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The Dogs
A chilling tale from one of Canada’s best-known authors, Governor General’s Award nominee Allan Stratton.
Cameron and his mom have been on the run for five years. His father is hunting them. At least, that’s what Cameron’s been told.
When they settle in an isolated farmhouse, Cameron starts to see and hear things that aren’t possible. Soon he’s questioning everything he thought he knew — including his own sanity.
What’s hiding in the night? Buried in the past? Cameron must uncover the dark secrets before they tear him apart.
Cameron and his mom have been on the run for five years. His father is hunting them. At least, that’s what Cameron’s been told.
When they settle in an isolated farmhouse, Cameron starts to see and hear things that aren’t possible. Soon he’s questioning everything he thought he knew — including his own sanity.
What’s hiding in the night? Buried in the past? Cameron must uncover the dark secrets before they tear him apart.
282 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
168 people are currently reading
4267 people want to read
About the author
Allan Stratton
26 books217 followersALLAN STRATTON is the internationally acclaimed author of CHANDA'S SECRETS, winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Honor Book, the Children's Africana Book Award, and ALA Booklist's Editor's Choice among others. His first YA novel was the ALA Best Book LESLIE'S JOURNAL. His latest, CHANDA'S WARS, a Junior Library Guild selection, won the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Canadian Book Award, 2009, and is on the CCBC Best Books List.
The German/South African film version of CHANDA'S SECRETS has been named an Official Selection of the 2010 Cannes International Film festival. the film title is LIFE ABOVE ALL. You can read about Allan's experiences on set on the December posts of his blog.
Allan's new novel, BORDERLINE, a coming-of-age mystery/thriller, came out in March 2010 from HarperCollins with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and raves in Booklist, Kirkus Reviews and Quill and quire..
He loves travel, cats and dogs, ice cream, working out, doing readings and workshops -- and, oh yes, meeting readers!
Allan is published in the USA, France, Germany, Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and Slovenia. You can read more about his books, and visit him online at www.allanstratton.com
The German/South African film version of CHANDA'S SECRETS has been named an Official Selection of the 2010 Cannes International Film festival. the film title is LIFE ABOVE ALL. You can read about Allan's experiences on set on the December posts of his blog.
Allan's new novel, BORDERLINE, a coming-of-age mystery/thriller, came out in March 2010 from HarperCollins with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and raves in Booklist, Kirkus Reviews and Quill and quire..
He loves travel, cats and dogs, ice cream, working out, doing readings and workshops -- and, oh yes, meeting readers!
Allan is published in the USA, France, Germany, Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and Slovenia. You can read more about his books, and visit him online at www.allanstratton.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 615 reviews
October 6, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
This is a great little book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a ghost story that has some creepiness, but is one of those that you feel good about when everything is finally revealed.
Cameron and his mom move around a lot. They are always running from Cameron's dad who seems to not be a nice guy. This final move brings them to the old farmhouse that seems like it needs to be demolished by the way Cameron describes it. Needless to say he's not happy at having to leave his friends behind this last time and has a hard time making friends at the new school.
One of the boys he talks to says the place is haunted, a man was killed there by his own guard dogs.
Cameron starts seeing things, first just movements here and there. But then, he sees a little boy and starts talking to him. In between thinking he is losing his mind, Cameron starts on a search for the people that used to live there. He gets some information from their landlord that lives on the farm next door. He gets more information in different places.
But when he starts acting strange his mom and her new boyfriend wonder if something is happening to him. Is he going crazy like his father?
Read this wonderful little book and find out what really happened on the farm and who the ghosts are and how everything comes to a bitter-sweet end.
I love the book and I love that creepy house on the cover. :)
This is a great little book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a ghost story that has some creepiness, but is one of those that you feel good about when everything is finally revealed.
Cameron and his mom move around a lot. They are always running from Cameron's dad who seems to not be a nice guy. This final move brings them to the old farmhouse that seems like it needs to be demolished by the way Cameron describes it. Needless to say he's not happy at having to leave his friends behind this last time and has a hard time making friends at the new school.
One of the boys he talks to says the place is haunted, a man was killed there by his own guard dogs.
Cameron starts seeing things, first just movements here and there. But then, he sees a little boy and starts talking to him. In between thinking he is losing his mind, Cameron starts on a search for the people that used to live there. He gets some information from their landlord that lives on the farm next door. He gets more information in different places.
But when he starts acting strange his mom and her new boyfriend wonder if something is happening to him. Is he going crazy like his father?
