Official Review: Muley by Monty Marks

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kdstrack
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Official Review: Muley by Monty Marks

Post by kdstrack »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Muley" by Monty Marks.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Muley: The Mule That Thought He Was A Racehorse by Monty Marks is a young adult book that will keep readers entertained with adventure, fantasy, and essential life lessons.

Kelly looked forward to spending the summer at her grandfather’s farm in Pennington Gap, VA. When her parents decided to move to the farm to help Grandpa, it was like a dream come true. She made friends with Sally, and they spent hours studying, giggling, and planning their future as veterinarians.

When Muley was born, Grandpa put Kelly in charge of the new mule. Muley loved to watch the races at the county fairgrounds. His heart fluttered when Ruthy May won her race against Big Red. Muley, the mule, dreamed of becoming a racehorse. He devised a personalized exercise program and trained rigorously. Could Kelly convince him that mules were not racehorses? Kelly discovered that Muley had a unique capability. How long would she be able to keep Muley’s amazing new skill a secret?

Muley’s story is creative, touching, and entertaining. The author kept the number of characters to a minimum and dedicated time to developing Kelly and Muley, the two main characters in the story. Readers form an emotional bond with Kelly as she experienced tragedy in her family and learned to prioritize her pet mule’s needs. Kelly’s beautiful friendship with Sally motivates readers to show patience and kindness to others. The girls shared their joys and sorrows and even prayed together. Muley matured as he had opportunities to pull the Christmas sleigh for the Sunday school class and disciplined himself to train faithfully in his determination to become a champion racehorse.

Frank Pryor’s amazing illustrations increased the overall enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed the author's use of dialogue to move the story forward and inject humor into the storyline.

Kelly rode Muley up the Old Mill Hill trail. I would have liked a drawing of this path to get a better mental image of the sheer rock Muley had to climb with Kelly riding on his back. Unfortunately, the book contained many misspelled words. Another round of proofreading would eliminate misspellings like “whiney” for “whinny.”

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. This delightful story entertains and teaches important character values such as friendship, helping others, and following your dreams. I had to lower the score due to the number of grammar errors. This book would appeal to a broad audience. As a young adult book, it would be an excellent read for early readers. Adults looking for a quick, enjoyable read could finish this 134-page book in one sitting. Muley: The Mule That Thought He Was A Racehorse is a charming story that, “hooves down,” you will want to share with others.

******
Muley
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Post by Ballbender »

This book centers around Muley. She was entertaining and special. The story is interesting and enjoyable.
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Post by LinaJan »

This review made me smile :) Against all the odds, I am adding this to my shelf :)

Thank you for such a thorough and warm review :)
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Christabel Uzoamaka
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Post by Christabel Uzoamaka »

I can see the underlying lessons of determination and passionate work and I commend it. This is a story I would enjoy despite its shortcomings.
Nice work with the review.
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Post by Kanda_theGreat »

I think I'd love to deviate from books that have contemporary settings, and while my time in a ranch or farm-house.
I would vouch for this book as the best vessel for that task.
Great review!
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Post by Usma Khann »

Looks like the author combined fantasy, determination, friendship and life lessons to create a worthy read. Appreciate the insightful review.🌸
Readers know it. Authors know it. Publishers know it. A promising review sells books! :roll:
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Post by Mutai Marshal »

I'll pass this one due to the error rate. I enjoyed reading your review
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Post by Miks_solon »

So sad that the book contained some spelling errors, I bet it'd be perfect. Nice review.
"Sometimes we need fantasy to survive the reality"
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Post by Diana Lowery »

While I love the concept of this book and would love to give it to my granddaughter, I would never give a book that was full of misspelled words. I hope the author takes your advice to have it edited.
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Post by kdstrack »

diana lowery wrote: 01 Jul 2020, 08:29 While I love the concept of this book and would love to give it to my granddaughter, I would never give a book that was full of misspelled words. I hope the author takes your advice to have it edited.
It is a unique and entertaining story! Thanks for commenting.
kdstrack
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Post by kdstrack »

Miks_solon wrote: 01 Jul 2020, 07:23 So sad that the book contained some spelling errors, I bet it'd be perfect. Nice review.
Muley and Kelly make a great team and have an amazing adventure. Thanks for stopping by!
kdstrack
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Post by kdstrack »

Seroney_ wrote: 01 Jul 2020, 05:09 I'll pass this one due to the error rate. I enjoyed reading your review
Thanks for reading and commenting.
kdstrack
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Post by kdstrack »

Usma Khann wrote: 01 Jul 2020, 00:10 Looks like the author combined fantasy, determination, friendship and life lessons to create a worthy read. Appreciate the insightful review.🌸
Besides being entertaining, the book did teach many important lessons. I appreciate your kind comments. Thanks. :-)
kdstrack
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Post by kdstrack »

Kanda_theGreat wrote: 30 Jun 2020, 19:33 I think I'd love to deviate from books that have contemporary settings, and while my time in a ranch or farm-house.
I would vouch for this book as the best vessel for that task.
Great review!
Having a pet and working with animals helps expand our horizons and deepens our empathy. I hope you enjoy Muley's story! Thanks for commenting. :-)
kdstrack
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Post by kdstrack »

Christieee wrote: 30 Jun 2020, 13:44 I can see the underlying lessons of determination and passionate work and I commend it. This is a story I would enjoy despite its shortcomings.
Nice work with the review.
I agree! I am always saddened when grammar errors lower the score on such a wonderful story. Thanks so much for your encouraging comments! :-)
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