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Canterwood Crest #10

Elite Ambition

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In the next two installments of the four-book arc that began with City Secrets, the tide has turned at the elite Canterwood Crest Academy….Will Sasha Silver dethrone Heather Fox and become the school’s Queen Bee? Packed with BFF scandal, lying roommates, secrets between teammates, and more, these are two of the most dramatic Canterwood books ever!

214 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2010

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859 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Burkhart

137 books628 followers
Jessica Burkhart is the author of the best-selling Canterwood Crest series which has sold over 1.6 million copies in multiple languages. She has also written the Unicorn Magic series, the YA novel Wild Hearts, and edited a YA anthology--Life Inside My Mind.

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5 stars
935 (56%)
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414 (24%)
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229 (13%)
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68 (4%)
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18 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Sara I.
860 reviews
May 11, 2013
Canterwood Crest is a sweet tween/just teen series that I started a while back and am now able to finish. So I was pretty happy to pick up the books I needed next and start reading :)

In this book Sasha Silver is back at Canterwood, her boarding school where she rides and goes to school (duh) and is on an elite riding team called YENT. She's back after taking a fall break with her semi-friend Heather. Heather took her to New York and showed her around. On the trip Sasha really started to like and get to know Heather better. She's actually becoming friends with someone who used to be her enemy!

However Sasha soon discovers that after encouraging Heather to call a guy that Heather felt like she owed Sasha. So she got on Sasha's email and emailed the guy she liked. Who kissed her while dating her best friend and got Sasha into a whole heap of trouble as she took the blame. He still likes her and broke up with the ex-best friend...but Sasha has been too scared to do anything about it. Plus she doesn't want to hurt Callie.

So now she has returned to Canterwood with a meeting already set up by Heather. She just has to choose whether or not she wants to go. Along with that there is a new YENT rider who is really nice and a great rider! Everyone is excited about her. Paige, Shasha's roommate, has accused Sasha of being jealous while all the Sasha/Callie/Jacob drama was going on which is causing a bit of a rift between them. Add bunches of schoolwork and training and you've got drama :D

Pros:The drama in middle school themed books. The drama, drama, drama! It's fun and crazy, makes me forget my own problems :P And although in some books the drama in this book is just fun :) Another reason why I read middle grade girly books is because they are sweet, dramatic (as I've said, and are clean! This book has no cussing, simple romance, and here and there some horse accidents. There was really nothing I didn't like about this book. I just enjoyed it :D I would recommend to tween or younger teen girls who are looking for some horsey, boarding school fun and drama!
Profile Image for Meghan.
Author 5 books223 followers
February 14, 2011
hmmmm.... I'm enjoying these a little less as the story goes on... I'm not sure why. Kinda 'the same ol, the same ol' in a way. And I kind of snortle every time Charm's 'belgian and thoroughbred blood' make him do something: cough/sneeze/run fast (well, the TB blood might explain the last one). I'd like to spend more time at the horse show than at the Sweet Shoppe, in short. Call me a horse-book purist. ;)
14 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2011
New Students, New Drama.

A new student named Brit Chan has come to Canterwood Crest and is already leaving a big impression. Not only is she on the YENT, but she is also showing at the schooling show just a week after her arrival.

She seems nice, but maybe some people are a bit hesitant of her. Like, a member of the trio for example.