Read this wonderful little book and find out what really happened on the farm and who the ghosts are and how everything comes to a bitter-sweet end.
I love the book and I love that creepy house on the cover. :)
September 30, 2017
Mom and I have been on the run for years. Every time he catches up with us, we move to a new place and start over.
But this place is different.
This place is full of secrets. And they won't leave me alone.
Cameron and his mother have moved four times in five years. His mother has kept them on the run, hiding from his father whom she says is hunting them. Cameron was only 9 when he last saw his father and he wonders if his mother is telling the truth about his father or if she's just crazy. After seeing a mysterious car parked out on the street several times, his mother decides it's time to move again because she is convinced it's Cameron's dad. They move several hundred miles away to a dilapidated farm house in the middle of a corn field. Cameron isn't happy to be moving out to the middle of nowhere, but he soon finds some disturbing drawings in the basement that seem to have been made by a boy who lived there long ago, and suddenly he is occupied with unraveling the mystery of what happened to him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving by the barn.
When I look, it disappears. Wait. There it is again, at the cornfield.
Some movement, some thing.
The Dogs is a ghost story, but it's also a story about domestic abuse and the aftermath of it. Cameron is affected by the life he's lived on the run and by things he remembers from his past. He's grown up with a mom who is paranoid that his father is going to catch up to them, and it shows. Cameron begins seeing the ghost of the boy named Jacky who lived in the house, but disappeared back in the 60s. He is convinced that Jacky and his mother were victims of domestic abuse and he sets out to prove it. But is Jacky's ghost really there or is Cameron just imagining him? You are left wondering a lot whether Cameron is really seeing and talking to a ghost or whether he is just mentally ill because of the trauma he's experienced in his life.
I liked Cameron as a character. His behavior wasn't always likable. He said some mean, sarcastic things to his mom, and kind of blamed her for their situation at times. He also wasn't very nice to the one boy at school who befriended him, but it fit the fact that he was a teen boy who was confused and hurting emotionally, so I think he was very realistically drawn.
I picked this book up because it looked like a good creepy, thriller with ghosts added to the mix. While it's not all that creepy, I did like it a lot and I thought it packed a good emotional punch.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
But this place is different.
This place is full of secrets. And they won't leave me alone.
Cameron and his mother have moved four times in five years. His mother has kept them on the run, hiding from his father whom she says is hunting them. Cameron was only 9 when he last saw his father and he wonders if his mother is telling the truth about his father or if she's just crazy. After seeing a mysterious car parked out on the street several times, his mother decides it's time to move again because she is convinced it's Cameron's dad. They move several hundred miles away to a dilapidated farm house in the middle of a corn field. Cameron isn't happy to be moving out to the middle of nowhere, but he soon finds some disturbing drawings in the basement that seem to have been made by a boy who lived there long ago, and suddenly he is occupied with unraveling the mystery of what happened to him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving by the barn.
When I look, it disappears. Wait. There it is again, at the cornfield.
Some movement, some thing.
The Dogs is a ghost story, but it's also a story about domestic abuse and the aftermath of it. Cameron is affected by the life he's lived on the run and by things he remembers from his past. He's grown up with a mom who is paranoid that his father is going to catch up to them, and it shows. Cameron begins seeing the ghost of the boy named Jacky who lived in the house, but disappeared back in the 60s. He is convinced that Jacky and his mother were victims of domestic abuse and he sets out to prove it. But is Jacky's ghost really there or is Cameron just imagining him? You are left wondering a lot whether Cameron is really seeing and talking to a ghost or whether he is just mentally ill because of the trauma he's experienced in his life.
I liked Cameron as a character. His behavior wasn't always likable. He said some mean, sarcastic things to his mom, and kind of blamed her for their situation at times. He also wasn't very nice to the one boy at school who befriended him, but it fit the fact that he was a teen boy who was confused and hurting emotionally, so I think he was very realistically drawn.
I picked this book up because it looked like a good creepy, thriller with ghosts added to the mix. While it's not all that creepy, I did like it a lot and I thought it packed a good emotional punch.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
April 12, 2021
Îmi doream de multă vreme să citesc cartea asta și mi-am imaginat-o în multe feluri, așa că nu am putut fi decât dezamăgită când nu am găsit-o în niciunul dintre ele. Romanul spune povestea lui Cameron, un băiat care se mută într-o fermă. El și mama sa își abandonează frecvent locuințele, aflându-se într-o permanentă fugă de tatăl copilului, care îi abuza fizic și psihologic. Odată instalat în noua casă, Cameron începe să vadă fantoma băiatului care locuise acolo înainte și încearcă să rezolve misterul în care este învăluită soarta acestuia și a familiei sale.
