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A Ghost Called Dog
Moving house is always an adventure but Abby and Chris get more than they bargained for when their parents take them to their new home. The garden, with its playhouse and old tree, promises them hours of fun but soon strange events turn fun into danger... Who are the two spooky old women from down the road and why are they so keen to befriend the children? Where have the cat and dog come from that nobody but Abby and Chris can see? Is their garden with its gnarled old tree an innocent space in which to spend long, summer days - or does it conceal something darker? When the children's mother disappears, the children are forced to confront an ancient evil. Can they defeat the Fairy King through a series of dangerous challenges - or will he destroy them before they can rescue their mother and escape?
- GenresFantasy
156 pages, Paperback
Published July 4, 2016
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 6, 2016
Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was such a fun book! The characters were all interesting, the children were believable, and I liked figuring out the mysterious bits.
You don't get a lot of magic right away (other than the ghosts), but you do get a little bit of history as to why magic is mostly gone from the world. I liked the ghost animals, though I didn't like how cats are portrayed. The ghost T-Rex was a fun surprise.
The book is apparently set in the UK somewhere, as there were a few phrases that were different than what we would say in America. Also, all the mentions of football were really soccer if you're in the U.S.
The transformations of the children at the end needed a bit of suspension of belief. Mostly because they spoke and acted like adults instead of children. While part of that can be explained away by the magic used, it was still strange for a 7 and 11 year old to start talking and acting that way. I don't think children would notice however.
I liked the 3 challenges Abby and Chris have to face in order to save their mother. And the twist with the Fairy King was unexpected. I kind of wish this was a series, or at least a duology because I liked the kids and the world so much. I want to know what happens next with Chris. If they stay in contact with the old women, and what other fun magic things may be in store.
This is not a scary book by any means, the ghosts for the most part act like normal animals. If you like middle grade, and are looking for a quick read, you need to try this book.
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was such a fun book! The characters were all interesting, the children were believable, and I liked figuring out the mysterious bits.
You don't get a lot of magic right away (other than the ghosts), but you do get a little bit of history as to why magic is mostly gone from the world. I liked the ghost animals, though I didn't like how cats are portrayed. The ghost T-Rex was a fun surprise.
The book is apparently set in the UK somewhere, as there were a few phrases that were different than what we would say in America. Also, all the mentions of football were really soccer if you're in the U.S.
The transformations of the children at the end needed a bit of suspension of belief. Mostly because they spoke and acted like adults instead of children. While part of that can be explained away by the magic used, it was still strange for a 7 and 11 year old to start talking and acting that way. I don't think children would notice however.
I liked the 3 challenges Abby and Chris have to face in order to save their mother. And the twist with the Fairy King was unexpected. I kind of wish this was a series, or at least a duology because I liked the kids and the world so much. I want to know what happens next with Chris. If they stay in contact with the old women, and what other fun magic things may be in store.
This is not a scary book by any means, the ghosts for the most part act like normal animals. If you like middle grade, and are looking for a quick read, you need to try this book.
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
June 26, 2016
The problem with good concepts is you need to carry them out, or else, it doesn't work.
And this book actually had a good concept, but, oh, how it dragged to get to it, and how painful the writing was, and how many glasses of milk did Chris have to drink before we got there.
The concept, as I said, was rather clever. The magic has been removed from the world, and two women, Nora and Daphne are left to watch that it doesn't come back. But when Chris and his sister Abby move to their new house, and start seeing ghost animals, Nora and Daphne investigate, because, well, there is not supposed to be magic left in the world, and seeing ghosts is magic.
See, I have summarized what the story is about, above, but did the book get to that concept? It bloody did not. It was like pulling teeth as we went from Nora and Dadphne's point of view, back to the children's like a ping-pong ball.
And to save you the pain of reading this book, here is the spoiler to find out why magic came back.
So, two stars for the concept, but no more for the execution, which I thought, in the end, would reveal why Chris kept being given milk and tea all over the place.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
And this book actually had a good concept, but, oh, how it dragged to get to it, and how painful the writing was, and how many glasses of milk did Chris have to drink before we got there.
The concept, as I said, was rather clever. The magic has been removed from the world, and two women, Nora and Daphne are left to watch that it doesn't come back. But when Chris and his sister Abby move to their new house, and start seeing ghost animals, Nora and Daphne investigate, because, well, there is not supposed to be magic left in the world, and seeing ghosts is magic.
See, I have summarized what the story is about, above, but did the book get to that concept? It bloody did not. It was like pulling teeth as we went from Nora and Dadphne's point of view, back to the children's like a ping-pong ball.
And to save you the pain of reading this book, here is the spoiler to find out why magic came back.
So, two stars for the concept, but no more for the execution, which I thought, in the end, would reveal why Chris kept being given milk and tea all over the place.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
June 16, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a good adventure story. My only complaint is that I thought it was slow to start.
July 26, 2016
A Ghost Called Dog, by Gavin Neale, is a magical fantasy adventure. Seven-year-old Abby and eleven-year-old Chris move with their parents to a new home, and before long strange things start to happen.
Abby starts talking to imaginary animals – first a rabbit, then a cat. Or are they imaginary? If they are, little Abby has a disturbing imagination:
“…when he came up through the floor he was just a skellington. But then he grew insides and muscles and eyes and fur so he looked like a normal rabbit.”
So far so Hellraiser!
Then there’s the matter of Daphne and Nora, their two old lady nosy neighbours, who seem to have taken an interest in the children. What do they know about the goings-on at their house? Could they really be witches? And why does everything seem to revolve around the old tree in the garden?
The layers of mystery deepen and deepen as the story progresses, until Abby and Chris have to go on a perilous journey and face challenges of courage, skill, and sacrifice.
