What Comes Next

by Rob Buyea

From the beloved author of the MR. TERUPT and PERFECT SCORE series comes this stand-alone middle-grade novel about a girl who is dealing with the tragic loss of her best friend, and the dog that helps her forge new friendships and find happiness once again.

Twelve-year-old Thea and her family are moving to a new town for a fresh start--her parents' bright idea. To Thea, it feels like running away. She lost her best friend, Charlie, in a tragic accident, and in the painful aftermath, she has gone mute. Her two younger sisters, however, are excited about moving, especially after their dad promises that the family will get a rescue puppy. This doesn't change Thea's mind, though, until Jack-Jack bounds into her life and makes it clear that he is no ordinary dog. As she bonds with Jack-Jack, and as the dog's mischievous ways steer her toward someone she can confide in, Thea opens up to the possibility of new friendships and forgiveness, and comes to believe in what cannot be fully explained.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Audiobook, Dogs, Juvenile, Contemporary

192 pages, Hardcover

First published June 8, 2021

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great dog story!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved all of Rob Buyea's novels, but this stand alone novel belongs in every elementary and middle school libraries. The main character has gone through a traumatic event, and her family tries everything they can to help her. They move to a new town, and even adopted one special puppy. I usually don't gravitate to dog books, but this one is an exception. I would pair this book with "When Friendship Followed Me Home." Exceptional read and the audiobook was outstanding!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, Love, Loved this book!!! What a heart warming story. I don't know what to say. I laughed and cried. What a wonderful story. I loved the Mr. Terupt series but I think this stand alone is my favorite. Kids are lucky to have an author like Buyea. Kids can not go wrong with one of his books.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

This was a lovely middle grade novel. It was quick, but packed a big punch and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to recommend it to my kiddos in the fall when we get back to school. It will be an EXCELLENT option for first chapter Friday reads if anyone does those.

Thea and her family move to a new school to try to "start over." She doesn't want to start over, but she also doesn't think she can keep going at her old school. She isn't talking, ever since the accident with her best friend Charlie, and the stares and the whispers are a lot to take. At her new school, she can blend in, stay unnoticed, and continue to float along.

All that changes though when the family gets a new dog, Jack, who helps them all realize that moving on and moving forward doesn't have to be scary. And it doesn't have to hurt forever.

Highly recommend. Give to any reader who requests dog books, and all of the kids who like realistic fiction that moves you.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about a dog that helps a traumatized girl overcome her grief, but some of the events in the book were just not believable to me. The book also wrapped everything up a bit too neatly.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I didn't cry! *sniffle*

Fine!

I cried three times reading this book. Pages 160-the end of the book just destroyed me. 😩

[Carli · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this sweet story of healing. Thea hasn’t said a word since she witnessed her best friend Charlie’s death. Her family moves to a new town for a fresh start, and unexpectedly decides to adopt a dog. Jack is a hot mess, but he chooses Thea at the rescue. What follows is a ride for the whole family. But what Jack also brings is a chance for Thea to open up and find a new beginning, and even a new friend. Heartwarming, perfect for readers in grades 4-7. #mglit #librarian #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian

[Pattie Babbitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn books with dogs on the cover! 😭

[Bri the best book nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book. It had a great ending!

[B.D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful, heart wrenching book. Recommended for people who want a good cry and for ages 11 and up.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The adults in this book were kind of terrible and unrealistic. From the terrible therapist in the beginning to the parents who then move their family and then ignore their children to the teacher who could have been okay except for her BAD MOVE in the end when she brings a stranger not only to the traumatized child's home but into her room (uninvited and with the parent's permission?!) for a confrontation that we are supposed to believe was an okay move because it turned out okay in the end. It was NOT OKAY! Also, in this day and age, what teacher is allowed to drive their students and their siblings (not even their own students) home?

The dog bit could've been okay if it were not for the weird ending and easily replaced puppy.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an amazing look on how a child deals with grief. There are many books out there that deal with the grief of losing a parent or a relative, but not many that deal with losing a best friend in a very traumatic way. I thought it was very interesting how the author explained how the dog became a therapy dog without meaning to be. I also enjoyed the friendship that she forged with Rory, and how the story with Ms. Stacy and her brother tied into the narrator's journey to accept Charlie's death. I would recommend this to my students who need a real life look into how death can affect you on many levels.

[Patti Sabik · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found this quick read to be somewhat saccharine and contrived, I’m sure that the target audience will adore the book. And honestly, I’m the first one to fall for sweet dog stories and mention that truth is more often stranger than fiction. All in all, a tale that reaffirms hope triumphs over grief and helps us remember how awesome dogs are.