Nu se specifică vârsta exactă a lui Cameron, ori, dacă s-a scris pe undeva, mie mi-a scăpat, așa că nu am putut să îmi formez o părere prea clară despre cât de plauzibilă este acțiunea. În orice caz, vorbim despre un puști aflat la pubertate, care face pe detectivul și își bagă nasul peste tot fără frică. Cu toate acestea, nu este suficient de matur încât să realizeze că tatăl lui era un om groaznic, care a încercat să îl ucidă, și o acuză pe mama lui că îl ține departe de el, ceea ce mi se pare oribil și deloc credibil totodată. Un copil simte când e iubit și când nu, iar el nu era atât de mic încât să nu realizeze că atunci când tatăl său l-a ținut agățat de un picior peste balcon nu era o dovadă de dragoste. Mama lui are și ea probleme grave de atitudine, pentru că îi spune băiatului că e nebun pentru că vorbește singur și că se teme să nu ajungă un psihopat ca tatăl lui, când acesta se bate cu un copil la școală.
Stilul e foarte pueril și nu pentru că e scris din perspectiva puștiului, partea supranaturală nu e deloc înfricoșătoare și descrisă bine, iar latura emoțională și psihologică nu e deloc dezvoltată. Chiar dacă ar fi fost literatură pentru copii, tot ar fi fost o carte slabă din toate punctele de vedere.
,,Întotdeauna există motive pentru care credem ceva." (pag. 185)
Nu se specifică vârsta exactă a lui Cameron, ori, dacă s-a scris pe undeva, mie mi-a scăpat, așa că nu am putut să îmi formez o părere prea clară despre cât de plauzibilă este acțiunea. În orice caz, vorbim despre un puști aflat la pubertate, care face pe detectivul și își bagă nasul peste tot fără frică. Cu toate acestea, nu este suficient de matur încât să realizeze că tatăl lui era un om groaznic, care a încercat să îl ucidă, și o acuză pe mama lui că îl ține departe de el, ceea ce mi se pare oribil și deloc credibil totodată. Un copil simte când e iubit și când nu, iar el nu era atât de mic încât să nu realizeze că atunci când tatăl său l-a ținut agățat de un picior peste balcon nu era o dovadă de dragoste. Mama lui are și ea probleme grave de atitudine, pentru că îi spune băiatului că e nebun pentru că vorbește singur și că se teme să nu ajungă un psihopat ca tatăl lui, când acesta se bate cu un copil la școală.
Stilul e foarte pueril și nu pentru că e scris din perspectiva puștiului, partea supranaturală nu e deloc înfricoșătoare și descrisă bine, iar latura emoțională și psihologică nu e deloc dezvoltată. Chiar dacă ar fi fost literatură pentru copii, tot ar fi fost o carte slabă din toate punctele de vedere.
,,Întotdeauna există motive pentru care credem ceva." (pag. 185)
March 21, 2017
Îmi era dor să citesc un thriller într-adevăr bun!
February 12, 2021
J’ai bien aimé, mais je n’ai pas été épatée. Oui, l’histoire était bien ficelée, mais j’aurais pris un petit quelque chose de plus ... Sans aucun doute, toutefois, je le recommanderai certainement à mes élèves de sec. 1 et 3 🍎.
April 8, 2017
Am crezut ca o sa fie un roman tampitel, gen YA.
Nu a fost cazul. Un soi de Southern Gothic reinterpretat modern.
Mi-a placut.
Nu a fost cazul. Un soi de Southern Gothic reinterpretat modern.
Mi-a placut.
October 14, 2021
This one was a mix of thriller & paranormal.
It was an ok read, but I expected it to be more ... creepy
It was an ok read, but I expected it to be more ... creepy
March 25, 2016
What is Cameron and Jackie's mystery...good luck trying to figure it out
Want to thank a friend from our Goodreads book group for sending me this great book and Stephanie who is our group MOD for suggesting this book for us. Thank you both Karen and Stephanie...
This book is one that I would recommend to anyone that loves reading a different kind of psychological thriller other than what we've been reading in the group.
Cameron is a kid that just moved into a new farming town with his mom after a bit of bad luck just to find himself in a mystery to be solved...Who is Jackie and Mr. McTavish and where does Mr. Sinclair come in at...these are some questions that you will find out along the way...
