Riding Invisible

by Sandra Alonzo, Nathan Huang (Illustrator)

Overview

Fifteen-year-old Yancy runs away from home on the night his brother viciously attacks his horse, Shy. With just a backpack, a flashlight, his horse, and a journal, Yancy takes to the California desert on a journey of self-discovery. There he will learn the hardships of being homeless, experience his first kiss, and meet a Mexican laborer, Tavo, who has a thing or two to teach him about life and love. Debut novelist Sandra Alonzo creates an honest portrait of a family dealing with mental disease.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423149217
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/14/2011
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	880L (what's this?)
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sandra Alonzo (www.sandraalonzo.com) grew up in a mountainous region near Los Angeles. As a teen she loved exploring the local trails on horseback, reading, and experimenting with photography, gathering inspiration for the stories she longed to share. Riding Invisible is her first novel for young adults. Ms. Alonzo resides in central California not far from the Sierra National Forest.

Originally from southern California, Nathan Huang ran away from home to Brooklyn, New York, where he doodles for nice people like The New York Times, Esquire,and ESPN The Magazine. He wishes his journal were half as interesting as this one. See more of his work at www.nathanhuang.com.

Editorial Reviews

Written in diary form with poems and comic book–style drawings scattered throughout, Alonzo’s (Gallop-O-Gallop) first novel presents 15-year-old Yancy Aparicio’s account of life on the road—with his cherished horse, Shy. After Yancy’s mentally troubled older brother attacks Shy, Yancy runs away, heading out into the California desert and filling his journal with his observations, interactions, and reflections. His nearly three-week journey might seem implausible to some, but there’s a timeless, noble quality to Yancy’s wanderings. His narrative has the scattered, frustrated tone of a teenager desperate to vent and who is slowly realizing what he’s gotten himself into (“A few months ago, Mom and I watched an old black-and-white Western movie. It was so lame with this cowboy on the run from the law, but shit, that guy was prepared! I mean he wasn’t eating pretzels for dinner”). While his voice can feel uneven, vacillating between polished thoughts and rougher play-by-plays of events as they happen, Yancy’s friendship with a Mexican ranch worker and his family’s genuine desperation give the book emotional resonance. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly