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madelinepuckett 's review for:

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
5.0

This was the first book to make me cry.

I remember running into my mother's bedroom, sobbing and yelling, "They're both dead! They're both dead!" as I reached its ending.

This book strummed my heartstrings in a way that very few novels have ever been able to do. A coming-of-age story, a story about the bonds between man and dog, a beautiful story about love and death and growing up.

The ending was so sad and painful for my young self, yet so perfect and hope-wrenching. The promise the red fern brought, its symbol of what the boy and those dogs shared: true, unconditional love.