Happy reading and keep your eyes opened for you never know who might be watching..
Want to thank a friend from our Goodreads book group for sending me this great book and Stephanie who is our group MOD for suggesting this book for us. Thank you both Karen and Stephanie...
This book is one that I would recommend to anyone that loves reading a different kind of psychological thriller other than what we've been reading in the group.
Cameron is a kid that just moved into a new farming town with his mom after a bit of bad luck just to find himself in a mystery to be solved...Who is Jackie and Mr. McTavish and where does Mr. Sinclair come in at...these are some questions that you will find out along the way...
Happy reading and keep your eyes opened for you never know who might be watching..
September 11, 2015
REVIEW: THE DOGS by ALLAN STRATTON
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! It was spooky, supernatural, down-home, crazy-making, twisted, and constantly kept me both guessing and on edge with suspense. I really related to Cameron, the adolescent protagonist, who both sees and hears apparitions, which may or may not be real; and who may or may not resemble his crazy or not-crazy dad; and who himself may or may not be (choose one): mentally disturbed, paranoid, a troubled teen. With all that's going on in his life, and the repercussions of 50 years ago on the farm to which he and his mother just moved, who wouldn't be pushed toward "crazy"?
THE DOGS is a great read, engrossing, and I am inspired to read all the author's other books.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! It was spooky, supernatural, down-home, crazy-making, twisted, and constantly kept me both guessing and on edge with suspense. I really related to Cameron, the adolescent protagonist, who both sees and hears apparitions, which may or may not be real; and who may or may not resemble his crazy or not-crazy dad; and who himself may or may not be (choose one): mentally disturbed, paranoid, a troubled teen. With all that's going on in his life, and the repercussions of 50 years ago on the farm to which he and his mother just moved, who wouldn't be pushed toward "crazy"?
THE DOGS is a great read, engrossing, and I am inspired to read all the author's other books.
August 17, 2017
Wajoo die plot twist! Me likey :)
February 8, 2015
Wauw. Wat een boek. Ik houd van de mysteries die hierin voorkomen!
Volledige review op http://watermelilian.nl/
Bij het lezen van de flaptekst, dacht ik yes, een boek vol mysterieus en geheimzinnige ontdekkingen. Ik houd ervan als een auteur niet meteen alles weggeeft en dat je als lezer zelf ook nog moet raden hoe het nu eigenlijk zit. Allan Stratton is daar meester in, ik vond de mysteries best wel spannend en kon zelf niet meteen raden hoe het nu meteen zat. Ik dacht eigenlijk vooral net als Cameron: en dan bleek het toch opeens niet waar te zijn.
Dit is wel een vrij serieus boek. Er zijn thema’s in verwerkt die niet altijd even vrolijk zijn. Toch maakt dat het verhaal wel sterker, vind ik. De personages zijn niet perfect, wat het boek ten goede komt. Soms herkende ik zelfs wat van mezelf in Cameron. Hij gaat altijd uit van het ergste, ook in zijn angsten. Ik betrap mezelf daar ook wel eens op, hoewel ik het niet zo erg doe als Cameron – gelukkig. Ik vond dan wel dat dat hem een stuk realistischer maakte.
Volledige review op http://watermelilian.nl/
Bij het lezen van de flaptekst, dacht ik yes, een boek vol mysterieus en geheimzinnige ontdekkingen. Ik houd ervan als een auteur niet meteen alles weggeeft en dat je als lezer zelf ook nog moet raden hoe het nu eigenlijk zit. Allan Stratton is daar meester in, ik vond de mysteries best wel spannend en kon zelf niet meteen raden hoe het nu meteen zat. Ik dacht eigenlijk vooral net als Cameron: en dan bleek het toch opeens niet waar te zijn.
Dit is wel een vrij serieus boek. Er zijn thema’s in verwerkt die niet altijd even vrolijk zijn. Toch maakt dat het verhaal wel sterker, vind ik. De personages zijn niet perfect, wat het boek ten goede komt. Soms herkende ik zelfs wat van mezelf in Cameron. Hij gaat altijd uit van het ergste, ook in zijn angsten. Ik betrap mezelf daar ook wel eens op, hoewel ik het niet zo erg doe als Cameron – gelukkig. Ik vond dan wel dat dat hem een stuk realistischer maakte.
