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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
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Rotten Review
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Full formatting of this review at link above.
When I saw this on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it because of my own little Rottweiler sitting right in front of me. I even broke my "no books about animals" rule to read this, and I am glad I did!
JD comes home from his summer stay at his "aunt's house" to a surprise. His mom adopted an abused Rottweiler dog, which JD names Johnny Rotten. Their relationships starts out rocky, but they learn trust each other. JD sees that Johnny isn't aggressive, and Johnny sees that JD won't treat him like his old owner.
Unfortunately, the peace doesn't last very long, and JD's friend gets bitten by Johnny, and he wants compensation, but might end up taking more than that. They might end up taking Johnny's life. His second chance.
After Old Yeller, Where The Red Fern Grows, Wild Animals I Have Known, Black Beauty, Marley and Me, etc; I had promised not to read any books or watch any movies about animals. Why can't there be a Happily Ever After? I'm not saying whether or not ROTTEN has one, but I had to read this regardless of the promise I made to myself.
I did not connect to JD's character at first, he was somewhat rude, vile, and gross: a teenage boy. Once I got used to his voice, I really saw that underneath he was a great person. He goes through some intense rounds of character development as well. Mr. Northtrop can write a believable male protagonist, something that is refreshing and unique. He also knows Rottweilers, I found that the behaviorisms and actions were spot on with how my own Rottweiler acts.
This is so much more than just a "boy and his dog" story. There are many different elements that make this a good novel, especially the relationships. JD and his mom, JD and his friends, and most importantly-JD and Johnny. They all are written excellently: they are realistic and relatable. You find out that everyone has their own story, and own reasons for behaving the way they do.
If you like a great novel with strong male protagonist, this is one for you!
Rotten Review
_________________________________
Full formatting of this review at link above.
When I saw this on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it because of my own little Rottweiler sitting right in front of me. I even broke my "no books about animals" rule to read this, and I am glad I did!
JD comes home from his summer stay at his "aunt's house" to a surprise. His mom adopted an abused Rottweiler dog, which JD names Johnny Rotten. Their relationships starts out rocky, but they learn trust each other. JD sees that Johnny isn't aggressive, and Johnny sees that JD won't treat him like his old owner.
Unfortunately, the peace doesn't last very long, and JD's friend gets bitten by Johnny, and he wants compensation, but might end up taking more than that. They might end up taking Johnny's life. His second chance.
After Old Yeller, Where The Red Fern Grows, Wild Animals I Have Known, Black Beauty, Marley and Me, etc; I had promised not to read any books or watch any movies about animals. Why can't there be a Happily Ever After? I'm not saying whether or not ROTTEN has one, but I had to read this regardless of the promise I made to myself.
I did not connect to JD's character at first, he was somewhat rude, vile, and gross: a teenage boy. Once I got used to his voice, I really saw that underneath he was a great person. He goes through some intense rounds of character development as well. Mr. Northtrop can write a believable male protagonist, something that is refreshing and unique. He also knows Rottweilers, I found that the behaviorisms and actions were spot on with how my own Rottweiler acts.
This is so much more than just a "boy and his dog" story. There are many different elements that make this a good novel, especially the relationships. JD and his mom, JD and his friends, and most importantly-JD and Johnny. They all are written excellently: they are realistic and relatable. You find out that everyone has their own story, and own reasons for behaving the way they do.
If you like a great novel with strong male protagonist, this is one for you!
JD returns home after a summer away to find his mom has acquired a new dog, a Rottweiller, a "bully breed." She calls him Jon-Jon; JD prefers Johnny Rotten after the lead singer for the Sex Pistols. Johnny has been rescued from an abusive home, so he still has some trust issues. JD recognizes he must build a relationship slowly, but when a friend jumps the fence and confronts Johnny, the dog does what scared animals do. And now JD may lose his new friend. Michael Northrop writes teenage boys well. JD is far from perfect, but he is a lovable boy who makes some bad decisions. And Johnny has me, the cat lady, thinking of cuddling up with a big, slobbery Rotty.
despite the familiar story, i have a soft spot for dog stories.
Before I start this review, I want to tell you a bit about myself.
