What worked:
Gwen’s family flees their home in the middle of the night, but
she ends up alone in the wilderness. The rest of the story is a survival
adventure as she tries to reconnect with her parents and sister. The journey
begins by simply trying to find food and water to stay alive, then collecting
necessities while waiting for her parents to return, and she finally decides to
search for other humans farther into the wilderness. The plot covers several
years, so it’s fast-paced. Many of the chapters involve practical survival strategies,
with snakes and wild boars providing unexpected challenges.
The collection of canines is the highlight of the story as
they come from a variety of breeds with unique personalities. Zip is a
greyhound and the fastest of the group, but his poor eyesight leads to
collisions with immovable objects. Nosey is a Labrador who acts as their guide
since he always knows which way to go. Tiny is a small Chihuahua with a mighty
bark and a keen sense of hearing. The group is joined by a powerful mastiff
called Brutus, but it takes some time for him to accept the others. Finally,
Puppy is Gwen’s first companion, and the pair develops a very close bond. It
takes a while for Gwen to realize Puppy is a wolf cub, but readers will
probably recognize it from the illustrations.
What didn’t work as well:
The text includes different font styles and sizes, but it’s
overdone. Changing the font helps to emphasize certain words, but it loses its
effect when overused. The book’s ending will leave readers disappointed as
they’re left with “to be continued” instead of resolving the conflict.
The final verdict:
The book has a dog-centered survival story that should appeal to
most young readers. Readers should plan to read the sequel since the plot is
unfinished and will continue later. If readers are prepared to continue the
series, I recommend they give the book a shot.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments unrelated to the books being described will be removed.