July 9, 2015
Davvero bello. Non capisco perché venga definito thriller per ragazzini, il fatto che il protagonista lo sia non lo rende tale. Per niente. Gli argomenti in background sono decisamente spessi: le violenze domestiche, i contraccolpi psicologici, i confini sottili tra realtà, fantasia e pazzia, l'ultraterreno. Inoltre la narrazione dal punto di vista del bambino e' stilisticamente credibile, anche se gronda della mano adulta che gli sta dietro. Si legge in fretta, molto valido come libro estivo
August 29, 2015
Beware of The Dogs. Allan Stratton’s Teen Psychological thriller is dark, edgy and will leave you with your teeth clenched as the author skillfully blurs the lines between a paranormal phenomenon and possible mental illness. Is Cameron’s past finally catching up with him? Constantly moving to stay one step ahead of her abusive husband, Cameron’s mother has found an isolated old farm house with a sketchy past of its own. Intrigued, Cameron begins seeing things as he digs deeper into the story of the young boy who disappeared from this very house. As Cameron begins to hear a voice, identified as the missing boy, he is certain there was more to the tragic tale than people know. His behavior becomes erratic, far from the kind and quiet boy his mother has always known, but his explanations are too unbelievable to entertain.
At the end of his rope, desperate to be believed, even Cameron doubts his sanity, until that one night…
Allan Stratton has created a creepy and spine-tingling read for teens who want a good mystery that is far too tangled to easily unravel. Cameron is easy to relate to, a teen confused, frightened and all alone with only his gut, the impossible stories of a boy long dead and his keen sense of curiosity and determination. Sadly, the adults around him have failed him, unintentionally, or in the case of one person, deliberately withholding information. In typical teen “sharing of one brain,” the masses at his school made sure to torture him further. If you have ever felt you were alone against the world, you will understand how Cameron feels, how he begins to question his own ability to separate fact from fancy. A well written, captivating read that had me in knots wanting to be an advocate for Cameron!
I received an ARC edition from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: September 2, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN: 1443128309
Genre: YA Thriller | Horror
Print Length: 289 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
At the end of his rope, desperate to be believed, even Cameron doubts his sanity, until that one night…
Allan Stratton has created a creepy and spine-tingling read for teens who want a good mystery that is far too tangled to easily unravel. Cameron is easy to relate to, a teen confused, frightened and all alone with only his gut, the impossible stories of a boy long dead and his keen sense of curiosity and determination. Sadly, the adults around him have failed him, unintentionally, or in the case of one person, deliberately withholding information. In typical teen “sharing of one brain,” the masses at his school made sure to torture him further. If you have ever felt you were alone against the world, you will understand how Cameron feels, how he begins to question his own ability to separate fact from fancy. A well written, captivating read that had me in knots wanting to be an advocate for Cameron!
I received an ARC edition from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: September 2, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN: 1443128309
Genre: YA Thriller | Horror
Print Length: 289 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
February 10, 2017
Really creepy and well written, just wish it had been longer!
I received a copy of this book for review from Netgalley via the publisher. Thank you!
THE DOGS was a super creepy read that I guarantee will spook you, especially if you read it at night. What I loved most about this book is how unsettled the story made me feel. I wasn't sure what was real and what was imagined, and I become positively giddy when an author achieves that.
Cameron, the main character and narrator, has had a difficult time to say the least. Moving around all the time with a mom who's constantly on edge would be so hard. I empathized with him right away. How many times can a kid be expected to adjust to a new place with new people?
THE DOGS is a well written book with a perfectly sized serving of the creep factor. What wasn't perfectly sized was the length of the novel. I think there was more story to tell but didn't get told and was skipped over. I wish Stratton had gone into more depth. I wanted more, which is a good thing.
THE DOGS was a quick read, and while short, had a satisfying ending. No matter what time of year you choose to pick this book up, you're guaranteed to get the chills.
I received a copy of this book for review from Netgalley via the publisher. Thank you!
THE DOGS was a super creepy read that I guarantee will spook you, especially if you read it at night. What I loved most about this book is how unsettled the story made me feel. I wasn't sure what was real and what was imagined, and I become positively giddy when an author achieves that.
Cameron, the main character and narrator, has had a difficult time to say the least. Moving around all the time with a mom who's constantly on edge would be so hard. I empathized with him right away. How many times can a kid be expected to adjust to a new place with new people?
THE DOGS is a well written book with a perfectly sized serving of the creep factor. What wasn't perfectly sized was the length of the novel. I think there was more story to tell but didn't get told and was skipped over. I wish Stratton had gone into more depth. I wanted more, which is a good thing.
THE DOGS was a quick read, and while short, had a satisfying ending. No matter what time of year you choose to pick this book up, you're guaranteed to get the chills.
