W. Bruce CameronCritiques

I only picked this up at a grocery store to read between dropping off Don and starting work, but once I started it I couldn't put it down. Now I must read the the first book, "A Dog's Purpose."

I don’t know why I didn’t read this sooner.

I have never liked a book written from an animals’s perspective but this book actually had the dog seeming like a dog and not a human.

5 Stars

Content: death, shooting (non-detailed)

Spoilers.

Fun take on the haunting idea. Liked the fact that the "ghost" couldn't just read his thoughts. Not sure how I felt about lotner dying in ruddy' place. Romance was a bit questionable, even if she did feel bad about spitting on him, if she knew about the ring or just how suspicious his discovery of the body seemed, would she fall for him that quickly?liked the device of the ghost having control while Ruddy slept. Will certainly try another

This book left me feeling conflicted. Yes , I cried repeatedly at the touching scenes, but I wondered about "the dogs purpose." It seemed unfair to reduce the dog's purpose solely to making the person happy-but isn't that what I do to a certain extent in having a dog as a pet? Made me think

Humour

Adventure

AR: 4.2

AR: 4.4

AR: 4.3

AR: 4.4

AR: 4.5

AR: 4.0

AR: 3.9

AR: 4.2

I have to admit that this book had me in tears almost from the start. I was not sure I would be able to finish it. However, I kept going and am so glad I did. This has been listed as a book for middle school, but I am not sure I agree with that. It has a lot of adult themes that are nuanced throughout. I would recommend that parents read this first or read it with their child so they can help explain some of these themes in more depth. It really helped me process the loss of my three dogs and deepened my bond with my Chihuahua, who is the last dog standing. W. Bruce Cameron gives hope to dog lovers everywhere that you can always find your best friend again.

I think I loved this as much as the first book!

"I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob."

Sorry, my eyes are sweating, can't write properly

First sentence: Something was happening to my puppy family.

Premise/plot: Zeus is chosen as a puppy to be trained for water rescue. He bonds with the son (Kimo) of the man who chose him to train. When his initial training fails to thrive--he doesn't seem to understand basic commands--Kimo takes over his training "secretly." He doesn't want Zeus to be sold. But he does want Zeus to succeed as a water rescue dog (and/or search and rescue).

The book is set, I believe, in Hawaii. Zeus will have an opportunity to prove himself by the end of the novel.

My thoughts: I had a hard time connecting with this one. I'm not sure if this is because a) my expectations were so high b) my attention span was malfunctioning when I sat down to read it c) I wasn't expecting it to be for a slightly older audience.

I like it well enough to do a general recommendation. It is not 'cutesy' like some of his earlier dog books--like the Lily series. It is more serious-minded than cutesy.

Christmas is coming, but the Goss family is not feeling the love. Grandpa is still missing his deceased wife, Dad is working too many hours at his job, their teenage daughter is unhappy at school, twin toddlers are a handful, and Mom is missing her career. Still, Mom keeps the family running on an even keel, until she gets terribly sick. Dad is afraid his job is in jeopardy, and he is torn between his responsibilities at work and his need to be with his wife and family. Even Grandpa’s old dog feels the stress. It’s time for this family to come together, but it is the love of a puppy who “adopts” the teenager who really saves the day. This heartwarming tale is quite inspirational and is a wonderful story for anytime, but especially for the Christmas season. Well written with real characters, you don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy it, but you may want to adopt a dog after you read it if don’t already have one!

First sentence: Dear Diary, The cat is despicable. Even her name is dreadful: Kelsey. My name, Clancy, carries with it all the fun and love that a wonderful dog can bring to the world.

Premise/plot: Though W. Bruce Cameron does write for children often, this is an adult novel.

Clancy's person, his human, is JayB. JayB is currently in-between jobs...but his life is far from dull. He's got a "girlfriend" (Maddy) he can't seem to shake off. (They went on maybe two dates, she ended the relationship; she is a bit, well, a character for sure.) He's got an elderly neighbor, Helen, who has a dog named Odin. There are other dogs and other neighbors as well.... Everyone assumes that JayB is a dog walker and treats him accordingly.

His father, Walter, has teamed up with his so-called "best friend" Rodney...which is proving concerting. Rodney seems to see Walter as big money. (Walter being gullible and Rodney being scummy).

There are MANY adventures and misadventures--this is more COM than rom-com. But the romance is definitely there...if you wait for it.

My thoughts: I don't know that I've ever read a novel told first person from a dog's point of view. I've read dozens if not hundreds of children's novels from pets points of view. Clancy is a good dog. Obviously. There is a dog on the cover...do you need to be warned? Yes and no. No, in that this is an adult novel and I don't know that adult readers are as super-sensitive as younger readers are. Yes, in that, well, there are some sad scenes in this one.

This is a smooth-flowing often humorous romp. I could see it easily being adapted into a rom-com. I think it works well for what it is. Silly, adventurous, full of characters that are CHARACTERS.

READING LEVEL: 4.9 AR POINTS: 13.0

This is a book owned and read by my 8-year-old granddaughter. She loved it and wanted me to read it.

This is a cute and adventurous story narrated by the dog, Bella, herself. She was rescued as a puppy by Lucas from underneath an old rundown building that was to be torn down for new developments. The problem was they lived in Colorado, which had passed a law outlawing certain breeds of dogs, mainly pitbulls because of their reputation to harm humans. Even though Bella was most loveable and even considered a type of therapy dog for troubled Veterans in the local hospital, one Humane Society officer had it out for Bella. He was determined to have her incarcerated. It was the law!

Lucas sent her off to a temporary foster home two hours away, on the other side of the mountains, until he could find a new place to live that accepted animals and also that was out of the relentless pursuit of the Humane Society officer. Bella ran from her foster parents. This is the story of her struggle for survival and friendships along her way back to her town and to her Lucas.

The author does a great job of what its possibly like living inside the mind of a dog, and how they may see or smell things. Although the subject matter was not particularly my favorite, I sure can see how smaller kids, such as my 8-year-old granddaughter would fall in love with a story like this. It encourages love and compassion for all animals, especially dogs.
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MOVIE: A Dog's Way Home (2019), starring Ashley Judd as Terri and Jonah Hauer-King as Lucas.

A charming story...simple and heartwarming. Not great literature but a nice read nonetheless. One should be open to the idea of reincarnation and accept that the spirit of one canine can be reborn in order to fulfill its purpose. A novel and unique literary tool that may not fly with most Abrahamic faith traditions. Or, maybe, it's just a sweet story.

3.5 stars. (Rating shown may vary depending on site).

This would have rated 4 stars but I can't get past the reincarnation aspect of it. Had it just been animals, I might have gone ahead with the extra half star, but at the end of the book, the author also seems to imply that people come back too . . .

I did not read the previous two books from this series. The story is told from the dog's POV--which is interesting. I thought the author did a good job of staying in that POV and the times when the dog just didn't get what was going on around him were sometimes humorous.½

The novel being told from an animals point of view has been done enough times now to be familiar. Bruce Cameron adds a new twist to this genre in A Dog's Purpose by telling it from a dogs point of view who is reincarnated over and over. It seemed like an interesting idea, but it didn't work for me. And while the novel did have some interesting twists and turns, the ending was just way too sappy for my taste.