Riptide

by Susan M. Thode

Sara is a champion in the horse show ring…but can she conquer the obstacles of high school?

Although Sara Mitchell is on her way to winning another championship jumping title with her flashy Appaloosa, Star, she’s plagued by feelings of inadequacy. Her self-doubt increases when, instead of making her popular as she hoped, becoming a cheerleader ends in disaster. Sara is then diagnosed with a chronic illness and her sense of not belonging skyrockets.

Her illness also causes the end of a relationship with Travis, the only hot boy she’s ever dated.

With Travis out of her life and illness preventing her from riding Star, life becomes unbearable. The victim of mean girl treatment, Sara’s despair increases until she considers, and acts upon, a drastic and permanent solution.

But when Sara’s despair runs smack into a boy who says he loves her, and a God who vows the same, the troubled girl must reexamine the life she’s decided she doesn’t want.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2024

About the author

Susan Thode’s writing is inspired by her enduring love of horses and compassion for teens struggling with trauma in their personal lives. Her greatest joy is being Grandma to her teenage granddaughter Moxy who is an constant source of teenage joys and challenges. Susan and her husband live in a small town at the base of Mt. Rainier in Washington state where they enjoy the rural setting dotted with many horse farms … and the beautiful mountain.

Susan is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor working with trauma and other mental health clients. She holds a BA in Secondary Education with high school teaching experience; returning to earn a Master’s in Education and entering the field of mental health counseling after seeing the struggles of teens and their families dealing with societal pressures.

Reviews

[Vesna Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to author Susan Thode for my gifted copy to review, all opinions are my own.
Read this book in one afternoon. While this is aimed at younger readers, I think it can be helpful for adults as well who may be looking for a book to help teens who may be struggling with some of the main issues as our main character Sara does. I was a bit unsure as to where the story was going as a lot had to do with the drama high school brings with friendships, bullying, fitting in, wanting to be seen and heard, and navigating the realm of growing pains as all of us have to do in school. The beauty of the relationship between Sara and her horse Star was my favorite part of this sometimes painful storyline to navigate through. When you get towards the end of the book I was literally in tears, and that is rare for me as a reader. Sara an accomplished rider, has strange physical symptoms that lead to a diagnosis of lupus. The book uses family, faith, relationships, and the struggles of everything that comes along with illness and trying to find your way through these struggles to answer the basic question, do I matter? While I felt some of the slang, and wording in the story to be a bit old fashioned and outdated, the storytelling of this author is spot on for those seeking a faith based, hopeful story to help any young person navigate feelings of depression, suicide, illness, bullying, and finding the courage within yourself to believe you are worth it and that you do indeed matter. A beautifully written story that will leave you hopeful and with the message that all things are possible with the love of your family, and your Faith. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Virginia Alice Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riptide is a must-read book for older teens and on up. It focuses on main character, Sara, but offers so much more. The author does a wonderful job of letting us see inside the mind of Sara as she rationalizes being popular with being liked. As Sara’s desire to fit in with the in-crowd affects her relationships with her parents, best friend, and even herself, she finds comfort in the amazing connection with her horse, Star. But when Sara is diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, it only adds to her troubles as she is now talked about more and avoided at school. Sara questions if she really matters to anyone at all. After a near death experience, Sara works her way toward better relationships with her parents and best friends and discovers just who really cares for her after all. This story of high school angst, bullying, and teen suicide could be anyone’s story, and it may even be your story in little or big ways, as being bullied was mine when I was growing up. If you choose to read Riptide, you won’t be disappointed by the hope found within its pages.

[Kendal Gaylord · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, especially because I’ve grown up around horses and had them my whole life! This is a very sweet story, great for teens and young adults which talks about struggles of self worth and identity. This book also resonated with me because of the things Sarah went through, which makes this extra heartwarming. The only thing I personally didn’t enjoy was the religious aspect of the book. Nothing personal against the author or the book, I am just not religious and prefer my books secular. Overall an amazing read!

[Tami McC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riptide by Susan Thode was an emotional read. What really stood out to me was how quickly depression can escalate and how someone’s self-worth can just disappear almost before they realize it. It was honestly heartbreaking to watch the character go from trying to stay afloat to feeling totally overwhelmed. The story definitely shines a light on how heavy those internal battles can be, even when everything might look “fine” on the outside. Thank you to Susan Thode, Winged Publications & Goodreads for my gifted copy! #GoodReadsGiveAway

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with fresh thoughts of what it’s like to be a teenager who doesn’t quite fit in with the cool kids at school, and how wayward thoughts of oneself leads to destructive behavior. A message replete with hope and how easy it would be to tell others around us that they matter. If only we would simply reach out to others. Excellent counseling thoughts for any troubled teen

[Maranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me cry

This book was a hard read for me. Although it turned out well, animals getting sick is hard to take.
Sara getting an illness was sad and I understood a lot of her anger. I am disabled and fully understand her pain. I recommend this book to anyone struggling. Just remember it is a very powerful read.

[Marti Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using fiction to address the struggles of today's teens is a great idea, and this is a good read. Especially (but not exclusively) if you're a horse lover. Sue's a friend of mine and I'm happy to see her interests channeled together to great result.