Nothing is what it seems, especially at Canterwood.
Profile Image for Ella M.
14 reviews
January 30, 2014
New girl on campus! Heather has a good thought of her when she is put on the YENT with Sasha and Heather. Sasha is likes Brit a bunch, while she and Paige are having some difficulties. Callie and Sasha are still rivals, but Sasha is trying hard for their friendship back. The book at the end leaves you hanging there for more, but you'll have to read the next book!
9 reviews5 followers
May 7, 2015
i loved this book and i hate how at the end it just leaves you wondering what will happen in the next book
Profile Image for Kacie Faith.
127 reviews22 followers
Read
January 20, 2017
This series was a childhood favorite of mine! Looking back, it's pretty terrible. But I loved it as a kid and it made me appreciate books more, so that's what matters!
22 reviews
August 7, 2017
I loved this book as much as the rest of the series! This novel has extra drama added in from the rest of them but is just as entertaining! Sasha gets named as the new girls best friend as she struggles to mend her relationship with Paige. She eventually forgives Heather for the things that she told certain people because all the things were true just to hard for Sasha to say herself. Does Paige take it to far with Sasha and will they change room mates and even dorms?? A great read if you love a good drama!
Profile Image for Zazie.
813 reviews
April 27, 2024
I loved every page of this book and am so glad I kept reading despite all the annoying talks about makeup and fashion throughout this whole series. I'm hoping that won't stop me from getting to the last book. I'm already halfway there, but it is getting on my nerves. I keep skipping those parts, but still... On to the next!!
Profile Image for Yano.
117 reviews
August 6, 2025
sasha lowkey deserved paige looking down on sasha that whole time when she secretly told callie sasha’s business ! sasha is bad as hell why does she think she can manipulate everyone around her to act the way they do ? she’s a tweakerrrr
Profile Image for Addy C.
56 reviews40 followers
April 8, 2018
I absolutely loved it and I can't wait until I can get the next book. I don't want the series to have an end.
15 reviews
July 2, 2021
this IS real literature and u can’t tell me otherwise
Profile Image for Macaylan.
189 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2023
this whole book is about one week of their lives😳🤣
and Sasha continues to be my least favorite character who is a hypocrite and put a boy before her best friend
Profile Image for Jess.
113 reviews1 follower
March 24, 2024
“Still need a roommate?”

What can I say? I absolutely love this series, and this particular book, knocked it out of the park (or arena)? A great balance and mix of drama and riding…!
Profile Image for Mehsi.
15.1k reviews456 followers
February 13, 2016
4.5 stars. And the arc continues, with finally some stuff that I was hoping for to happen for quite some time, and also a cliffhanger.

Last book we found out that Heather had been mailing Jacob from Sasha’s account, saying all the things that Sasha never dared to say. I found it a bit strange, but it is the Heather way to thank someone for stuff they did. Mostly I was delighted, finally someone who tells it as it is. Finally some progress in the whole Jacob x Sasha thing, as that was just getting silly. They should just kiss already and make up. They clearly love each other and they should get together.
Thankfully, thanks to those mails, and thanks to Sasha getting her brain back, we had some Sasha x Jacob moments. Nothing overly romantic, as people still don’t know what happened, and they don’t want more drama, but it is a start, and I was just squeeing all the time. :)

We also have a new girl on the team. Say hello to Brit. My, oh my, I loved the girl from the beginning. I was a bit worried though, the last time we had a new girl she turned out to be an enormous pain in the ass (Jasmine), so while I did love the new girl, I was also wary, expecting a change any moment.
But as the book went on and on, I started realizing that this girl is my new favourite girl. She was kind, sweet, lovable, and she wasn’t judging Sasha, instead she helped her out.
I loved that she was amazing on a horse, that she apparently could just mind read with the horse and get the cues through. I loved it, especially since she now forms a rival for Callie, which makes things really interesting.
I am really happy that Brit was added, though I am sad she was added this late in the book. Only 2 books left, and I just wish we could have more Brit. I want to know more about her, about her life before CCA.

Sasha, ah Sasha, still not always tactful in her ways, but she is working on stuff, and hoping to get things sorted. If only she hadn’t lied in the beginning, if only she had trusted her best friends and told them. Sure, it would ruin things for Jacob, but hey, that is a thing called responsibility and he deserved to get the blame.
But she is also amazing, and I loved how kind she was towards Brit, instantly being nice to her, helping her out, talking to her, giving tips on horses, and so much more. It really shows Sasha’s true nature of making friends with everyone, helping people out, and being a kind person.

Paige, or Callie, I didn’t like either of them, which was a surprise, well at least in the case of Paige. I love Paige, I loved her in the other books, but in this book? I just hated her, and what she did, how she acted. Sure, Sasha had it coming, but I feel that this isn’t how you do things. This isn’t how you talk to each other. I miss the old Paige, and I hope we will see her back in the next book or at least in the last book. It would be terrible if she would stay this way for the last few books.
I was shocked at what she did in the last pages. That is just not what friendship is about. This is not what you are supposed to do. And I was just really shouting: “How could you!”

