Jumping fences by Karen Wood

Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316399.
(Age: Young adult) Themes: country life, romance, mystery. Country girl Zoe wakes up in hospital after a farming accident and tries to piece her life back together after everything seems to be different. She can't work out why her boyfriend and best friend won't talk to her, her father is constantly grumpy and then there is the neighbour Josh. Mysterious but kind, he helps Zoe to discover what happened before her accident and what is happening to the cattle stolen from her dad's farm.
As the book progresses, Zoe finds out bit by bit more about the people in her life, who she can trust and more importantly, who she wants to be with! Over time, the cause of her father's grumpiness is revealed to be stress about losing the farm. Initially after her accident, he treats Zoe with kid gloves but his confidence in her grows and she is allowed to do more around the farm. Also over time, we find out more about Josh and his background and how Zoe comes to accept him, then eventually fall for him.
I enjoyed how the story unravelled gradually and it gave the reader a chance to predict what was going on. It was enjoyable to find out more about the characters, although some of the characters lacked a bit of depth. This book would appeal to young adult readers who enjoy reading about rural life, romance and a little bit of intrigue as well.
Larissa Kalms