Always There

Always There (2005) – Lauren Brooke
Scholastic • ISBN: 043995889X • Condition: Used
Emotionally grazed but structurally sound from Crappy Old Books

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d like my feelings gently trampled by horses and teenagers,” then welcome to Always There, another instalment in Lauren Brooke’s ongoing mission to ensure nobody with a heart gets through a series emotionally unscathed.

Set in the world of Heartland, this is one of those books where:

• Horses have more emotional depth than most adults

• Teens communicate exclusively in meaningful silences, sudden arguments, and late-night truth bombs

• Healing traumatised animals somehow mixes nicely with unresolved family tension and just a hint of romance

Perfect if you enjoy stories with actual stakes and zero dragons, just a lot of hay, hard work, and unresolved feelings.

Condition: Used (like everyone’s nerves at Heartland)

When Crappy Old Books says Used, here’s what you’re getting:

• A cover that has done some miles – school bags, bedroom floors, maybe the back seat of a car on a long, slightly sulky journey

• A spine that shows gentle creasing of the “I was read in three sittings and someone gasped a lot” variety

• Pages all present and firmly attached, possibly bearing the faint memory of having been read after bedtime with a torch

• The light, honest wear of a book that’s been actually loved, not just bought, displayed, and forgotten

No catastrophic horse-related water damage, no tragic half-missing ending, no biro moustaches (as far as we’re aware).

What’s going on in here?

Expect:

• Emotional horses: misunderstood, skittish, and somehow mirrors for everyone’s inner turmoil

• Emotional humans: also misunderstood, skittish, and occasionally terrible at honest conversation

• Heartland: the ranch where traumatised horses come to heal and everyone else quietly falls apart and pulls themselves together again in the background

There will be:

• Problems that cannot be solved by just “trying harder”

• Moments of “I am fine” from people who are absolutely not fine

• At least one scene that makes you suspiciously sniffly and pretend there’s something in your eye

It’s classic Lauren Brooke: feelings, conflict, healing, and just enough gentle hope to stop you dissolving entirely.

Why this Used copy is exactly right

This is not a pristine, shrink-wrapped monument to unread intentions. This is a real paperback that’s already done the emotional rounds. From Crappy Old Books, this Used copy gives you:

• Permission to actually read it instead of treating it like a collectible artefact

• The cosy reassurance that someone else has already ridden this rollercoaster before you

• A book you can fling onto a bed, shove into a hoodie pocket (ambitious, but possible), or lend to a friend without clutching your pearls

It’s the kind of paperback that’s ready for real life: messy rooms, late nights, snack crumbs, and the occasional dramatic reread.

Ideal for readers who:

• Grew up with horse books and are not yet emotionally recovered

• Like family drama, big feelings, and animals who understand everything but unfortunately can’t talk

• Want something comforting, heartfelt, and not remotely ironic… even if this blurb is

• Need a story where people are trying their best, failing a bit, and trying again (with help from large, opinionated four-legged therapists)

Recommended for teenagers, ex-teenagers, and any adult who claims to be “buying it for my niece” with suspicious conviction.

The practical tack-room bit

• Title: Always There

• Author: Lauren Brooke

• Publisher: Scholastic (2005)

• ISBN: 043995889X

• Condition: Used – previously loved, gently worn, completely readable, emotionally loaded

Always There: for when you want loyalty, healing, and drama in a neat little paperback, plus horses who understand more than anyone is saying out loud. Delivered to you in honestly Used condition by Crappy Old Books, who firmly believe that the best stories arrive with a bit of wear and a lot of heart.

Keep browsing: See more Kids books Other books by Lauren Brooke