Maddy’s family are talented and ambitious — sporting trophies, top grades, they collect them all. But Maddy would rather spend time with her best friend, her pug Gusto. When Gusto disappears … her world changes.
Her search for Gusto reveals a surprising talent and Maddy can't believe her ears. She can understand everything the neighbourhood dogs are saying and suddenly Maddy becomes the go-to canine problem solver. But when more and more dogs go missing, Maddy finds herself with a much bigger problem … and she is going to need a lot of friends – two-legged and four-legged – to help her solve it ...
Queen of Dogs by Joe Weatherstone is an Australian contemporary middle fiction book about Maddy, who loves dogs. When her pet pug, Gusto, goes missing, she’s beside herself... until she discovers she has the ability to understand the local neighbourhood dogs. She sets out to find out why Gusto, and other dogs, have been going missing, all while trying to solve all manner of canine challenges.
This is a really fun story - perfect for anyone who’s ever wanted to understand what their pets are thinking or saying. Maddy comes from a family of go-getters who are constantly busy with work and school and sporting commitments - and she’s the odd one out, the one who’d rather stay home with Gusto and take life as it comes. She and her family find it challenging to relate to one another, which is a huge part of the story, alongside the mystery of the missing dogs. On her mission to find out what’s happening, Maddy makes a new friend (or the human variety), plenty of canine friends and even finds ways to connect to her older siblings.
It’s the perfect book for dog lovers, and contemporary middle fiction fans.
Thank you to the author for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Video review available via link in profile.
A last minute 2024 read to tick off the Q book of my A-Z challenge.
It’s a sweet read, albeit on the thriller side (for the age). Absolutely do not try this one at home if you are in the target reader band - maybe widely 8 to 14 years?
I loved the fact that our main character stood up for what she believed in and made true friends along the way - you go girl!
However, the whole Blaiisey part was weak - don’t pick on someone for their name for goodness sake, and yes the whole fallout was a little immature but it wasn’t dealt with well. And by that, not well by the characters or the author. This took a 4.5 star read down to a 3.5 star for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
I sadly don’t have any friends or family in that age range to recommend this to. There is a male character who features a fair bit - maybe a dog mad boy would like it, but I imagine it would be more widely accepted by girls.
What a treat of a book. Polished it off in a night. And after giving to a Year 4 student, they also finished it in a day. Shows how amazing it is. Who doesn't love dogs. And Maddy can suddenly speak dog so she is able to communicate to solve the mystery about where all the dogs are going, and is able to locate her own lost dog. She makes real friends along the way. And even her family eventually relaxes a bit and highlights how mans best friend is a dog. Sooo sweet. Great for all junior readers. Maybe Year 2 and up
Queen of Dogs is an absolute triumph of storytelling. The author weaves a tale that is as rich in heart as it is in imagination, taking readers on a journey that explores loyalty, love, and the unbreakable bond between humans and their canine companions. Highly recommend!!