Rating: 
Summary: Good writing, just not my type
Review: I'm not sure why I read this book. I'm not into horses, was never one of those little girls that had little plastic horses lined up on the windowsill and dreamed of owning my own pony. At my grandfather's farm, my time was spent building forts in the hayloft and even then I didn't care about the horses. But not to worry, this isn't a book about horses. I won't go into the plot details, because most of you know them by now.
Evans is a fine writer, and has a nice way with words. The basic plot is engaging, although the story appears to have been written with Hollywood in mind, a pet peeve of mine. Tom Booker is apparently the perfect man, I don't think he made a single careless or hurtful comment throughout the book. I found myself sympathizing with Annie more than I thought I would. But as the story (and their relationship) progressed, I kept wondering how it could end. In keeping with his character, Tom would likely not allow Annie to split up her family to be with him. Were they destined for eternal unhappiness, each wishing to be in the arms of an unattainable ideal??? The ending seemed a bit abrupt, but it did tie up all the loose ends.
I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys Danielle Steele, and to anyone who enjoys horse stories, providing they won't be put off by a bit of romance. I don't really fit into either of these categories, which is why it only gets 3 stars from me.
Rating: 
Summary: The Horse Whisperer
Review: The Horse Whisperer written by Nicholas Evans is a heart-wrenching tale of life set mostly in Montana and partly in Manhatten. The book starts out with a tragedy and then works through a tale told well till the end.Annie is the teenage girl and her horse Pilgrim are affected in the beginning of the book and the story evolves around the solution of a teenager turned bitter at loosing part of her leg and a horse that is very edgy and can't be ridden after that horrible eventful morning. The book has romance and hope woven throughout as the plot works through the book making you part of the story as the characters seem to jump out off the pages and into your heart. This is a most engaging story as body and spirit become one and a horse with maddening pain is saved... and a man who is the the key to both works as a Horse Whisperer is the only hope. This is a story that will remain with you long after you've finished reading it. This book is a real page-turner with gripping self-knowledge, healing and redemption.
Rating: 
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: "Most truly great literature ends in tragedy" - High school English teacher's response to her students' desperate pleas for "happier" reading. Horse Whisperer is a great book that comes really close to being great literature. Nicholas Evans creates memorable characters that we really respond to, and tells a story that we really care about. He falls short, however, by shifting the focus of the story from Grace and Pilgrim to Tom and Annie. Any perceptive reader will easily accept the bond that develops beween them, but bringing their relationship to the fore takes something away from the big picture. The graphic sexual passages seem oddly out of place in an otherwise flowing narrative, and ultimately threaten to reduce the book to "romance novel" status, not a bad thing in and of itself, but not (one would hope) what the author intended. Readers disappointed in the book's ending should consult Tolstoy (Anna Karenina), Flaubert (Madame Bovary), Edith Wharton (Ethan Frome) and dozens of others for comparison. The movie makes realistic adjustments to the plot (perhaps even improvements), without pandering entirely to our need for a Hollywood happy ending. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: More Real World Info Needed at the End
Review: This novel draws you in from the very beginning as you share in a life altering event of the main characters. You quickly become attached to the family as you witness the pain they are going through and try to understand their different reactions to the events in their life. To complicate family matters there is a horse that becomes almost demonic and requires the attention of its owners before it kills itself or someone else. Most of the story takes place on a cattle ranch and horse farm in Montana. The main characters, Annie, Grace, and Tom, are all there trying to cure the horse and their own hearts of the incredible weight that different losses have left. Tom, the horse whisperer, has much reluctance in getting involved in this situation but his good character and willingness to help override his intuition and he at once becomes the most lovable character. Grace was my second favorite character because of her tendencies to be on the negative side of things. Combining being a teenager with a new life to live with many new hardships she becomes almost suicidal and a central reason for the weakening relationship between mother and daughter. Not ever having to go through what she went through I'm not sure how things would have played out in my own mind, so I never felt she was to blame. Annie, mom to Grace, undergoes a great change throughout her stay at the Double Divide and leaves a much more centered, likable, and balanced person. Robert, Grace's dad, was a wonderful father figure but lay in the shadow of the great cowboy, Tom. Although he seems to know when to give in I had wished he was a bit more assertive and would come to claim his wife and child from the Montana mountains. The ending is utterly surprising and even though there is some foreshadowing to the effect, I didn't catch on until it was actually done. What could have been a real tear-jerker at the end wasn't so much because I was too busy wondering how the real life effects of what had happened would impact the family. I was also trying to understand everyone's new role. I felt it needed another chapter on the after effects of mother and daughter's last week at the ranch. A good read, but in need of a little more elaboration on the real life effects of the ending.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent emotional read....
