The Thunderbolt Pony (2024)

I love Stacy Gregg's books! The author description for this one says, 'She has reinvigorated the pony genre' and that is definitely accurate. If you're looking for well written, fun and original pony books, she's a great go to, a modern equivalent of the Pullein-Thompson sisters with a mix of The Saddle Club without the ghostwriters.
The Thunderbolt Pony deals with a lot; earthquakes, grief, OCD, Greek mythology and of course horses. I was hooked from the first page and flew through it. Recommended to anyone who enjoys this genre. 🐴🐎

Wow! I did not read the back of the book so I really had no idea what to expect. What a ride! My favorite character was Moxy, who scared me, broke my heart, and left me wanting to hug her. I also loved the captain.

This book is perfect for any animal loving young readers out there, particularly horse-adoring girls. Not only because of Evie’s amazing journey with her three animal friends, across the earthquake torn South Island of New Zealand, but because it also delves deeper.

There is plenty of excitement to be faced as Evie, her pony Gus, her dog Jock and her incredible cat Moxy travel alone, but there are other things to also face – such as Evie’s OCD. I thought this was handled incredibly well, from the causes through to her therapy and how it impacted her life. Evie’s been through a lot, even before the earthquake crushes her house, injures her mother and leaves her travelling for days all on her own, but this story tells it brilliantly in a mix of flashbacks and present adventure, with a lot of Greek mythology thrown in for good measure.

I really enjoyed this. Evie’s troubles are sensitively handled and all of her animal friends have distinct personalities. Gus is steady and Jock is friendly, but I loved Moxy the most. That cat definitely lives up to her name.

Packed with adventure and danger, heartache and excitement, this book is about more than one incredible journey. It’s about friendship and loyalty, mental health and grief, and also the kind of determination that saves lives and changes worlds. I loved it, and if you know any animal-loving young (and not so young) readers, chances are they’ll enjoy it too.

(ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.)

Definitely 4.5 stars!

Evie has had a lot on her plate. Her father has passed away, her OCD is taking over, and the Kaikoura earthquake has left her mum being helicoptered to Christchurch. They are being evacuated, but Evie doesn't want to leave. Her best friends are Moxy, Jock and Gus. Her cat, dog and Arabian horse - and there is no way she is leaving any of them behind.The only solution is to ride all the way to Kaikoura from her farm.

This story is their journey together, facing after shocks, an angry bull, raging rivers, wild weather and more. But their bond is absolute and also battling her OCD, Evie's thoughts flash back to her appointments with her doctor and the thing that triggered it in the first place. Will they get there in time to board the HMS Canterbury with the other evacuees? Will they all make it?

Any fan of Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey, will love this tale as much as I did. It made me cheer, cry, smile and laugh. The pace gallops along (sorry, but it's the best word for it), with one obstacle after another for the plucky friends to beat. The story flicked backwards to the 7.8 earthquake that struck two minutes after midnight in NZ on 13 Nov 2016, and further back to her doctor's visits about her OCD, then forward to the present, but it was clearly marked with different fonts and easy to follow. Fantastic!

Inhaled in a single sitting. Stacy does it again this time on home ground combining mythology and the Kaikoura earthquake in a story that will stay with me. She get's it exactly right with 12 year Evie especially when talking about Evie's OCD and how this impacts on her life. But in the aftermath of the earthquake and with her four legged friends for company (horse, dog, cat - who could ask for better?) Evie journey doesn't just cross the country to the coast but also on one of self discovery in her personal battle against her anxiety. It was a story well told and easily recognisable. The only thing missing from this contemporary story were the authors notes at the end to give some context to the story as she had in her other based on fact books in this series. Hardly needed for the New Zealand audience but perhaps handy for her international followers. Well done Stacy.

Age - 7+

Evie has had a lot on her plate. Her father has passed away, her OCD is taking over, and the Kaikoura earthquake has left her mum being helicoptered to Christchurch. They are being evacuated, but Evie doesn't want to leave. Her best friends are Moxy, Jock and Gus. Her cat, dog and Arabian horse - and there is no way she is leaving any of them behind.The only solution is to ride all the way to Kaikoura from her farm.

This story is their journey together, facing after shocks, an angry bull, raging rivers, wild weather and more. But their bond is absolute and also battling her OCD, Evie's thoughts flash back to her appointments with her doctor and the thing that triggered it in the first place. Will they get there in time to board the HMS Canterbury with the other evacuees? Will they all make it?