A few years back I adopted this dog, Maddie. She was a doberman/lab/hound mix and absolutely adored me, and I adored her. She was fear aggressive, which means she will attack someone who is attacking her, or someone who she thinks is going to attack her.
Let me digress a bit to explain one other thing; There is no such thing as self-defense in the dog world. If a dog bites you, regardless of whether or not you deserve the bite, the dog is at fault. It's unfair, I know. It's disgusting, I know. It's why so many people abuse their pets and why it's so hard to stop it from happening.
Back to my thing. Maddie was fear aggressive. Unless she knew and trusted you, she wasn't going near you. If you cornered her, she growled. If you kept pushing it, she attacked.
I was studying animal care at the time and had a class for dog training. We'd bring her in and she started improving over the course of the semester. She stopped growling at people she didn't know, she was still scared and you couldn't get too close, but we'd made sufficient progress.
Near the end of the semester, Maddie got out of the house. She ran across the street and into a neighbors lawn to see the neighbors dog. The neighbor got between the two and Maddie bit her. It was a small bite, nothing too damaging, the woman didn't even go to the hospital. Just brought Maddie back home and explained what happened.
And this is the part where I'm going to explain why I have such a messed up relationship with my mother.
As soon as we got Maddie back, my mother insisted she had to be put down. My father disagreed, my sister disagreed, I disagreed. The neighbor who got bit even called and begged her not to do it. She did it anyways. She called the vet that night and brought Maddie in the next morning and effectively murdered my dog.
Now you may be wondering why I'm telling you all of this. The reason for this story and the reason that this entire review is marked as a spoiler is because this is the plot line of this book.
JD comes home from being away all summer and his mother has adopted a rescue dog. He falls in love with the dog in just the short time he's had it, just like I did with Maddie. It is fear aggressive, just like Maddie. It bites someone out of fear, just like Maddie. And the subject of putting an aggressive dog down is a huge focus in the novel.
I'm not going to lie, this novel brought back a lot of memories. Memories I've pushed back and repressed for years, trying my hardest not to blame my mother for Maddie's death. In this novel, it's not the dog's fault that they were put down (or almost put down). It rarely is. And that is an awful show of how little we respect the animals in this world. If I bit someone (and in my younger years, I was known to do exactly that) all I got was a bad taste in my mouth. These animals get killed.
Hardly seems fair, does it?
It's not the most well-written book, but it touches your heart. And that's what you want when you write a book, to touch someone's heart.
A few years back I adopted this dog, Maddie. She was a doberman/lab/hound mix and absolutely adored me, and I adored her. She was fear aggressive, which means she will attack someone who is attacking her, or someone who she thinks is going to attack her.
Let me digress a bit to explain one other thing; There is no such thing as self-defense in the dog world. If a dog bites you, regardless of whether or not you deserve the bite, the dog is at fault. It's unfair, I know. It's disgusting, I know. It's why so many people abuse their pets and why it's so hard to stop it from happening.
Back to my thing. Maddie was fear aggressive. Unless she knew and trusted you, she wasn't going near you. If you cornered her, she growled. If you kept pushing it, she attacked.
I was studying animal care at the time and had a class for dog training. We'd bring her in and she started improving over the course of the semester. She stopped growling at people she didn't know, she was still scared and you couldn't get too close, but we'd made sufficient progress.
Near the end of the semester, Maddie got out of the house. She ran across the street and into a neighbors lawn to see the neighbors dog. The neighbor got between the two and Maddie bit her. It was a small bite, nothing too damaging, the woman didn't even go to the hospital. Just brought Maddie back home and explained what happened.
And this is the part where I'm going to explain why I have such a messed up relationship with my mother.
As soon as we got Maddie back, my mother insisted she had to be put down. My father disagreed, my sister disagreed, I disagreed. The neighbor who got bit even called and begged her not to do it. She did it anyways. She called the vet that night and brought Maddie in the next morning and effectively murdered my dog.
Now you may be wondering why I'm telling you all of this. The reason for this story and the reason that this entire review is marked as a spoiler is because this is the plot line of this book.
JD comes home from being away all summer and his mother has adopted a rescue dog. He falls in love with the dog in just the short time he's had it, just like I did with Maddie. It is fear aggressive, just like Maddie. It bites someone out of fear, just like Maddie. And the subject of putting an aggressive dog down is a huge focus in the novel.
