100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

πŸ‰ πŸ”₯ Happy Threshing Day! Pre-order the Deluxe Edition of Rebecca Yarros' newest release today! πŸ”₯ πŸ‰

Lean on Pete

4.04 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 5,050 ratings, 699 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin follows the life of a fifteen-year-old boy named Charley Thompson. He finds solace and companionship with a rundown racehorse named Lean on Pete. As Charley embarks on a journey in search of a stable home and a place where he belongs, the story delves into themes of survival and friendship amidst the harsh realities he faces.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
Elsewhere:
$2799
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy heartfelt stories about lost adolescence, resilience, and the hope found in unlikely friendships. Set in the rugged American West, it follows a teenager’s journey alongside a failing racehorse, exploring themes of survival and the search for belonging. It's perfect for readers who appreciate raw, emotional narratives with deeply human characters.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From the acclaimed author of The Motel Life and Northline comes another hugely moving slice of Americana.

Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin is an unforgettable story of a friendship and of hope in dark times.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson wants a home; food on the table; a high school he can attend for more than part of a year; and some structure to his life. But as the son of a single father working at warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, he's been pretty much on his own for some time.

Lean on Pete opens as he and his father arrive in Portland, Oregon and Charley takes a stables job, illegally, at the local race track. Once part of a vibrant racing network, Portland Meadows is now seemingly the last haven for washed up jockeys and knackered horses, but it's there that Charley meets Pete, an old horse who becomes his companion as he's forced to try to make his own way in the world.

A portrait of a journey - populated by a vivid cast of characters against a harsh landscape - Lean on Pete is also the unforgettable story of a friendship and of hope in dark times.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin is described as a poignant American novel, drawing comparisons to the works of Steinbeck and Carver. Critics have praised its spare and poetic prose, its compassionate portrayal of the forgotten and dispossessed, and its ability to evoke deep emotions. The book is noted for its raw, hopeful storytelling, offering a beautifully bleak yet redeeming narrative.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571235735

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 March 2011

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 195.0mm

Weight: 200g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Described by Mojo as 'one of America's most fundamental artists in words and music' Willy Vlautin is the author of two highly acclaimed novels, The Motel Life (2005) and Northline (2007). He is also the frontman of the band Richmond Fontaine, whose albums include 'Post to Wire' and most recently 'We Used to think the Freeway sounded like a River'. An avid fan of horseracing, he can often be found writing behind a closed circuit monitor at Portland Meadows racetrack.

