This is a lovely graphic novel with a sympathetic character and an immediate draw for horse loving middle school readers! Definitely a favorite graphic novel read of the year!

This is the book for all us horse girls out there of any age. Victoria has to leave her old stable after a fight with her old best friend, and needs to make a place for herself at a new stable. She has to learn how to trust again, and allow herself to let good people back into her life all while figuring out what she wants her life in the stables to be.
Faith Erin Hicks writing is great as always, and the art style is compelling and bright without being saccharine.
Would absolutely recommend for any age range, and any group.
This title is very popular at the library I work at.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

A cute and wholesome read perfect for any horse lover! Thank you to NetGalley for proving me with this novel!

Perfect for horse-crazy girls who are trying to find their place in the changing world of middle school.

What a sweet and heartwarming read!

The artwork and colour tones are gorgeous, with the latter making it easier to differentiate past and present. The costumes! Vickie's hair! The horses!. Definitely a graphic novel not to be missed

Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This was great! It wasn’t over a long period of time, which can get daunting sometimes in a graphic novel, it was to the point, and it was FUN. Each character was flushed out and also had a nice ending. I thought it was great.

How have I read so many horse girl books? Sheesh.

There’s just nothing expressive or artful about the speech bubbles in this book. It’s the same thing over and over again.

This book was like coming home, and reading about Victoria, who realized she didn't want to compete, but wanted to just ride horses and also not have that consume her life, was amazing. I loved the juxtaposition of a love of science fiction and horses, and the way Hicks addresses the lack of diversity in the stable world, and how it's heavily powered by how much money parents can throw at the stables and their children for them to succeed. The artwork and color tones are gorgeous, with the latter making it easier to differentiate past and present. Everyone wins here - it's a breath of fresh (horse barn) air.

Ride On is what we love and expect from books created by Faith Erin Hicks: relatable characters, thoughtful moments, superb artwork, and well paced plotting. Ride On offers readers a glimpse into the world of stables and riding culture, as well as inspirational moments for self reflection. So many of my students experience a falling out with a friend, and this book shows a path to reconciliation.

Victoria and Taylor have been good friends and “horse girls” at Waverly stables for some time, but they are beginning to diverge in their goals, and a serious rift develops. Taylor is heavily invested in the competitive aspect of riding, but Victoria has decided that the stress of competition has sucked the joy out of horseback riding. She wants to ride, but not compete, so she switches to a more relaxed riding stable, Edgewood, where she vows she will just ride, care for the horses, and not seek friendship among the riders at her new stable. However, her new barn mates are determined to be her friend, even if they get off to a rocky start. Plot points deal with the lone boy rider and his less than supportive brothers, making friends with all the riders, especially the one that led a campaign to shun Victoria, finding common ground through the a sci fi tv show, and competing. There was a line that read something being in sync with your horse matters more than winning a blue ribbon, which is the whole point of being a horse girl/boy. This is the GN for all the Horse Girls and Boys out there, no matter their age.
Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

It’s a sign, I think, of how accepted comics for young women have become that we finally have a horse book.

The horse book used to be a staple of fiction for girls. But horses are generally acknowledged to be easier to write about than to draw, which may be one reason it’s taken so long to get a really good graphic novel about escaping to the paddock to deal with the struggles of adolescence.

In Ride On, though, the stable isn’t necessarily an escape. It can come with its own struggles. Victoria loves horses, but she doesn’t love the competitions and the cost involved. Her friend Taylor has her own horse and is eager to compete on the circuit. After a falling out, Victoria returns to riding at another stable.

It’s pleasing to see that Hicks draws horses very well, as well as the variety of young people. She’s chosen Victoria’s hair to indicate whether we’re reading a flashback (where she has deep blue hair) or more recent events (where her hair color has faded and grown out). That prevents the time jumps from being too confusing.

The themes here are subtle, about expectations placed on certain kinds of friends, and what boys and girls are supposed to do. Sometimes we lose touch with people who were once important to us, as our interests or life circumstances change.

The storyline isn’t the strongest element here; the small interactions and the growing friendships are. The various bits and pieces don’t all line up neatly together, making this a bit more mature in approach than other books of the middle school “learning life lessons” type.

I always love the art in Faith Erin Hicks's books. They're so easy to take to heart and follow along.

The story wasn't a favorite. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and found it a bit boring. But it was a nice story about opening up, making friends and growing apart. I think it can definitely fit someone younger and more into horses than me.

/ Denise

Victoria's love of horses permeates this whole book and draws the reader into the story from the very beginning. When her closest friend at the stable tells Victoria that she will not be letting her ride her new horse, Victoria decides it is time to make a change. Going to a new stable, one that is less competitive, seems like a good way for Victoria to spend time with horses but not have to worry about friendships. The kids at the new stable, however, aren't willing to let her ignore them.

Faith Erin Hicks writes and illustrates beautifully and has created a book well worth adding to my school library collection.

An absolute must have title. It isn't just a horse story but a story of friendship and finding your place in the world. I especially enjoyed the two worlds of the main character coming together: horses and sci fi. Another masterful title by Faith Erin Hicks.

This middle grade graphic novel is written for the horse girls by a former horse girl, so it’s chock-full of authentic horse girl drama and the middle school flood of new friends, emotions, and growing up. I enjoyed Hicks’s realistic illustration style and how easy it was to follow the story throughout. It doesn’t overly rely on the reader to read between the lines/drawings.

A lovely graphic novel featuring horses and friendship. Horse kids of all ages will find a lot to like here. The characters all share in their love of horses, but that love doesn't mean they only have to compete or spend a lot of money. Main character Victoria finds a new barn to ride at and soon finds that the previous stable she left is worlds away from her new one and discovers she can be herself with her new barn friends. The horse and riding details are accurate, and the money issue around horse-owning & riding is not shied away from but explained with grace.

I always enjoy FEH's art but this was one of her less compelling storylines. Pretty classic middle grade social challenges stuff. It's very neatly handled which almost makes we wish it had skewed more autobiographical since she mentioned things were not nearly as tidy in her own (similar) story.

Ride On into Hicks’ newest MG graphic novel & get swept away!
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Victoria has always loved horses, but doesn’t want to enter into riding competitions. She just wants to ride. When her best friend doesn’t understand her lack of competitive spirit, Victoria switches stables to Edgewood. The kids that work there try to befriend Victoria, but she prefers to be alone now. However, when Victoria realizes the kids share an obsession for a sci-fi TV show, she makes the first move to try and get to know them better. When Victoria is approached about riding a new horse in a competition, what will she do?
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What a great middle grade GN about friendships, both new and old, and geeking out over a fandom. Fans of Roller Girl and Stargazing will devour this one!

This was so cute. As a fellow Horse Girl, I really liked reading about the kids and their different relationships with riding and horses. I really enjoyed this and the artwork is fantastic as well.

I've been a fan of Faith Erin Hicks for years, so I'm glad to have the chance to read her new graphic novel Ride On. The story follows a horse girl determined not to make friends and struggling with her sense of self. I wasn't a horse girl (although I like horses!) but this was still really cute and surprisingly relatable. Struggling with loneliness and making friends and the idea of who I was was basically how I spent my teenager years, and it was honestly soothing to have that portrayed in a way that turned out so positively. It's a sweet story and it made me smile a lot. The art suits the story well too.

I would definitely recommend this to any horse girl or any nerd who is looking for a sweet and relatable graphic novel.