Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party Mini Review

I just finished reading the book "My Little Pony Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party" (which has evidently also been released under the name "My Little Pony Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Pony Party") and since it's the first spot anywhere to specifically mention Maud, I figured I'd do a quick review on it.

The book takes place sometime after season three (Twilight's a princess in it), likely taking place before season four since it was published before that started airing. A big draw for me about the book was that the Pie family holds a significant role in it. Pinkie's father, mother, and two sisters Marble and Limestone visit Ponyville unannounced, and soon after spotting them, Pinkie says, "Hi, Mom! Hey there, Dad! How's it going, Marble? What's new, Limestone? Where's--?" and then her father cuts her off, saying, "Your older sister is keeping an eye on the farm," This "older sister" being that first reference to Maud I mentioned.

Speaking of Maud, I learned an unusual connection between her and Pinkie -- they both have pet rocks. Pinkie's is named Rockie, and she describes "him" as being gray and "a bit lumpy". At the end of the book, the Pies are actually accepting orders from Equestrian ponies for, among other things, pet rocks. Maybe it's even possible that sometime around then is when Maud got Boulder -- who knows? 

The book is definitely worth a read for any Pony fan as it feels just like an episode of the show and always had me visualizing the scenes as they'd look animated. Lots of funny moments are scattered throughout, like, for example, when Pinkie pulls something "seemingly out of nowhere" explaining, "It was almost like magic, but it wasn't -- it was just Pinkie Pie.". There's also the time when a crowd hears news about a farm closing that they didn't even know existed in the first place and all gasp because it "just seemed like the right response.". The only real complaints I have about the book are the real-world cultural nods, like with the band names "Nine Inch Tails" and "Coldhay" parodying "Nine Inch Nails" and "Coldplay", and the reason I dislike this is because I like to think that Equestria is a land better than our Earth, but when parallels are constantly drawn, it sorta ruins those hopes. Another issue I could also say about the book is that the Pie family mannerisms aren't done as well in this book as in later episode appearances in my opinion, but that's hardly the author's fault.