THE RANCH AT THE END OF THE WORLD
New arrivals to Ransh Cyfle Olaf, or Last Chance Ranch, learn that “this isn’t prison; this isn’t holiday camp. This is a place to start at the beginning.” The novel opens with Nell and four other young people on a bus in rural Wales. Nell tells readers, “I’m quick to rage, will flip if pushed, and I like girls.” As she does chores, tends to the horses, and explores the hills, forest, and river surrounding the ranch, Nell makes new friends, including Fran, whose mother runs the farm. Both Nell and Fran have had complicated relationships with girls they fell for who then betrayed their trust. Nell also discovers that she can calm Gully, a horse who’s anxious around people due to previous mistreatment. As Nell begins to heal, the complicated details of her past come to light. The climax unspools with a dramatic event that takes Nell and Fran into the hills. The conclusion is, realistically, not tied up neatly, and readers, especially those who feel different in any way, will be satisfied with the romance, friendship, and sense of mental quiet. Bettridge’s writing is descriptive and lyrical as well as accessible to reluctant readers. Nell’s first-person voice rings true as she details her time away from the modern world. Most characters present white; in Birch’s fluid, impressionistic art, Zed has brown skin and curly black hair.