Heather is a character I have grown to love, a lot. She is a fantastic girl. Snarky and a bit mean at times, but she has her heart in the right place, and I loved how she acted in the past few books. She really has become a great character. From a mean queen bee, to still a queen bee but with kindness (and a bit of snark, but I don’t mind that).

Julia, meh. She is pretty decent, but I didn’t like her attitude in this book.

There is a lot of drama in this book, humans and horses. I really enjoyed this book and I was just flying through the pages (well, at least when I had time to read) and devouring the drama. Cheering for this girl or that boy, hoping for that things will become better for everyone.

There is a lot of horse stuff going on, with trainings, outdoor practices, and to top it all off, a showing. I loved all those parts with the horses. I also loved that Sasha is talking to Charm a lot, it made me laugh, though it is recognizable. I don’t have a horse, but I used to have pets, and I talked to them.

All in all, this is one book I would highly recommend. I immediately had to buy the next book with that cliffhanger, I just wanted to know what happened. Now I just have to wait for it to be delivered (soooon). I will also be sad that the series will be over so soon. :(

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Profile Image for ErinTurnsPages.
610 reviews6 followers
July 4, 2023
The return from Fall break isn’t as smooth as Sasha hoped for. After meeting Jacob upon return to school, things start to look up. But with a big schooling show coming up, a new rider, an open slot for the YENT, and Jacob intending to spill the truth there is still a lot of stress in the Canterwood stables. But is there still a secret to tell?

I was a little wary of a new rider coming in, especially being catapulted onto the Canterwood YENT team. To be fair I’m a little wary of Brit in general, she almost seems… too nice for someone to be at CCA. Despite that, I really like her character and I hope she’s as nice as she seems to be. I do appreciate Jacob’s attempt at honesty, though I really think it’s way too far beyond return and Sasha should be running the other direction. And that Sasha should be the one being honest, not Jacob, but that seems like too much to ask for.

There were a couple of inconsistencies. Like right at the beginning of the book Sasha said she’d been up all night obsessing over the emails, but the end of the last book was the morning they left.

And then later there was a small one where one chapter they were at dinner and the next it had switched to lunch.
Profile Image for Emily M..
29 reviews12 followers
September 19, 2012
Elite Ambition By Jessica Burkhart
Realistic Fiction
211 pages

In the beginning of Elite Ambition, Sasha Silver, the main character, is coming back to her boarding school after a wonderful and terrible fall break. Sasha’s frenemy Heather let Sasha stay at her place after Sasha’s fight with her roommate, Paige, who she was supposed to stay with. All went well the fall break until the last night. Heather told Sasha that she was e-mailing her almost ex- boyfriend, Jacob. Sasha was supposed to meet him in front of the fountain at school. Sure Sasha was mad, but Heather told Jacob every thing he needed to know and Sasha was to shy to tell him. Sasha ended up meeting him there but told him who sent all of the e-mails, but it was all true. The two decided to try being a couple again after that that Friday after they told Callie the truth between them. As the week goes by Sasha and Jacob only bump into each other every once in a while. All is well, in riding. There is a new girl though and her name is Brit. The Y.E.N.T (advanced riding) team has been practicing very hard for a show on Saturday. The team includes Brit, Sasha, Heather, and from this show one new student will be picked. Back at the dorm, Paige has been acting a little weird and it turns out she has been hanging out with Callie. Sasha didn’t care except for the fact that she Paige lied about who she was going to see. Mean while, Brit, Sasha and Heater have been becoming better friends. Brit has said she gets kind of lonely without a roommate and if Sasha ever wanted to change rooms, hers was open. Jacob also promised not to tell Callie until after the show. The show day finally comes up. All the riders woke up early to get their horses ready to travel. By the Time Sasha gets to the barn she has been wished luck by Paige and Jacob. Heather did great and ended with 1st; Sasha did well and ended with 3rd. Brit started well but by the first jump something was wrong. She forced her horse to stop and jumped off. A trained vet came over and said it was just a bruised on his foot. The girls went back to campus and changed out of show clothes. Right before Sasha was about to leave she told Paige what Jacob was going to tell Callie. Paige said that she already told Callie. Sasha was furious so she texted Brit “Still need a roommate?” Then pressed send.

