Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

"A simple, honest, touching story about a boy and his dogs, hunting raccoons in the foothills of the Ozark mountains. It has faith, love and loyalty and it hit just as hard as an adult as it did when I was a kid."

3 Stars

Pros: Billy's love for his pups, Old Dan and Little Ann is the most pure and genuine love there is and there's never any doubting it/Touched upon the idea of God/Heaven/Faith in a tender and respectful way.

Cons: I had trouble with the passage of time in this novel, I was unsure of how much time had passed between chapters, so all of it seemed to happen very quickly, it was a little jarring at times/I do not approve of hunting unless you're using all parts of the animal and need to kill said animal to survive, even then, I'm not a fan of it, so the whole constant hunting of small woodland creatures was a bit cringe-worthy.

Full Review

One night, on his way home from work, Billy Coleman witnesses a dog fight. He, at first, can't help but watch in awe as one dog manages to fight off multiple opponents. When he intervenes, scaring off the other dogs, the trembling victor eventually sniffs his offered hand. Billy takes the dog home, feeds him and after one night of exhausted sleep, the dog is on his way again.

Billy doesn't stop him. He watches with a bittersweet smile as the dog trots off. He'd noticed a collar with the name, "Buddie" scratched into it in a childish scrawl. And that confirmed what Billy already suspected. This dog was faithfully on his way to find his owner, wherever he may be.

It reminds Billy of his own childhood. The same deep, unbreakable bond that he felt for two of the best pups the world ever knew, old Dan and little Anne.

At the ripe old age of 12, Billy comes down with an incurable case of puppy love. All he wants are two hounds that he can hunt raccoons with and though his parents want to help, they have no money to spare, so Billy works and saves every single cent. It takes two years but he finally has enough and sends away for two pups from an ad he saw in a newspaper. And when the two pups arrive, Billy knows instantly that his life has changed.

He spends the next years running the foothills of the Ozark Mountains with his two coon hound pups, old Dan and little Anne. Though I didn't like the hunting aspect, the story of the simple, honest love of Billy for his dogs, pulls at the heartstrings just as much as it did when I was 10. And Rawls' respectful thoughts on faith and God were deep and honest. A book that was enjoyed when I was a child and now as an adult. A wonderful Christmas present :).

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

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