.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5RACING MANHATTAN offers a fresh twist on the fish-out-of-water trope. Jay loves horses and has been riding successfully in “unofficial” (that is, illegal) pony races when her situation changes abruptly. She finds herself in Newmarket working as a “lad” for a stable that’s down on its luck. There she meets Manhattan, a moody mare who has reached her last chance. When Jay connects with Manhattan, their fortunes seem to change. But there’s not much room in racing for a young female jockey, and Jay’s rivals are only too happy to squeeze her out. Can Jay save Manhattan — and her own future?I was not a girl who adored books about horses when I was growing up, so I am happily surprised by RACING MANHATTAN. This novel features great storytelling that kept me reading eagerly. Some of the characters around Jay are thinly drawn, but Jay herself is well developed and intriguing — I wanted to know who she would grow up to be. Some of Jay’s male antagonists are thoroughly menacing, and the novel moves briskly between well-told passages of Jay’s work with Manhattan and the obstacles Jay must overcome to reach her goals. RACING MANHATTAN won’t suit every taste, but I can see it working well with athletic teens and readers who identify as “square pegs.” It’s a long book for YA, but it’s nicely paced and rewarding. I recommend this book enthusiastically.