THE PERFECT DISTANCE

An absorbing look into the pressure-packed world of the equitation finals, where each year hundreds of teenagers ride horses that cost more than most houses—for what? Francie Martinez begins to wonder. She’d always seen the finals as a stepping-stone to a professional riding career, though, as a part-time groom and the daughter of a Mexican barn manager, she’s already partway there. The other riders at her ultra-competitive barn seem more legitimate to Francie, their money and pushy parents getting them the attention from the head trainer, Rob, which Francie craves. Then Francie learns the hard—even illegal—compromises that Rob and her father have made to keep their lifestyles intact and questions the choices she herself has made. France’s complex, well-nuanced personality drives the story, and the supporting cast of teenage rivals brings it vividly to life. In addition, the equine details are exactly right. (Fiction. 12-15)