Any fan of Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey, will love this tale as much as I did. It made me cheer, cry, smile and laugh. The pace gallops along (sorry, but it's the best word for it), with one obstacle after another for the plucky friends to beat. The story flicked backwards to the 7.8 earthquake that struck two minutes after midnight in New Zealand on 13 Nov 2016, and further back to her doctor's visits about her OCD, then forward to the present, but it was clearly marked with different fonts and easy to follow. Fantastic!

the thunderbolt pony
why did i chose to read this book?
I chose to read this bookl becacuse i had read other books by this auther and i had enjoyed them.

why i likeed/ didnt like this book?
i liked this book because it was about current real life issues set in a town near kaikura when the big earthquake struck, allowing me to relate to the story

something ive learnt
i have learnt that OCD is not just about being a neat freak

a charecter or setting in the book that was interesting to me and why?
a charecter that was interesting to me was the hairless cat moxy, because she helped to defend her freinds from attacks like the angry wild bull, and the sea lion, and because she narrowly escaped drowning in a river and being shot by an arow, and also because she was able to survive kn her own for a few days without human help

It's pretty amazing that there's a book about the 2016 Exam Earthquake.

Although it was a huge deal where I live, I was never scared and none of the buildings I live/go to school in were damaged. This meant that it was very sobering to be reminded of how immense the quake was for the people of Kaikoura. And it reminded me that this book's very necessary.

I also loved the Greek Myth connections!

Not sure what I think about the portrayal of OCD - it seemed like she conquered it too suddenly?

Lovely Book!

I like the book

I LOVE THAT THE BOOK MAKES YOU WANT TO READ MORE I ALSO LOVE IT WHEN EVIE CHOSES TO STICK WITH HER PONY AND FIND A WAY TO THE OTHERS

BY RUTH FREEMAN

It is a good story about a young girl strength and love for a horse

This is a really good book

i wont to read the book horse are my favourite animal

A library book I read some of, loved, and ran out of time to finish! So I'll get it again soon!

I found this book very thrilling and a book that made me kinda want to go on an adventure to!

Great book I love this author

Amazing book for pony and horse lovers

Am I a furry? No.

I LOVED this book!

This book is definitely my fave

I read this in primary school, so I don't remember much other than that I loved it. I remember it to be an easy read with some heartwarming characters.

One of my favourite books, such a page turner!

The Thunderbolt Pony is a good story for any animal lover. It is a cute little story about Evie’s journey across the earthquake torn South Island of New Zealand, accompanies by her three animal friends. Her pony Gus, her dog Jock and her cat Moxy
I did enjoy to read the story through the girls eyes, and her troubles and challenges seemed real. However I found the beginning of the story a bit hard to get in to, as I found it a bit implausible that a 12-year-old girl could pin point the exact moment she developed her OCD. Don't get me wrong, the story was very touching and seemed logical of how her father's declining health to cancer cased her to develop OCD, but I found that part implausible.
That did not stop me from continuing reading the story, and I did enjoy that the author spent a lot of time showing how an illness like OCD can affect people, even in crisis and I think we need more books that empathize this.
In the end it was a very moving story and I enjoyed to spend time with Evie, Moxy, Gus and Jock, and it emphasized the fact of not leaving anyone behind and that pets are part of your responsibility even when a disaster hit.

As always I am overwhelmed with love and happiness after reading a Stacy Gregg novel. Not only did this book succeed in retelling such a devastating tragedy that befell the residents of Kaikoura, but it follows a twelve-year-old girl called Evie who takes a courageous and heart-warming journey with her dapple-grey pony, Gus, her dog, Jock, and her cat, Moxy. As well as choosing to traverse across the cracked terrain that the earthquake has created, Evie has to make some tough decisions when it comes to managing her OCD and none of it will be easy - mentally or physically.

Read my full review on my blog here: https://wordsofeuphoricnostalgia.blog...

This is one of the best books I’ve read in ages! It gave me a new insight into what the people ( and especially he teenagers) are going through after the earthquakes. I could totally relate to the main character and would NOT want to leave my beloved animals behind in such a sect either. This is certainly not just a children’s book, it is a book for all ages.

An amazing book about a girl leaving her earthquake-struck town by herself with her horse, dog and cat.

An interesting perceptive of a metal illness in amongst a New Zealand disaster. Stacy Gregg always brings out the inner horse loving child in me!

Good book,about a girl who lives in New Zealand in place with a lot of earthquakes in a farm( not christchurch )then suddenly a horrible earthquake happens,their mum is injured and their lovely cat is missing and everyone in the city has to evacuate but she needs her horse and horses cannot fit in ships and then everything turns into action and adventure.Genres are Action, adventure,and horse stuff.It's emotional at parts but not really that sad.Reccomended girls aged 8-12 for horsey people.

The best book I have ever read! I always left me on a cliff hanger to the point where I couldn't stop reading it. Defiantly recommend it.