September 29, 2015
This. Book. Was. Perfection.
There, I said it. :D it was beautiful! Wonderful plot, great writing, a troubled character i think lots of people can relate to. (Sad, but true.) it's a sad book. Sad and scary and hopeful and mysterious all rolled up in one beautiful story. It kept me guessing until the very very end about what was going to happen next, who did it. And if our main character was actually crazy or not. At times even I had doubts.
It's hard to find a great ghost story, but this one really blew me away. It was just..... Yeah, just awesome. This poor, poor kid.... All this crazy crap. Crazy dad, maybe crazy mom, a ghost, and a 50 something year old murder mystery. It literally swept me away. Its been a long time since I've enjoyed a book this freaking much. Someone buy the movie rights to this, you here me! Whoever made the insidious movies, or the conjuring ought to work. :) & don't screw with anything! Not even the cover, because everything was just that damned Good.
I must sound like a fangirl here, buts can't help it. :D loved, loved, loved "the dogs"! I recommend it to horror fans everywhere! Read it! Read it now!
There, I said it. :D it was beautiful! Wonderful plot, great writing, a troubled character i think lots of people can relate to. (Sad, but true.) it's a sad book. Sad and scary and hopeful and mysterious all rolled up in one beautiful story. It kept me guessing until the very very end about what was going to happen next, who did it. And if our main character was actually crazy or not. At times even I had doubts.
It's hard to find a great ghost story, but this one really blew me away. It was just..... Yeah, just awesome. This poor, poor kid.... All this crazy crap. Crazy dad, maybe crazy mom, a ghost, and a 50 something year old murder mystery. It literally swept me away. Its been a long time since I've enjoyed a book this freaking much. Someone buy the movie rights to this, you here me! Whoever made the insidious movies, or the conjuring ought to work. :) & don't screw with anything! Not even the cover, because everything was just that damned Good.
I must sound like a fangirl here, buts can't help it. :D loved, loved, loved "the dogs"! I recommend it to horror fans everywhere! Read it! Read it now!
September 12, 2016
קמרון ואמו נמלטים בפעם הרביעית (או החמישית. מי סופר?) מאביו המתעלל של קמרון.
הם מרחיקים לחווה מבודדת באמצע שום מקום, ושוכרים בית עזוב שדייריו הקודמים עזבו אותו בנסיבות מסתוריות.
קמרון מגלה שילד שהתגורר בבית לפני עשרות שנים עדיין רודף את הבית ומנסה לספר לו את הסוד הרודף את הבית. בעזרת אותו ילד, והרמזים אותם הוא מפזר, מנסה קמרון לפתור את התעלומה, כשברקע הוא סובל מבריונות בבית הספר ומנסה להתמודד עם הרומן החדש של אמו עם סוכן הנדל"ן בעיירה הקרובה. במקביל, קמרון מתפתה ליצור קשר עם אביו הפסיכופת, שיעשה הכל כדי לאתר את מקום המסתור של המשפחה.
ספר מתח מצוין לבני נוער. כנערה הייתי מעניקה לו חמישה כוכבים. כבוגרת - קראתי טובים ממנו.
הכתיבה טובה מאד, העלילה בנויה היטב. מומלץ מאד לנוער בוגר.
הם מרחיקים לחווה מבודדת באמצע שום מקום, ושוכרים בית עזוב שדייריו הקודמים עזבו אותו בנסיבות מסתוריות.
קמרון מגלה שילד שהתגורר בבית לפני עשרות שנים עדיין רודף את הבית ומנסה לספר לו את הסוד הרודף את הבית. בעזרת אותו ילד, והרמזים אותם הוא מפזר, מנסה קמרון לפתור את התעלומה, כשברקע הוא סובל מבריונות בבית הספר ומנסה להתמודד עם הרומן החדש של אמו עם סוכן הנדל"ן בעיירה הקרובה. במקביל, קמרון מתפתה ליצור קשר עם אביו הפסיכופת, שיעשה הכל כדי לאתר את מקום המסתור של המשפחה.
ספר מתח מצוין לבני נוער. כנערה הייתי מעניקה לו חמישה כוכבים. כבוגרת - קראתי טובים ממנו.
הכתיבה טובה מאד, העלילה בנויה היטב. מומלץ מאד לנוער בוגר.
October 21, 2016
Easy to read, suspenseful but unexpectedly dark for a middle grade novel. No wonder my 12 year old had trouble sleeping at night after some of the scenes.