Also by Willy Vlautin

View all
  • Don't Skip Out on Me
    Meet Horace Hopper, a twenty-one-year-old farm hand in Tonopah, Nevada, who works for Mr Reece and his wife, the nearest thing he's had to family in years. But Horace, half-white half-Paiute Indian, dreams of bigger things. Leaving behind the farm and its fragile stability, he heads South to re-invent himself as the Mexican boxer Hector Hidalgo. Slowly, painfully, the possibility...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Motel Life
    Opening like an early Tom Waits barstool-tale, The Motel Life tells the story of two brothers, Frank and Jerry Lee. Taking to the road in an attempt to escape the hit and run accident caused by Jerry Lee, the novel goes back to tell the story of their unhappy lives. With intense feeling and compassion, Vlautin explores the frustrations and...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Night Always Comes
    'It's propulsive, moving, dark and full of hope and heart. He's a genius. My book of the year.' - Craig Silvey Between looking after her brother and the combination of jobs she's trying to juggle, Lynette is dangerously tired. And when, after years of trying to scrape together enough for a mortgage, her plan is derailed, she must embark on...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Lean on Pete
    Film to screen nationally in Australia on 29 November 2018. Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson wants a home; food on the table; a high school he can attend for more than part of a year; and some structure to his life. But as the son of a single father working at warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, he's been pretty much on his...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Left and the Lucky
    Pre-order
    The Left and the Lucky
    'One of America's great writers.' RODDY DOYLE'Vlautin's characters are a vast chorus of broken hearts, reaching for grace.' COLIN WALSH'No one writes with such empathy and insight as Willy Vlautin.' BEN MYERS'Vlautin writes about people overlooked by society and overlooked by literature.' ANN PATCHETT The moving, large-hearted story of a young boy in danger of slipping through society's cracks and...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    Pre-order
    Out 4 Aug 2026
  • The Left and the Lucky
    'One of America's great writers.' RODDY DOYLE 'Vlautin's characters are a vast chorus of broken hearts, reaching for grace.' COLIN WALSH 'No one writes with such empathy and insight as Willy Vlautin.' BEN MYERS 'Vlautin writes about people overlooked by society and overlooked by literature.' ANN PATCHETT 'And try to breathe, man. You gotta remember to breathe. You won't get...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • The Horse
    'There's a horse', he whispered. 'An old horse that's standing in front of my house. He's blind and he won't eat and I don't know what to do.' Sixty-five-year-old Al Ward is several years into an isolated stint living on old mining land in Nevada left to him by his great uncle. One morning, a horse arrives outside his home,...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Night Always Comes
    Between looking after her brother, working two low-paid jobs, and trying to take part-time college classes, Lynette is dangerously tired. Every penny she's earned for years, she's put into savings, trying to scrape together enough to take out a mortgage on the house she rents with her mother. Finally becoming a homeowner in their rapidly gentrifying Portland neighbourhood could offer...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β€” but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Land
    Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, Land, theΒ new novel from the author of Hamnet, is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope. On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, TomΓ‘s and his reluctant son,Β Liam, are working for the great...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set
    The Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set by Brandon Sanderson is a landmark fantasy series that has captivated readers worldwide. Renowned for its innovative magic system, intricate world-building, and compelling characters, this trilogy is a must-have for any fantasy enthusiast. Immerse yourself in a world shrouded in ash, where a once-hopeful land is ruled by the tyrannical Dark Lord, known as the...
    Set
    $6800
    Elsewhere:
    $7500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Deal
    Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Deal now for the perfect fake-dating romance! She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy . . . Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
    Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...
    Set
    $12400
    Elsewhere:
    $15500
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Crescent City Paperback Box Set
    A beautiful box set containing all three paperback instalments of the Crescent City series from #1 bestselling global phenomenon Sarah J. Maas. BOUND BY BLOOD. TEMPTED BY DESIRE. UNLEASHED BY DESTINY. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced...
    Set
    $5499
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Project Hail Mary
    THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL A BARACK OBAMA READING PICK A lone astronaut. An impossible mission. An ally he never imagined. 'The most enjoyable hard SF I have read in years' GUARDIAN 'Weir's finest work to date... This is the one book I read last year that I am certain I can recommend to anyone, no matter who, and know...
    Paperback
    $2099
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Bookplate
    New Release
    Light Wielder
    THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO METAL SLINGER, AKA THE BOOK WITH THE PLOT TWIST THAT BROKE THE INTERNET Sail the seas. Master the blade. Protect your heart. What would you do to have it all? READERS ARE GOING WILD FOR *METAL SLINGER* β€˜The BEST plot twist to ever grace my Kindle’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ β€˜The author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Copy
    New Release
    The Ballad of Falling Dragons
    ☽ Raeve and Kaan will return in the highly anticipated sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling phenomenon, When The Moon Hatched. Prepare for more danger, magic, romance, and dragons! ☽ The #1 Sunday Times bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched continues with the second book in The Moonfall Series, The Ballad of Falling Dragons… Discover the phenomenon everyone's falling for:...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3899
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl
    The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition! You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Project Hail Mary
    Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • There Is No Antimemetics Division
    Mind-bending science fiction about antimemes: ideas that attack memory, identity, and the fabric of reality itself. An antimeme is an entity with self-censoring properties. Some are benign, but others, less so... These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you youβ€”and you'll never even know anything changed. And they aren't just feeding on us. They're...
    By qntm
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.