I'm not going to lie, this novel brought back a lot of memories. Memories I've pushed back and repressed for years, trying my hardest not to blame my mother for Maddie's death. In this novel, it's not the dog's fault that they were put down (or almost put down). It rarely is. And that is an awful show of how little we respect the animals in this world. If I bit someone (and in my younger years, I was known to do exactly that) all I got was a bad taste in my mouth. These animals get killed.
Hardly seems fair, does it?
It's not the most well-written book, but it touches your heart. And that's what you want when you write a book, to touch someone's heart.
3 1/2. Not a long too the story, but a good read. And I'm not a dog person.
I had a Staffordshire Terrier for a while - I don't remember the details too well but I think we got him from the SPCA, and I expect he was bit like this 'rescue' dog in the book. He was adult already, and he was a bit timid most of the time. But he hated cats, and he terrorised our ones. He also turned on us when we tried to stop him harming the cats. He'd immediately retract, but it was still alarming. Then when he got through the fence and killed the neighbour's cat I took him to the vet and got him put down. I couldn't run the risk of him biting someone if they got in the way.
In this book, Jimmer (JD) is getting to know a rescue rottweiler that his mother adopted while he was upstate for the summer "visiting his aunt". JD is reluctant to befriend the dog, he's reluctant to tell his best friends where he really was over the summer, and he's worried that his girlfriend won't ever speak to him again. He starts working on the first of those problems but he doesn't know how to start talking to the people in his life.
And then (novels need an "and then", and I like the way this one is written) one of his friends gets himself bitten by the dog.
I like this book. There aren't any plot surprises, but that's okay. It's a genuine story about situations and people who are fully believable, and it draws the reader in to issues of friendship that are undoubtedly high in the mid-teens. I love the dog, whose personality is written very nicely, and who reminded me of the various dogs I have owned and loved.
In this book, Jimmer (JD) is getting to know a rescue rottweiler that his mother adopted while he was upstate for the summer "visiting his aunt". JD is reluctant to befriend the dog, he's reluctant to tell his best friends where he really was over the summer, and he's worried that his girlfriend won't ever speak to him again. He starts working on the first of those problems but he doesn't know how to start talking to the people in his life.
And then (novels need an "and then", and I like the way this one is written) one of his friends gets himself bitten by the dog.
I like this book. There aren't any plot surprises, but that's okay. It's a genuine story about situations and people who are fully believable, and it draws the reader in to issues of friendship that are undoubtedly high in the mid-teens. I love the dog, whose personality is written very nicely, and who reminded me of the various dogs I have owned and loved.
I loved the author's book "Trapped" and this title did not disappoint. Again authentic voices of the characters, social interactions and personal dilemmas rang true.
Book Talk: How I spent my summer — BORING! with my aunt in upstate New York. To add misery to my life my mom rescued an abused Rottweiler while I was gone. Not sure if he’ll eat me or just bark his crazy head off anytime I come near. Mom calls him Johnny, but I call him Johnny Rotten. I really want to reconnect with my girl friend and my best friends before school starts, but truth is, I think they’re going to give me the third degree. I don’t think they believe my story about staying with my aunt. Can’t say I blame them, but I’d rather not say how I really spent my summer. I’d rather take my chances with Johnny Rotten.
Book Talk: How I spent my summer — BORING! with my aunt in upstate New York. To add misery to my life my mom rescued an abused Rottweiler while I was gone. Not sure if he’ll eat me or just bark his crazy head off anytime I come near. Mom calls him Johnny, but I call him Johnny Rotten. I really want to reconnect with my girl friend and my best friends before school starts, but truth is, I think they’re going to give me the third degree. I don’t think they believe my story about staying with my aunt. Can’t say I blame them, but I’d rather not say how I really spent my summer. I’d rather take my chances with Johnny Rotten.