August 2, 2023
Atât de mult mi-a plăcut thrillerul acesta paranormal, că l-am dat gata în 2 seri!
A avut suspans din plin, momente de tensiune, un băiețel cu imaginație bogată care mi-a făcut părul găină, iar partea paranormală foarte bine redată.
De multe ori m-am oprit din citit că vedeam și eu ce vedea Cameron, însă nu mă puteam abține și mă reapucam de citit 😅 A fost tare addictive lectura asta.
Pe lângă misterul de la fermă a mai fost și fuga de tatăl lui, un om deplorabil și messed up ce m-a dus cu gândul la Jack din The shining.
Este încadrată la YA dar nu am simțit, mai degrabă un middlegrade.
Oricum, tare tare faină!:)
A avut suspans din plin, momente de tensiune, un băiețel cu imaginație bogată care mi-a făcut părul găină, iar partea paranormală foarte bine redată.
De multe ori m-am oprit din citit că vedeam și eu ce vedea Cameron, însă nu mă puteam abține și mă reapucam de citit 😅 A fost tare addictive lectura asta.
Pe lângă misterul de la fermă a mai fost și fuga de tatăl lui, un om deplorabil și messed up ce m-a dus cu gândul la Jack din The shining.
Este încadrată la YA dar nu am simțit, mai degrabă un middlegrade.
Oricum, tare tare faină!:)
August 11, 2024
The Dogs grāmatas vājās puses ir pats iesākums, kur ieganstu, lai pārceltos uz spoka apsēstu māju, varētu izdomāt labāku, tā arī kulminācija un pats noslēgums, kur pārdabiskie elementi atstāti lasītāja interpretācijai, drusku noplok salīdzinoši ar pat ļoti interesanto sižeta vijīgo ceļu starp pirmo un pēdējo nodaļu.
https://poseidons99.com/2024/08/11/al...
https://poseidons99.com/2024/08/11/al...
September 23, 2025
Bon suspense à la fois psychologique et horrifique. On navigue entre la folie et la réalité, ne sachant trop où nous positionner.
November 11, 2017
A fast paced read that'll keep you guessing until it's over...
July 6, 2015
I read a lot of YA and I absolutely love a good paranormal thriller, so The Dogs seemed right up my street! It was an interesting book that I would definitely reccomend, but it does sit on the younger part of the YA scale.
Cameron is a young boy who is constantly moving from one small town to another while on the run with his mother. The story follows their move to their newest home, an isolated farmhouse with a dark past. He goes on to explore the house's history, while battling family turmoil and questioning his own sanity.
The author did a brilliant job of balancing the paranormal and real life issues in the book. There are enough ghostly happenings to keep you entertained, but it also keeps you grounded, and invested in Cameron's everyday life as he deals with issues such as bullying, domestic violence, mental illness and maturity.
I enjoyed the way the mystery of the farmhouse was explored, little by little gaining an understanding of past events and how these caused ripples that effected people years later. It really kept me wanting to read on to see how it would all come together in the end. I was happy with how everything was tied up, although the ending did seem a little rushed to me. However this was a small niggle and overall it was a really enjoyable read!
My sincere thanks to the publishers at Netgalley for gifting me a free copy of the book, in exchange for my honest review.
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March 21, 2016I picked this up because I liked other books by Stratton -- especially Curse of the Dream Witch, which is a great middle grade -- and wanted to see what he could to with what was billed as a psychological thriller. Answer: A LOT.
I didn't connect to this initially. Cameron's first person voice was authentic but not terribly interesting to me, personally. I wanted, too, more height from the ambiguity. His mother moves him from place to place because she's afraid of his estranged father. Is that threat real, or in the mother's head? At the new place -- a nasty little tumbledown farmhouse -- Cameron thinks he sees a ghost. Is it real, or is HE crazy? There's potential for dramatic stakes in these questions, but at first they seem wasted.
I was wrong, though: they aren't wasted, they're just on slow boil. And this ended up being the kind of book that I finished in the bathtub, topping off the hot water at least four times so I didn't freeze. I should have had more faith in this author!
To my eyes not flawless -- by which I egotistically mean I would have done it differently -- but very fine. I am not surprised the book is doing well, and I expect to see it on the Canadian prize lists.
I didn't connect to this initially. Cameron's first person voice was authentic but not terribly interesting to me, personally. I wanted, too, more height from the ambiguity. His mother moves him from place to place because she's afraid of his estranged father. Is that threat real, or in the mother's head? At the new place -- a nasty little tumbledown farmhouse -- Cameron thinks he sees a ghost. Is it real, or is HE crazy? There's potential for dramatic stakes in these questions, but at first they seem wasted.
