Dream On, by Kate Lattey is the sequel to Dare to Dream, which followed Marley on her journey to win Pony of the Year with her pony Cruise. Spoilers for Dare to Dream are ahead, so if you haven’t read that yet, don’t read on!
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Dare to Dream left us with Marley’s heartbreaking decision to sell Cruise in order to save her family’s farm. Dream On deals with the consequences of that decision for both Marley and her sisters as they take on new ponies. Borderline Majestic might have been a star on the other side of the world, but now she is impossible to handle and ride, and her owner ends up in intensive care. It is up to Marley to prove that the pony isn’t dangerous, and just needs love and care.
It is a tough journey, both because Marley isn’t ready to love another pony like she loved Cruise, and Borderline Majestic isn’t ready to trust. But Marley’s need to see a pony treated right wins out, and even as she hesitates you know as a reader that she isn’t going to stand by and let someone else get Borderline Majestic back on the track.
Marley has grown up a lot from Dare to Dream, although she still makes some serious errors in judgement. Despite her dubious decisions, or perhaps because of them Marley is a character that is easy to relate to, and you can’t help but want her to win – both on and off the track. Both Van and Kris (Marley’s sisters) have interesting plotlines, with Van considering moving to the United States, and Kris having a secret romance, and the bond between all three is just as strong, if not stronger, than the previous book.
Once again, Lattey’s ponies are just as strong characters as the humans in the book, with each pony being completely unique and having different types of relationships with different people. Marley and Borderline Majestic have a completely different type of bond that Marley and Cruise had, which serves to prove that Marley and Cruise really were special together. There isn’t a pony that could ever replace Cruise for Marley, and it shows in the length of time it takes Marley and Borderline Majestic to begin to connect. When they do connect, it is not at the same level, but it is enough to show that at the end of the day, the best way to train a horse with with love and understanding.
Fans of Dare to Dream will be happy that Dream On ties up all loose ends and sets the ponies and the three sisters up on new adventures and journeys. Even though you’ll want more from the sisters because their stories are so engaging, it is a very satisfying conclusion.
REVIEWER: JJ McConnachie
TITLE: Dream On
AUTHOR(S): Kate Lattey
Find out more about Dream On, by Kate Lattey at nzponywriter.com.