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sch91086's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
nickbaldassare's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
terminalfin's review against another edition
5.0
*** WARNING – SPOILERS ***
So, this was another book I would have otherwise not sought out had it not been for the recommendation of R.C. Bray (narrator for the Audible copy I purchased). His recommendations continue to hold true and I really enjoyed this story. What I intended to be a weekend listen turned out to be only the second book I’ve completed in a single day (easy, given this was a 4.5-hour audiobook).
The idea of different points of view for the story was a welcome change to the traditional stories I have listened to. I loved the POV of Baxter and found myself anxiously awaiting his point of view as he moved from family to family, holding back his contempt for the humans he chose to live with.
Right from the start, I found myself a bit lost during the first family transition as it moved from Ms. Prescott over to his first family. It took me a bit to catch on to what had happened and it was at that point that the sociopathic nature of Baxter came to the forefront. The death of the child, and the method which Baxter planned it out, really took me by surprise. After thinking about it, however, this highlighted a key aspect of pet ownership that I feel many couples don’t think about as they bring a child into the family. What happens when the dog, who received lots of attention previously, stops receiving that level of attention? What goes on in their mind? It was an interesting thought process.
In line with the death of the Baby, there were several dramatic and emotional moments. The incident with Carl and Baxter’s puppies really shocked me. Likewise, the final scene between Carl and Baxter was quite shocking as well as I found myself really battling my feelings.
Ultimately, I feel the title was misleading as this wasn’t really a “hell hound” and more of a dog trying to set itself up with the family life it desired. There were shifting protagonists and antagonists throughout the story.
The final twist at the end really helped wrap the story up and bring you around full circle, to one of Baxter’s initial thoughts.
R.C. Bray did, as usual, a fantastic job narrating this story and his recommendation was well placed. An easy 5/5 story for a unique tale that kept me hooked throughout. I would definitely give this one a listen again in the future.
So, this was another book I would have otherwise not sought out had it not been for the recommendation of R.C. Bray (narrator for the Audible copy I purchased). His recommendations continue to hold true and I really enjoyed this story. What I intended to be a weekend listen turned out to be only the second book I’ve completed in a single day (easy, given this was a 4.5-hour audiobook).
The idea of different points of view for the story was a welcome change to the traditional stories I have listened to. I loved the POV of Baxter and found myself anxiously awaiting his point of view as he moved from family to family, holding back his contempt for the humans he chose to live with.
Right from the start, I found myself a bit lost during the first family transition as it moved from Ms. Prescott over to his first family. It took me a bit to catch on to what had happened and it was at that point that the sociopathic nature of Baxter came to the forefront. The death of the child, and the method which Baxter planned it out, really took me by surprise. After thinking about it, however, this highlighted a key aspect of pet ownership that I feel many couples don’t think about as they bring a child into the family. What happens when the dog, who received lots of attention previously, stops receiving that level of attention? What goes on in their mind? It was an interesting thought process.
In line with the death of the Baby, there were several dramatic and emotional moments. The incident with Carl and Baxter’s puppies really shocked me. Likewise, the final scene between Carl and Baxter was quite shocking as well as I found myself really battling my feelings.
Ultimately, I feel the title was misleading as this wasn’t really a “hell hound” and more of a dog trying to set itself up with the family life it desired. There were shifting protagonists and antagonists throughout the story.
The final twist at the end really helped wrap the story up and bring you around full circle, to one of Baxter’s initial thoughts.
R.C. Bray did, as usual, a fantastic job narrating this story and his recommendation was well placed. An easy 5/5 story for a unique tale that kept me hooked throughout. I would definitely give this one a listen again in the future.
hawke213x's review against another edition
4.0
This was unexpected, and unique. Very interesting way of telling the story from different perspectives. The cover doesn't really do it any justice in my opinion, as it is not just a story about a dog, it's about coming of age and tragedy. The dog is really well represented in its actions and motivations as well. The other characters are fine more or less, perhaps a little boring and predictable but the story is mostly about two characters, a boy and his dog. It does have some unpleasant parts of course and one event made me sad in the feels, and the author clearly wasn't doing it just for shock value. All in all it was different from my usual and was whole heartedly well written. Highly recommend.
judyapneeb's review
4.0
A quick but powerful read. The story is told from multiple points-of-view but I was never confused when the POV changed. The writing is tight and strong. Ken Greenhall deserves more praise for his writing and I hope these reissues, as well as Grady Hendrix's support of Greenhall's work, elevates awareness of Greenhall to readers outside of the horror genre.
alexrobinsonsupergenius's review against another edition
4.0
I haven’t read much horror but this was a fun, brisk read. First thing I did after reading it was drop my dog at the pound!
c1emntine's review against another edition
5.0
4.5. Why can’t modern horror reach these levels?? Pitch perfect ending.
rachelschell's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
vikingwolf's review
2.0
This didn't turn out to be quite what I was expecting. I guess I thought it would be more like Cujo but with an intelligent brain within the dog, rather than him being rabid. I expected it to be all about the dog and the evil thoughts but that wasn't really what we got.