Originally posted in Teacher's Choice
I came across this title as I was clicking through NetGalley. The cover had me immediately as I am a HUGE fan of dogs. Anyone who knows me can tell you that. The idea of the main character connected to a rescue dog pulled me in. I put in a request, got my approval, and started reading.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a pretty quick read. It is clear that JD did not stay with his aunt and I felt like his friends, wanting to know how he really spent his summer. JD did not seem like a “bad boy” at all, so I really wondered what he could have done. I also loved Johnny Rotten as a character in the book. He went through quite a bit – being chained and beat – before JD’s mom rescued him from the shelter. I really liked watching Johnny and JD’s relationship blossom as they learned to trust each other and JD learned there was more to Johnny than his tough outside. I feared for Johnny’s fate after one of JD’s friends, Mars, claimed Johnny bit him unprovoked and his family sues JD and his mom. As JD fights for his dog, we see the many sides of JD as he learns to come to terms with his past and his present.
One thing I really liked about this book is how it hit on the issue of stereotypes against “bully breeds.” Johnny is a Rottweiler, one of the most misunderstood of dog breeds, probably after Pit Bulls. Being a proud Pit Bull owner and lover of all dogs, I appreciate how Northrop addresses this issue as JD fights for Johnny. Many dogs have a lot stacked against them just because of the misconceptions that are out there. Johnny had some growing to do in order to trust people, especially males. But at his heart, he was a sweet dog that was just looking for companionship. I’m glad to see a book for teens that brings this up for teens to think about.
This is an enjoyable book and one I look forward to adding to my classroom. I can see reluctant drawn to this and enjoying it. Overall – 3/5 stars.
I came across this title as I was clicking through NetGalley. The cover had me immediately as I am a HUGE fan of dogs. Anyone who knows me can tell you that. The idea of the main character connected to a rescue dog pulled me in. I put in a request, got my approval, and started reading.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a pretty quick read. It is clear that JD did not stay with his aunt and I felt like his friends, wanting to know how he really spent his summer. JD did not seem like a “bad boy” at all, so I really wondered what he could have done. I also loved Johnny Rotten as a character in the book. He went through quite a bit – being chained and beat – before JD’s mom rescued him from the shelter. I really liked watching Johnny and JD’s relationship blossom as they learned to trust each other and JD learned there was more to Johnny than his tough outside. I feared for Johnny’s fate after one of JD’s friends, Mars, claimed Johnny bit him unprovoked and his family sues JD and his mom. As JD fights for his dog, we see the many sides of JD as he learns to come to terms with his past and his present.
One thing I really liked about this book is how it hit on the issue of stereotypes against “bully breeds.” Johnny is a Rottweiler, one of the most misunderstood of dog breeds, probably after Pit Bulls. Being a proud Pit Bull owner and lover of all dogs, I appreciate how Northrop addresses this issue as JD fights for Johnny. Many dogs have a lot stacked against them just because of the misconceptions that are out there. Johnny had some growing to do in order to trust people, especially males. But at his heart, he was a sweet dog that was just looking for companionship. I’m glad to see a book for teens that brings this up for teens to think about.
This is an enjoyable book and one I look forward to adding to my classroom. I can see reluctant drawn to this and enjoying it. Overall – 3/5 stars.
Book #24 Read in 2014
Rotten by Michael Northrop (YA)
Rotten (otherwise known as Johnny Rotten or JR) is a rescued Rottweiler. JD is a teen who can be said in need of rescuing himself after spending the summer in juvie. The dog and boy hit it off after a rocky start and JD realizes how attached he has become to the dog when JR bites one of JD's friends and that family decides to sue for medical pills and pain and suffering, effectively putting a death sentence on the dog. JR is desperate to save his dog...will he be able to?
This book was a good, quick read. JD is an interesting character; he is not just your typical troubled teen. JR is a dog who has personality. There is the engaging plot of trying to save JR along with humor and romance between JD and his ex-girlfriend Janie.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Rotten by Michael Northrop (YA)
Rotten (otherwise known as Johnny Rotten or JR) is a rescued Rottweiler. JD is a teen who can be said in need of rescuing himself after spending the summer in juvie. The dog and boy hit it off after a rocky start and JD realizes how attached he has become to the dog when JR bites one of JD's friends and that family decides to sue for medical pills and pain and suffering, effectively putting a death sentence on the dog. JR is desperate to save his dog...will he be able to?
This book was a good, quick read. JD is an interesting character; he is not just your typical troubled teen. JR is a dog who has personality. There is the engaging plot of trying to save JR along with humor and romance between JD and his ex-girlfriend Janie.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com