Review: This book was given to me by a reletive after I had watched the movie "The Horse Whisperer". I had already fallen in love with the movie itself so I was a bit skeptical about reading the book (usually the books differs somewhat from the movies). Yet, eventually I read the book and was not at all let down. Of course the book differed in a surprising way----there was another twist in the book besides the horse Pilgrim's behavior. If you have seen the movie then you have a basic idea of what the book is about but if not.....
It features a teenage girl (Grace) who becomes involved in a tragic accident where her best friend dies (along with her horse), and Grace herself is nearly killed while her horse Pilgrim is on the verge of death. Grace ends up loosing part of her leg and from that point on she ripens into an angry sulking sarcastic teenage girl. Meanwhile her busy business mom has to solve the problem of the half crazy horse Pilgrim. She comes up with the idea to venture out this "horse whisperer" out west and is VERY determined in doing so. The story leads on from there out west with a determined horse whisperer, a troubled horse, a broken down teenager, buisness mom, distant husband, and the beauty of the west and country folk around them.
All in all I found this to be a very satisfying read and the twist at the end surprised me. It's one of those books that you either like or you don't but the chances are in your favor that you will enjoy it (as I did). Read it and fall in love with it's desperation, hope, and love.
Rating:
Summary: Just wonderful!
Review: I found this to be a warm and deeply emotional story.A young girl and her beloved horse are involved in an horrific accident which leaves them both horribly maimed,physically and mentally.Her high powered business executive mother takes both girl and horse across country to seek out a so-called horse whisperer, a man who can apparentlycommunicate with horses and heal them of their traumas.In the process of curing the horse,the young girl also begins to heal and to be able to see that her rejection of her mother is a needlessly cruel "getting back at her"syndrome. A love affair develops between the mother and the horse whisperer and causes them both to reassess their lives.
Rating: 
Summary: Not much to like
Review: I started reading this book only knowing that it involved a mystical sort of man who could communicate with horses. This concept sounded intriguing. The novel turns out to be more about the thoroughly unlikable Annie character. She is is a self-centered woman, who makes one grand gesture to help her daughter by visiting the Horse Whisperer. It is obvious from the start that there will be a romance, but I could see no reason why Tom (the title character) should have any interest in Annie. It makes you feel sorry for Annie's husband, who seems like a nice enough guy, but is left behind in New York. The horse is really the most interesting character, but he just falls into the background as the story moves on.
The wild horses in the story could have been an interesting metaphor, but Evans has an annoying habit of using symbolism and then explaining it too. It is as if he thinks his readers are too stupid to figure it out on their own.
Rating:
Summary: horse
Review: I found this to be a fairly good book. It was hard for me to put it down once I got more involved in the story. I gave it only 3 stars because the ending was disappointing to me. It did not seem like a plausible ending for this book, it was almost as if the author wanted to wrap up the story within a certain number of pages. I think I would have enjoyed the ending if it would have detailed more of what happened to the characters, especially after the tremendous buildup to the climax of the book. All in all, aside from the ending, this was a very good read.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, but not recommend to everyone
Review: The horse part of this book is absolutely amazing... One of the best, but this book also contains things more than just horses. First of all, there is a huge amount of profanity. Secondly, the romance gets really, really, hot and the author is WAY to detailed. Adults Only.
Rating:
Summary: ok book - the movie better
Review: I finally got around to reading this book - what a bunch of unlikable characters! The mom is pushy, rude, sometimes mean and knows she's the only one in the world who knows whats right for everyone else. This woman would never load up a crazy horse and drive 1/2 way cross the country - she would have just shipped him and sent instructions. And if the horse is as bad as they make him out to be we are to believe they got him in a trailer and she (a non-horse person) handled him for the whole trip? The dad just floats along in her wake. The daughter, who should be the main character, is believeable. Teenagers that age do think the world revolves around them. She believes she is responsible for everything bad thats happening in her world: the accident that damages her and her horse, her parents marriage problems, her mother's affair, even her mother being fired. Anyone with a teenager will relate to the silent treatment. Tom the horse whisperer is a nice man. He smiles quietly as those around him praise him for his genius while just using common sense. It is totally unbelieveable to me that he and mom would get to together. The last chapter or two are totally unbeliviable - too contrived. Give me a break!! The movie ending was 1000% better.
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