This is an entertaining and fast-moving tale, which escalates all the way from cosy family drama to high fantasy adventure in the space of its 150 pages. Abby and Chris are believable characters; Abby acts older than her years, but Chris is an absolutely typical eleven-year-old obsessed with FIFA and playing football in the garden. Daphne and Nora provide the guidance and background to the world of magic into which Abby and Chris find themselves, but refreshingly they don’t have all the answers – and they’re not just dumbledoring, either. (Which is a word I just made up, meaning the action of an older mentor character deliberately withholding information from young protagonists in a way that serves the plot. Ahem. Naming no names.)
The story is neatly tied up, and comes to a satisfying conclusion, but if Neale could find a way to tell more stories of the later adventures of Abby and Chris, I’m sure he’d find a willing audience.
Abby starts talking to imaginary animals – first a rabbit, then a cat. Or are they imaginary? If they are, little Abby has a disturbing imagination:
“…when he came up through the floor he was just a skellington. But then he grew insides and muscles and eyes and fur so he looked like a normal rabbit.”
So far so Hellraiser!
Then there’s the matter of Daphne and Nora, their two old lady nosy neighbours, who seem to have taken an interest in the children. What do they know about the goings-on at their house? Could they really be witches? And why does everything seem to revolve around the old tree in the garden?
The layers of mystery deepen and deepen as the story progresses, until Abby and Chris have to go on a perilous journey and face challenges of courage, skill, and sacrifice.
This is an entertaining and fast-moving tale, which escalates all the way from cosy family drama to high fantasy adventure in the space of its 150 pages. Abby and Chris are believable characters; Abby acts older than her years, but Chris is an absolutely typical eleven-year-old obsessed with FIFA and playing football in the garden. Daphne and Nora provide the guidance and background to the world of magic into which Abby and Chris find themselves, but refreshingly they don’t have all the answers – and they’re not just dumbledoring, either. (Which is a word I just made up, meaning the action of an older mentor character deliberately withholding information from young protagonists in a way that serves the plot. Ahem. Naming no names.)
The story is neatly tied up, and comes to a satisfying conclusion, but if Neale could find a way to tell more stories of the later adventures of Abby and Chris, I’m sure he’d find a willing audience.
July 9, 2016
Princess Fuzzypants here:
Before I go any further, let me voice my one complaint. While the book does have a ghost kitty named Tabitha, as a cat I believe the author has a decidedly anti-feline bent. She is not portrayed as nobly as the ghost dog, Dog, but it is a small matter in the scheme of the entire book.
This is a delightful story of two very special children discovering their hidden powers when they move into a new home. Luckily, they have neighbour's who can help guide them and are also joined by two "familiars", the dog and cat (and a bunny named Fluffy).
They learn about a world of magic which is both wonderful and fearful.
As they are learning to hone their skills, their mother is kidnapped by a Fairy King. They must gird their courage and strength to go rescue her.
It is a charming story that has enough suspense and danger to please the older reader yet not so much to scare the younger one. It is an excellent book for the youthful reader but my Momma enjoyed it too. She's old.
I can give this a rousing five purrs and two paws up- despite the dog bias
Before I go any further, let me voice my one complaint. While the book does have a ghost kitty named Tabitha, as a cat I believe the author has a decidedly anti-feline bent. She is not portrayed as nobly as the ghost dog, Dog, but it is a small matter in the scheme of the entire book.
This is a delightful story of two very special children discovering their hidden powers when they move into a new home. Luckily, they have neighbour's who can help guide them and are also joined by two "familiars", the dog and cat (and a bunny named Fluffy).
They learn about a world of magic which is both wonderful and fearful.
As they are learning to hone their skills, their mother is kidnapped by a Fairy King. They must gird their courage and strength to go rescue her.
It is a charming story that has enough suspense and danger to please the older reader yet not so much to scare the younger one. It is an excellent book for the youthful reader but my Momma enjoyed it too. She's old.
I can give this a rousing five purrs and two paws up- despite the dog bias
July 9, 2016
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
This book is aimed at the teen/YA genre, although it is an enjoyable read for adults too if they don't want anything too deep. The storyline flows well and the characters interact well, I found it easy to get in to, but being aware it was for Young Adults, sometimes found the story predictable, it had the right amount of spooky, magical goings on to make the story interesting without being scary or on the other extreme, boring. I would recommend this book.
This book is aimed at the teen/YA genre, although it is an enjoyable read for adults too if they don't want anything too deep. The storyline flows well and the characters interact well, I found it easy to get in to, but being aware it was for Young Adults, sometimes found the story predictable, it had the right amount of spooky, magical goings on to make the story interesting without being scary or on the other extreme, boring. I would recommend this book.
August 22, 2016
This is a paranormal story for middle school to YA. The idea of the story appealed to me more than the book I read.
Abby is the younger sibling and the first to interact with the ghost animals.
Their parents remind older brother Chris that he used to have imaginary friends when he was her age.
It turns out that the"friends" are not imaginary and can even be quite dangerous.
This is a story about different worlds or dimensions, about accepting ones talents and strengths.
A story about making decisions and doing what is best.
I received this book for an honest review
Abby is the younger sibling and the first to interact with the ghost animals.
Their parents remind older brother Chris that he used to have imaginary friends when he was her age.
It turns out that the"friends" are not imaginary and can even be quite dangerous.
This is a story about different worlds or dimensions, about accepting ones talents and strengths.
A story about making decisions and doing what is best.
I received this book for an honest review
July 19, 2016
This book has magic, ghost pets, fairies, nice witches . . . everything that I wished was real when I was growing up! It is an excellent story with just the right amount of scariness for young readers.
I received a free electronic copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free electronic copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews