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teenage_reads 's review for:
Stella
by McCall Hoyle
Plot:
Stella is a beagle and was told she was the best girl in the world by Connie. But, Connie does not say that to her anymore, because Connie is dead and it is all Stella’s fault. As a bomb-sniffing dog, Stella worked at an airport and knew how important she and Connie's job was to keep people safe. Yet, when Stella was thinking about supper rather than the funny smelling suitcase, she sent it through and ended up causing a massive and deadly explosion. Now suffering PTSD, Stella has been with three families in a row, all unable to deal with her anxiety and behaviors. With her last human, Diana, sending Stella to her death sentence, a new opportunity appeared to Stella. One of Connie’s old college friends and experienced dog trainer, Esperanza, takes Stella on, bringing her home to her daughter Cloe. Cloe, knowing Stella’s risk, begs her mom to let her train Stella to be an agility dog, something beagles are normally not used for. Working hand in hand, Stella learns to sense Cloe's body chemistry and knows when her small human is about to have a seizure. With neighborhood bullies and a sheepdog that does not want to play, Stella must adjust to this new lifestyle, one she wants only knows it is only for good girls, and she is a very very bad one for hurting Connie.
Thoughts:
I never thought a dog would make me so emotional, but McCall Hoyle had me with this beautiful tale written from the point of view of Stella, a beagle. Stella has PTSD which causes her anxiety, and that is clearly demonstrated throughout the book as Stella knows what she has to do to be a good dog, but her body and mind will not let her. Every single main character is loveable in this novel, as Hoyle has you falling in love with Stella, Cloe, Esperanza, and the other animals on the farm as well. With easy writing and a short plot, I finished this book in a day, leaving me with happy feelings and wanting a dog. Hoyle did their research with this one, as research has shown that beagles can sniff up epileptic seizures in people with 100% accuracy for up to 45 minutes before it happens, which is what Hoyle has for Cloe and Stella. Honestly, this book hits you on both ends of the emotional scale, you have Cloe who struggles to make friends thus her reliance on pets, and Stella who is suffering from PTSD and relies on humans constantly being around her. Meant for a younger audience, like elementary students, I would read this novel even at my old age (23 is old friends), as it is a cute, funny, lovable story about a little girl and her dog.
Stella is a beagle and was told she was the best girl in the world by Connie. But, Connie does not say that to her anymore, because Connie is dead and it is all Stella’s fault. As a bomb-sniffing dog, Stella worked at an airport and knew how important she and Connie's job was to keep people safe. Yet, when Stella was thinking about supper rather than the funny smelling suitcase, she sent it through and ended up causing a massive and deadly explosion. Now suffering PTSD, Stella has been with three families in a row, all unable to deal with her anxiety and behaviors. With her last human, Diana, sending Stella to her death sentence, a new opportunity appeared to Stella. One of Connie’s old college friends and experienced dog trainer, Esperanza, takes Stella on, bringing her home to her daughter Cloe. Cloe, knowing Stella’s risk, begs her mom to let her train Stella to be an agility dog, something beagles are normally not used for. Working hand in hand, Stella learns to sense Cloe's body chemistry and knows when her small human is about to have a seizure. With neighborhood bullies and a sheepdog that does not want to play, Stella must adjust to this new lifestyle, one she wants only knows it is only for good girls, and she is a very very bad one for hurting Connie.
Thoughts:
I never thought a dog would make me so emotional, but McCall Hoyle had me with this beautiful tale written from the point of view of Stella, a beagle. Stella has PTSD which causes her anxiety, and that is clearly demonstrated throughout the book as Stella knows what she has to do to be a good dog, but her body and mind will not let her. Every single main character is loveable in this novel, as Hoyle has you falling in love with Stella, Cloe, Esperanza, and the other animals on the farm as well. With easy writing and a short plot, I finished this book in a day, leaving me with happy feelings and wanting a dog. Hoyle did their research with this one, as research has shown that beagles can sniff up epileptic seizures in people with 100% accuracy for up to 45 minutes before it happens, which is what Hoyle has for Cloe and Stella. Honestly, this book hits you on both ends of the emotional scale, you have Cloe who struggles to make friends thus her reliance on pets, and Stella who is suffering from PTSD and relies on humans constantly being around her. Meant for a younger audience, like elementary students, I would read this novel even at my old age (23 is old friends), as it is a cute, funny, lovable story about a little girl and her dog.