Baxter was a gift to a woman who didn't greatly like dogs and never wanted to have one. She looked after the dog and got into a routine with him but she never loved him and Baxter knew it. Baxter liked the young woman who lived across the street who was nice to him when he was out for a walk. He dreamed of the great life he would have with an owner who loved him. That is when Baxter starts to wonder what would happen if his owner was to have an accident and die...could he get the chance to live with his dream owner?
The first people we meet are his owner Mrs Prescott and her neighbour Mr Cuzzo. Mrs Prescott doesn't want the dog but is obligated to look after him. She doesn't greatly like Baxter or any human she knows either, sneering at those around her for petty things like being old and sick, looking down on the neighbours every chance she gets. She is a horrible woman and I don't blame Baxter for wanting her dead so he can go elsewhere. Her neighbour My Cuzzo liked her as a kid but holds a grudge over her laughing at him when he was ten, and spends his days watching her for signs of her getting sick or feeble so he can gloat. Ugh! Seriously, I'm rooting for Baxter here!
When Baxter does get to live with Nancy and John, it seems like the perfect place to be but Baxter won't be happy for long. He is unhappy at things changing when Nancy becomes pregnant. Her lovely husband John doesn't like the changes to her body and decides to build a pond as an excuse to stay away from her as much as possible. Charming! Nancy has nagged him about doing something with the garden but now resents the time he spends there. When Nancy goes into labour, Baxter is worried about her pain and John hits him for it. Frankly, I hate John and Nancy as well and again, I was hoping that Baxter would kill them both. Carl lives on the same street and is a sociopath pervert stalker teenager who has no time for his family. He sits beside Veronica at school and she is a stupid little tart who keeps trying to get his attention. They are both obnoxious and their paths will also soon cross with Baxter.
This book has one of the worst human casts I have experienced and I wanted to see every one of them have their throats ripped out by Baxter. I just hated the whole bunch of them and none had any redeeming features. There is animal cruelty from both John and Carl which reinforced my opinion of them. I was also really annoyed by the ending of the book as it was not satisfying at all, and not what I wanted to see happen.
The best parts of this book are the chapters devoted to Baxter's thoughts. I would rather have had a whole book of this than the chapters that were devoted to the dreadful humans he had to encounter. Yes Baxter is a sociopath but I can actually see things from his point of view and have sympathy for his situations. I guess that says a lot about me as a person!
It was a little slow and dull in places, with not enough of Baxter's chapters to keep me interested. I didn't like any of the human cast so I wasn't too interested in their chapters compared to the dogs. This just wasn't what I expected and it wasn't for me at all.
Baxter was a gift to a woman who didn't greatly like dogs and never wanted to have one. She looked after the dog and got into a routine with him but she never loved him and Baxter knew it. Baxter liked the young woman who lived across the street who was nice to him when he was out for a walk. He dreamed of the great life he would have with an owner who loved him. That is when Baxter starts to wonder what would happen if his owner was to have an accident and die...could he get the chance to live with his dream owner?
The first people we meet are his owner Mrs Prescott and her neighbour Mr Cuzzo. Mrs Prescott doesn't want the dog but is obligated to look after him. She doesn't greatly like Baxter or any human she knows either, sneering at those around her for petty things like being old and sick, looking down on the neighbours every chance she gets. She is a horrible woman and I don't blame Baxter for wanting her dead so he can go elsewhere. Her neighbour My Cuzzo liked her as a kid but holds a grudge over her laughing at him when he was ten, and spends his days watching her for signs of her getting sick or feeble so he can gloat. Ugh! Seriously, I'm rooting for Baxter here!
When Baxter does get to live with Nancy and John, it seems like the perfect place to be but Baxter won't be happy for long. He is unhappy at things changing when Nancy becomes pregnant. Her lovely husband John doesn't like the changes to her body and decides to build a pond as an excuse to stay away from her as much as possible. Charming! Nancy has nagged him about doing something with the garden but now resents the time he spends there. When Nancy goes into labour, Baxter is worried about her pain and John hits him for it. Frankly, I hate John and Nancy as well and again, I was hoping that Baxter would kill them both. Carl lives on the same street and is a sociopath pervert stalker teenager who has no time for his family. He sits beside Veronica at school and she is a stupid little tart who keeps trying to get his attention. They are both obnoxious and their paths will also soon cross with Baxter.
This book has one of the worst human casts I have experienced and I wanted to see every one of them have their throats ripped out by Baxter. I just hated the whole bunch of them and none had any redeeming features. There is animal cruelty from both John and Carl which reinforced my opinion of them. I was also really annoyed by the ending of the book as it was not satisfying at all, and not what I wanted to see happen.
The best parts of this book are the chapters devoted to Baxter's thoughts. I would rather have had a whole book of this than the chapters that were devoted to the dreadful humans he had to encounter. Yes Baxter is a sociopath but I can actually see things from his point of view and have sympathy for his situations. I guess that says a lot about me as a person!
It was a little slow and dull in places, with not enough of Baxter's chapters to keep me interested. I didn't like any of the human cast so I wasn't too interested in their chapters compared to the dogs. This just wasn't what I expected and it wasn't for me at all.