I requested this book from NetGalley for my 14 year old daughter and asked her to write up her review. These are her thoughts: "The Secret Horses of Briar Hill was the first book I’ve read by the author, Megan Shepherd. It had a very classical vibe, like it should be on a shelf next to Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. It is set in a home for children with tuberculosis. Emmaline is convinced she can see winged horses in all the mirrors while no one else can. When she finds an injured horse on her side of the mirror, she promises to help protect it and according to the anonymous notes she starts receiving, the way to do that is by collecting something of each of the brightest colors.

I found the main character self-centered and greedy, and her attitude seemed to be that she didn’t have to share but everyone else should have to, but other than that, I enjoyed the book. I’m giving this book 3 stars since other than the main character’s attitude, I enjoyed the story."

Oh wow. The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd could end up becoming a classic novel someday. It's magical and heartbreaking and beautiful, and oh my goodness. Megan's descriptions and the world she's created around the WW2 time period are stunning. There's a bit of a mystery, and these amazing horses and I just don't have any words. Everyone should read this.

Overall <i>The Secret Horses of Briar Hill</i> is cute and well-written. I really liked the character of Emmaline and I think children will rather enjoy this one. My only issue with the book is that I was so distracted by her having to collect different items representing different colors of the rainbow. The
reasoning behind this was weak and annoying to me. I know it is middle grade but it really made no sense and it was so distracting to the overall story. BUT, I still enjoyed the story and I liked that the author left the ending <spoiler>open so you could decide if the magical horses were real or a figment of her imagination</spoiler>.

This is a beautifully written story that delighted me, bringing me back to the time when I read Black Stallion for the first time. It is so perfectly amazing and a must read for horse lovers as well as fantasy lovers.

Absolutely stunning! I couldn't put this book down and yet I wanted it to go on forever. I can see this becoming a new classic. Readers who love The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will appreciate this one.

Every once in awhile, you discover a read that leaves an indelible mark upon you, The Secret Horses of Briar Hill is one of those enchanting reads.

Filled with magic, hope, and unexpected friendships during a time of darkness, Megan Shepherd has created a timeless story of beauty that should feel right at home on bookshelves next to such books as Anne of Green Gables, Narnia, and The Secret Garden.

Emmaline is a ward of Briar Hill during WWII, a former palace turned into a children's hospital where all the children— including Emmaline—suffer from stillwaters (TB), who discovers a great secret.

Reflected in the mirrors of Briar Hill are magical creatures - great, winged horses.

Though her world is bleak and gray, with illness and war, Emmaline likes to escape by exploring the hospital grounds of Briar Hill and drawing colorful pictures of the winged-horses she sees in its mirrors.

One morning, when Emmaline climbs over the wall of an abandoned garden, she discovers something incredible - an injured winged horse named Foxfire.

Wounded, it has escaped the mirror world and taken shelter in the sundial garden. Along with Foxfire, Emmaline discovers a letter from the Horse Lord asking Emmaline to keep Foxfire from Volkrig, a sinister black-winged horse that threatens her.

The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill is a slim book (one I finished it in one sitting) recommended to young readers - one I would have loved to devour at that age. It's filled with magic, winged horsed and magical gardens but it is so much more than that.

It has a timeless feel that really crosses all age boundaries.

What makes The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill standout is how the essence of the story easily captures the wartime atmosphere of Britain while maintaining its magical quality. As we see Emmaline herself sicken with the stillwaters, we cannot help but be astounded by her bravery and determination.

Megan Shepherd beautifully weaves a story of friendship and loss. You will hold your heart in your hands. Mature readers will undoubtedly see the parallels between the dangers Foxfire faces with that of the war, while readers of any age can admire the lonely young girl who is daring enough to find beauty even in the darkest of times.

Highly recommended to both young readers and adults.

I didn't make a single note on this book, didn't save a single highlight. That's unusual for me; I usually take full advantage of my Kindle's abilities to augment my memory.

Then again, I don't really need notes in order to remember this book. I'll remember it for a long time. It's a sweet, sad book set in the middle of WWII about a girl sent to a mansion deep in the English countryside that has been converted to a hospital. They're quarantined there, with an alarming disease – which is why Emmaline's family can't come to visit her. (Right?) She passes as much time as possible with her best friend, an older girl named Anna, drawing and talking about everything – including the beautiful winged horses they both can apparently see behind the many mirrors in the mansion.

Emmaline's life is soon taken over by interlocking crises. One of the horses from that mirror world has crossed over to ours fleeing from the terrible Black Horse, and, badly injured, and only Emmaline can help her. Meanwhile, Anna's health falters, and the only person Emmaline can turn to for help with the quest involved in rescuing the injured horse is the one she fears most, the local boogeyman. All the while, Emmaline must also fight the doctor and the nurses who for some reason keep trying to curtail her nighttime trips into the hospital's grounds in the snow…

That, of course, is the surface story. Beneath it is so much more. The Black Horse is genuinely frightening – I can only imagine the scars it would have left on my horse-obsessed child self – but despite that I wish I had been able to read it then, because just as real as the fearsome enemy is the magical world through the mirrors. I can guarantee I would have been looking at anything but my own reflection for months, hoping for a glimpse of a feathered wing or a whisking tail. (Which would be a far more enjoyable side effect than the outright covering of mirrors after that Doctor Who episode … )

But then again – no. I don't think I would really want to inflict the pain and grief in this book on my younger self. The war, the epidemic – are the horses a metaphor? Or could they, might they be real, a grace note of hope in a dark world?

It's a heartbreaking book, gorgeously illustrated with deceptively simple black and white drawings. No, I think it's just as well I couldn't read this when I was smaller. It would have been crushing.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

I don't normally read middle grade, by Shepherd has proved herself to be an amazing writer and it clearly shows with this MG debut!

I absolutely adore this author, and was so stoked at reading her new Middle Grade novel. As usual, her writing is brilliant and so uniquely her own, you'll know it immediately! Even though this is aimed at a middle grade audience, I think any age will find this an enjoyable read.

This book is set in World War II, where beautiful majestic winged horses live in the mirrors at Briar Hill Hospital. Emmaline essentially breaks in and finds one of these horses has broken through the mirror and is in her world. But a dark force is after this beautiful creature and Emmaline tries to protect her at any cost.

This was such a beautifully done story, and I found it so entertaining, as I think kids will as well! I hope Megan continues to write middle grade, as she has quite a talent for it as well as YA!

This was just simply a beautiful story.

Of course, I'm extremely biased with anything to do with horses.

Emmaline is a young girl in Briar Hill which is a hospital for children with tuberculosis during WW2. She's one of those characters who grab you early on -- adventurous and imaginative. Even surrounded by sickness, war, and loss, she's insulated by the winged horses she sees reflected in the mirrors around the large house. She's even more distracted and caught up when she ventures out further than she's allowed into the grounds and discovers one of the winged horses on this side of the mirrors with an injured wing.

Her friendships with Anna and Thomas just warmed my cold, dead heart and I will admit to feeling some FEELINGS as the end of the book neared and at the conclusion.

It also had that feeling of revisiting a story from my own childhood and not something that came out last year. It'll be awhile before my nieces are old enough for this one (they're one), but it's definitely one that I'd like to share with them eventually.

If you come across this and have a couple hours, it's definitely worth the read.

Finally, that cover is just ding dang gorgeous.