I liked this book because it was funny and dramatized. All throughout this book there is a ton of drama but I find this kind fun to read and how it is popped out every now and then I like it. This book is a great book to recommend to someone who loves drama and horses.
Profile Image for Leeanne  G.
313 reviews17 followers
July 1, 2023
I've said it before and I'll say it again - Sasha needs to calm down! She's turning her life into an absolute mess and then freaks out when other people don't want to deal with her any more. She's so obsessed with trying to not hurt her friends that she ends up hurting them and herself far more than she would have if she'd just been honest with them in the first place.

Sasha also needs to keep her promises. She decided to swear off boys a few books ago, but now she's trying to get back with Jacob. I didn't really like the idea of them getting together in the first place. She needs to take an extended break from guys. I'm glad Sasha and Eric are friends ago though.

On the bright side, Brit Chan is a wonderful addition to the Canterwood family. I hope she continues to stay true to who she is and doesn't become corrupted by the over-dramatic Canterwood kids. There was a lot more time spent with the horses in this book because it was the best way for Sasha and the Trio to learn about Brit and bond with her.
Profile Image for Kyleigh.
108 reviews20 followers
October 20, 2016
Sasha is still having issues with her ex-best friend, her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, and her almost ex-boyfriend. But she is becoming friends with the trio (Heather, Julia, and Alison). She just hopes that she can mend relationships and figure out relationships. Not only is she dealing with her personal problems, but she is dealing with a new student who might be a nice girl, or just like Jasmine. With everything going on, Sasha can't forget Charm and the schooling show.

I love this book and the whole series. It is hard to read this book without the others in the series, so read the others first, but I love the drama in these series. This is a series for those in middle-school, since they are in middle school, but I still love them.

For those of you who have read the series, I would recommend you continue the series and for those of you who haven't, I recommend that those in middle school should read these if they like drama and horses.
Profile Image for Emmy.
5 reviews
Read
August 9, 2012
In general, this series is a very well thought out, nicely written series. At times it seems as though the Author is trying too hard to live the life she never had too, after *she* had to stop riding at thirteen.

However, the writing is clear and the plot interesting. I'm liking the new character, Brit. She seems to be based upon one of the people mentioned in the Acknowledgements.

The characters as usual seem to act a bit older than their age. The girls act more like girls when I was that age, (8 years ago), which is refreshing, since most girls aren't so "innocent" now. But the boys, them seem a bit ahead of themselves.

Boys mature later than girls, and I'd say these ones act more like 15/16 than 12/13.

Otherwise, a very nice read. I found the conflict between Sasha, Callie, and Paige realistic.

and, a good dose of Horse rounds it out. :)
2 reviews
October 1, 2014
i really liked this book it was ok but not that bad though i really like brit she looks like a nice character but i just love heather she is so pretty and I'm pretty sure she is pretty in the books to but on the cover she is like perf lol i really love canter wood crest its really cool and brings a lot of drama into it and so dramatic and awesome i just adore these books and i love riding horses
Profile Image for Zanna.
478 reviews3 followers
April 17, 2023
hMMM well you know. don't like how people treat brit. at all. it's also very funny how the issues with paige and sasha are so wildly underwhelming this entire book so sasha hits her limit and it wasn't nearly as climactic as the fight at the end of home sweet drama but HEY i like brit you go girl get that uhaul
Profile Image for Olivia Noack.
469 reviews32 followers
June 15, 2020
I'm pretty sure all that happened in this book is we cemented the fact that Sasha has no idea how to solve relationship problems, she still thinks keeping secrets benefits people, and she has the most petty drama. Also we met new girl Brit and Sasha and her became friends.
8 reviews13 followers
June 30, 2015
This book was... Okay, i guess i would say. After so many books with Sasha's drama and issues, you kind of think to the author: why would you ruin yet another friendship? Really? Nobody has THAT much drama. I'm just done with her, i feel like.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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