The Dogs - Allan Stratton.

OMG guys! We've missed you! We've literally been drowning in homework these past few months and just had to give the reviewing and blogging a break. We are sincerely sorry for our sudden absence. However, it's summer now, so you can expect tons of new posts in the next little while... :)

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Emma:

I had a great time reading The Dogs. First, I have to say that I loved the cover and how it showed the books scary qualities. I just love the look of that blood splattered title. I think that it drew me to the book more than the summary which did not captivate my attention nearly as much as I think it could have. If you are not a fan of scary books this book might not be your forté, but if you do enjoy scary books you are in for a treat.

The book was also sprinkled with a little mystery throughout that really made you theorize all of the possible directions that the story could go in. I loved how Cameron (the main character) had to piece together what actually happened on the farm, and set the lies apart from the truth.

There were plenty of times when I found myself both incredibly frightened and traumatized because of the descriptive vocabulary that Allan Stratton produced in The Dogs. Allan was really able to capture emotion within his words. I think this may be because he felt so connected to the topic. You really can notice when something hits home with an author or if they are passionate about their subject. There was also a supernatural aspect of the story that added extra pizzaz to all the emotion, which I really enjoyed and how it really left you to your imagination.

If you're still here then you are most likely some very committed person who wants to know what this book is about. Well, let me tell you. It starts with a boy named with Cameron who is constantly moving because his mom is paranoid that his father is going to come after him. Eventually, Cameron and his mother move to a small town called Wolf Hollow, but in the end, nothing is exactly as it seems... In the end, even after the book was closed it left me with too many questions than I knew what to do with. I had a great time reading this Red Maple book as I enjoyed both the story itself and the message. Now as for what that message was, I’ll leave for you to find out yourself.

Emma's Rating: 4/5

Ashvini: 

This book was a wild roller-coaster ride for me. Literally, I just had such a varying opinion throughout the length of the story, to the extent that I finished this book a little confused. There was a lot in the structure of the novel that threw me off, but there was so much substance that lay with the themes and messages that I really enjoyed.

However, my main conflict of opinion with The Dogs was centered at the writing. I just found myself constantly having a hard time devoting and immersing myself in the story. There was just something about it that felt so rushed uninvolving at times. Especially when it came to the reader trying to visualize the storyline, things like the layout of their farm lot, and the neighborhood were hard to see.

I also felt that were so many overlooked details in this book. I’m not going to say too much but there’s this supernatural sort of power that Cameron foster's, and I remember thinking about how sudden and out of place the adoption to the ability was. Of course, it could always just be me expecting too much of a 250-ish paged novel, but as a reader, I just really wanted to see something new, I wanted this book to surprise me.

It was the 200 pg. mark that really did it for me, Allan Stratton really took my point of view on the book and flipped it upside down. There was just something about the way he laced such dark themes involving Cameron’s whole life situation itself that made you look at the world a little differently. In the beginning, I just couldn’t get over how self-centred Cameron was, and it wasn’t until the ultimate climax that I really began to understand Cameron, the motive behind his decisions, and feel the weight of his world. To be honest, if I was a student at Cameron’s new school hearing all of those rumours about him, I would probably turn away every time he was walking in my direction, and avoid him as much as possible. Yet, the author somehow makes you understand that crazy-new-guy, and suddenly you begin to feel for him. You begin to decipher with his overactive imagination, you begin to loathe his vague life on the run, and in fact, you begin to pity his lone life. For me, it was this turnaround and mix of emotions that really satisfied my craving for something more in The Dogs.

In my opinion, this book was a really great example of how you never really know about the battles people are facing in their lives. Everyone has their own story, and I’ve come to understand from this book that it’s important you consider that because even the “lightest” of comments can really scar someone deep. Overall, I thought that the Dogs was a really important book and I believe that it’s a must-read if you’re a fan of horror and eeriness.

In my opinion, this book was a really great example of how you never really know about the battles people are facing in their lives. Everyone has their own story, and I’ve come to understand from this book that it’s important you consider that because even the “lightest” of comments can really scar someone deep. Overall, I thought that the Dogs was a really important book and I believe that it’s a must-read if you’re a fan of horror and eeriness.

Ashvini's Rating: 4/5

                                       

Can you guess what our next review will be on? HINTS: It's another Red Maple Nominee. Susan Juby has a blurb on the back of it. It's made of molecules.

More reviews coming to a computer near you soon!

Yours Truly,
Ashvini and Emma