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A review by eviebookish
Räudiges Pack by Michael Northrop
5.0
Emotionally affecting and thematically poignant, Rotten is a great, deliciously readable story. Despite the serious (often heartbreaking) subject matter, the overall tone of the book is light and easy to digest. Meaningful, but not heavy. This heartfelt and insightful tale teaches us about the importance of love, trust and friendship (whether it's between two people or a man and man's best friend), and that everyone deserves a second chance. A really heart-warming, deep and honest story, capable of being both funny and moving. Books like this one get my tail wagging!
JR isn't even technically my dog. He's half my dog, and it wasn't that long ago that he felt like even less than that. But now that he's in trouble? Now that he gets taken away first thing in the morning and I don't even know if he's coming back? Now he feels like my dog. Because I know what that feels like. He's had it tough, and he didn't even mean it anyway, and no one really has a clue about him. So, yeah. Sounds like my dog to me.
When JD comes home after spending his summer "upstate" supposedly visiting his aunt, he finds a surprise waiting for him. A black, furry surprise with a sweet tooth for biscuits. JR (Johnny Rotten, like the lead singer of the Sex Pistols) is a big and dangerous-looking Rottweiler who is afraid of his own shadow. He's a rescue dog with abuse-filled past. JD's mom adopted him while JD was away. Of course, not one of JD's friends knows where he really spent his summer, though they all seem to agree on one thing: it wasn't with his aunt. When JR gets in trouble for biting one of JD's friends, the secret that JD is so determined to protect is about to be unveiled. JD might lose a whole lot more than just his face, though. He might lose his new-found friend.
Rotten is both very entertaining and thought-provoking. I especially loved the conversational tone of the narrative and the sparkly dialogues. The back and forth between JD and his friends is strikingly realistic and delightfully hilarious. I thought Michael Northrop did a fantastic job portraying teenage interactions! They're quirky, laugh-out-loud funny and painfully honest. I loved all the jokes and punch lines, and thought the dynamics of their relationships were very believable. The characters felt real, and that's what made this book shine in my eyes.
I really liked the lead character, JD. He is pretty much a regular guy, with a regular personality, but there was something about him that really made it easy for me to warm up to him. He's suspicious by nature, he doesn't trust easily and he often has a hard time opening to people. In that sense, he's a lot like JR, and that's probably why they connected so well. At the same time, he's very loyal and protective of both his mom and JR, which really made me love him a lot! He's been through some rough times himself, and so he understands and feels for JR. And he's determined to create a good, warm and loving home for him. He's definitely a good kid and a great protagonist!
Rotten is a book that really speaks to your heart. In my opinion, it's a story that can be enjoyed by both girls and boys, teens and adults alike. Animal lovers and realistic fiction fans will definitely love this one! I highly recommend it!
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Review also posted at:
JR isn't even technically my dog. He's half my dog, and it wasn't that long ago that he felt like even less than that. But now that he's in trouble? Now that he gets taken away first thing in the morning and I don't even know if he's coming back? Now he feels like my dog. Because I know what that feels like. He's had it tough, and he didn't even mean it anyway, and no one really has a clue about him. So, yeah. Sounds like my dog to me.
When JD comes home after spending his summer "upstate" supposedly visiting his aunt, he finds a surprise waiting for him. A black, furry surprise with a sweet tooth for biscuits. JR (Johnny Rotten, like the lead singer of the Sex Pistols) is a big and dangerous-looking Rottweiler who is afraid of his own shadow. He's a rescue dog with abuse-filled past. JD's mom adopted him while JD was away. Of course, not one of JD's friends knows where he really spent his summer, though they all seem to agree on one thing: it wasn't with his aunt. When JR gets in trouble for biting one of JD's friends, the secret that JD is so determined to protect is about to be unveiled. JD might lose a whole lot more than just his face, though. He might lose his new-found friend.
Rotten is both very entertaining and thought-provoking. I especially loved the conversational tone of the narrative and the sparkly dialogues. The back and forth between JD and his friends is strikingly realistic and delightfully hilarious. I thought Michael Northrop did a fantastic job portraying teenage interactions! They're quirky, laugh-out-loud funny and painfully honest. I loved all the jokes and punch lines, and thought the dynamics of their relationships were very believable. The characters felt real, and that's what made this book shine in my eyes.
I really liked the lead character, JD. He is pretty much a regular guy, with a regular personality, but there was something about him that really made it easy for me to warm up to him. He's suspicious by nature, he doesn't trust easily and he often has a hard time opening to people. In that sense, he's a lot like JR, and that's probably why they connected so well. At the same time, he's very loyal and protective of both his mom and JR, which really made me love him a lot! He's been through some rough times himself, and so he understands and feels for JR. And he's determined to create a good, warm and loving home for him. He's definitely a good kid and a great protagonist!
Rotten is a book that really speaks to your heart. In my opinion, it's a story that can be enjoyed by both girls and boys, teens and adults alike. Animal lovers and realistic fiction fans will definitely love this one! I highly recommend it!
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Review also posted at: