Springer, Nancy. Sky Rider. Harper Teen, 2000. ISBN 978-0380795659 117 pp. $

****

Lurlene McDaniel meets Bonnie Bryant in this short read about horses, justice and angels. 14-year-old Dusty’s life can’t seem to get much worse: she suffers from chronic back pain, the result of a driving accident that her drunk of a father was responsible for. She misses her deceased mother terribly, and the horse she loves is about to euthanized. Then a handsome and angry boy the color of moonlight appears and leads her suffering horse away to a pain free place. Dusty realizes the mysterious stranger is Skye Ryder, the boy who was killed in a bizarre accident on her father’s property–and he wants revenge. Can she help Skye turn to healing instead of hating and hurting and thus save his soul?

The haunting story progresses at a fast clip. Springer’s writing is showcased in a variety of points of view, and the text is broken up with log reports and diary entries. The idea that Dusty loves Skye so quickly and completely is a bit implausible, but if readers can believe in angels, why not this too? The predictable ending is satisfying nonetheless.

The cover blends the genres of the book flawlessly–a horse has a ghostly glow and the font and placement of the title is reminiscent of a sci-fi movie. A solid choice for reluctant readers, this slim book may fulfill book report assignments as well as satisfy fans of horses, mystery, and the supernatural.