I was wrong, though: they aren't wasted, they're just on slow boil. And this ended up being the kind of book that I finished in the bathtub, topping off the hot water at least four times so I didn't freeze. I should have had more faith in this author!
To my eyes not flawless -- by which I egotistically mean I would have done it differently -- but very fine. I am not surprised the book is doing well, and I expect to see it on the Canadian prize lists.
March 31, 2016
This is a good YA mystery and interesting for adults too. The story centers around Cameron, whose mother keeps moving him from place to place, supposedly trying to avoid his father, who she is determined is trying to kill her and possibly Cameron too. This time Cameron ends up at an old farmhouse. Making new friends is difficult for him and his imagination is strong. Is he making friends with a ghost boy or is this just part of his imagination. The neighbor, Mr. Sinclair, who owns the farmhouse they are renting is mysterious and seems to know things about the past but will not tell Cameron who is of course curious. He wants to know what happened to Jacky, the young boy who lived in the farmhouse, and his parents. Cameron has time on his hands due to illness and school suspensions and he uses the time to do research and discover the truth about the past. The thing I most enjoyed was getting inside Cameron's mind and understanding his feelings. The author does a great job creating and developing the character of Cameron.
May 9, 2016
Cameron's life have been full of upheaval as his mom moves him frequently to protect him from his father who she says will kill them if he finds them.
He is tired of moving and very unenthused at their latest home on a farm in a small community. He is bullied at school and doesn't know what to think when he sees the ghost of a boy named Jacky.
The more he learns, the more he suspects long ago crimes and wonders what is real and isn't. As a reader you are not too sure either. The present overlaps with the past and the secrets unfold.
The story is told from Cam's POV and makes you feel his confusion and frustrations.
I found the characters engrossing and the mysteries intriguing. Really liked it
He is tired of moving and very unenthused at their latest home on a farm in a small community. He is bullied at school and doesn't know what to think when he sees the ghost of a boy named Jacky.
The more he learns, the more he suspects long ago crimes and wonders what is real and isn't. As a reader you are not too sure either. The present overlaps with the past and the secrets unfold.
The story is told from Cam's POV and makes you feel his confusion and frustrations.
I found the characters engrossing and the mysteries intriguing. Really liked it
January 21, 2016
Les Chiens (éd. Milan) est un excellent thriller psychologique jeunesse, flirtant avec le fantastique. L'auteur joue avec nos émotions et nos certitudes pour nous faire douter de tout, ne nous laissant aucun répit.
Les Chiens aborde le dur sujet de la maltraitance des enfants, des relations abusives et de la place des enfants dans un couple qui se déchire.
Une brillante double enquête entre le présent et une tragédie similaire ayant eu lieu une cinquantaine d'années auparavant.
Vous ne lâcherez plus ce livre jusqu'au dénouement dans les toutes dernières pages !
Ma chronique : http://unjour-unlivre.fr/2016/01/les-...
Les Chiens aborde le dur sujet de la maltraitance des enfants, des relations abusives et de la place des enfants dans un couple qui se déchire.
Une brillante double enquête entre le présent et une tragédie similaire ayant eu lieu une cinquantaine d'années auparavant.
Vous ne lâcherez plus ce livre jusqu'au dénouement dans les toutes dernières pages !
Ma chronique : http://unjour-unlivre.fr/2016/01/les-...
March 28, 2016
I don't normally like YA, but this novel is truly excellent - realistic and mature, suspenseful and clever. The characters are masterfully done, especially the main character, Cameron, who sounds like a real boy and not like a smaller adult, as is often the problem in YA novels. The writer is not afraid to touch on very difficult subjects and life experiences, and deals with them in a non-sentimental, direct and even brave way. A very enjoyable read that doesn't insult your intelligence, no matter how old you are.
January 14, 2017
Połączenie horroru i thrillera wydawało się dość karkołomne, ale wyszło naprawdę dobrze. Zaskakująco dobra powieść o przemocy w rodzinie i zagadce kryminalnej sprzed lat. Warto przeczytać niezależnie od wieku.
January 21, 2021
MI OPINIÓN PERSONAL
Es intrigante desde el principio y la trama es genial. Lo disfruté mucho leyéndolo.
¿Lo habéis leído?
Es intrigante desde el principio y la trama es genial. Lo disfruté mucho leyéndolo.
¿Lo habéis leído?
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