[Abby Menephee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did this as a read aloud for summer school and it did not disappoint! Not me crying through the last few chapters ugh! There is just something about a bond with a dog that gets me! I’m so happy Jack came into Thea’s life when she needed him most.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Comes Next, by Rob Buyea, is a YA novel that I wanted to really like, but it was too forced. I believe that the author was thinking of elements of A Dog's Purpose mixed with Bridge to Terabithia. The story, for late elementary school-sixth or seventh grade readers, involved tragic incidents, but they are handled without finesse or sensitivity. By chapter 3, the reader finds out that twelve year-old Thea's best friend, a boy named Charlie, died. "I won't keep you in suspense. Charlie died. He died right in front of me." (p. 11). The grief counselor attempts to strong-arm Thea during a therapy session. "You know, Thea, if you don't start talking soon, people will start filing in the silence for you, saying things like you pushed Charlie, or that you tripped him." She warned, "Did you? Is that why you won't talk?" (p. 12) Adding characters who behave in unrealistic ways takes away from a story. Young readers might be confused as to why the counselor is to mean to Thea.
The story progresses rather strangely. While looking for a rescue dog, the family settles on Jack-Jack, who has a lazy eye. The dog proves loyal and reminds Thea of her friend, Charlie, who incidentally also had a lazy eye. I will stop there and allow you to make the connections.
Overall, the subject of the death of a child and how it impacts the friend's life is handled poorly. This story almost seems that A I was used to create it, weaving different strands of difference stories into a hard to believe tale.

[Melinda Brasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the dog in this story, and the healing power of pets. Some of the dog antics were really cute.

The writing flowed, and there was some good emotion.

Several things just didn't feel very organic to me. Like how the MC didn't talk after the trauma. [SEMI SPOILER] That part was believable. But later, when she broke her silence and spoke a little to her family, their reactions felt quite off. And then when she selectively didn't talk after that, it felt a little plot-convenient versus natural. The inciting incident that made them move seemed to be the terrible, terrible therapist telling her [SPOILER! SPOILER!] that if she didn't talk, people would blame her for the accident. That felt unrealistic and was disturbing in a let's-teach-kids-that-therapists-are-terrible sort of way. Then all the coincidences later felt very plot-convenient. I guess the ending made that a little more believable, if you believe the ending. But while I was reading, it didn't sit well with me. And the good teacher did such stupid, terrible things at the end, and though they ended up okay, they were terrible, terrible decisions that just didn't seem in character. So I guess there were just too many things that I don't think the characters would actually have done, but they had to do them for the sake of the plot, and that reduced my enjoyment of the book.

But the dog and the relationship between him and the girl were really nice to read.

[Elisabeth Hays · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the reality of Thea’s story, there is nothing worse than going through an entire book and having the ending wreck you. This book seemed to do this when the dog springs into action to save a boy and you think he dies in the process. Thankfully the dog doesn’t die. Instead, the dog disappears like a vapor. Not long after, the family replaces the dog with a puppy. You lost the first one and now a puppy! I call foul. I would still be looking! And the author wants me to believe that the narrator marries Rory! And that Rory and Thea find that not only did the dog save the boy, Thea, Ms. Stacy’s brother, but ALSO Charlie’s parents AND is buried next to Charlie and Thea didn’t know it until she is an adult. Is this dog somehow magical?

Also, what parent would allow Ms. Stacy to walk into a 7th grade girls bedroom with a man that killed Thea’s best friend and have a healing moment in the girl’s bedroom! That was weird. If you are going to share that revelation, maybe the kitchen is a little less intrusive.

I give it a 3 and not a 2 because the beginning and middle convey a reality of what a child might experience after a traumatic loss of a friend. I enjoyed it until the portions above. I’m not sure how a middle grade reader would think of it. I can see some of my students enjoying it and not seeing the same issues that I have with it.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. It reminded me of one of those family-friendly movies about a kid and a dog, and their family. I mean, that's what this was. It had lots of meaning and lots of ahas, but at the same time it was like, "Of course," and "exactly," and it always annoys me when the characters in a story come to a conclusion about someone in a certain way, and that DOES happen in this book, so it of course annoyed me, but other than that I liked it. It was a good little quick read when I couldn't sleep, and we ARE dog lovers and we do own dogs. My son thought it was pretty unrealistic how quickly a dog gets trained in this book, and when they had a thing called a crate in this book. My family just thought that would be dreadful, but what do we know? We've only had one dog and we're not trainers, but that part was kind of AWFUL and also funny but wow. I didn't like the way the mom talked to the dad, like he was an idiot or something--very disrespectful--but maybe that was just the way they joke around or flirt. Who knows? I liked the point of the book, and all the adventures.

[Jan Raspen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this title based on Buyea's other books' popularity in my library. It was a quick read, and I felt like it skewed a little young for a middle school library, but I think it's a perfect addition to every elementary school collection.
Thea's family moves to a new community after Thea lost her best friend in a tragic accident. Her parents think starting over is just what Thea needs to overcome her grief and selective mutism, and the family adopts a dog from the shelter that has a lazy eye just like Charlie, Thea's dead best friend. Even though Thea tries not to bond with the dog, Jack-Jack burrows his way into her heart and helps her heal from Charlie's death.
I loved the supporting cast of characters, especially Thea's sisters' teacher--she knows just how to help Thea start talking again.
The short chapters and obvious foreshadowing throughout the book were indications to me that, even though Thea is in middle school, this book is better aimed at upper elementary grades. It is perfectly delightful.

[Deborah Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure; I love dogs. I also love children's dog stories, and this one is so good. Middle schooler Thea has seen her best friend die in an accident and is now mute. She closes up, and her family moves to a new town for a new start. Her younger siblings slide right into their new lives, but Thea is shut down. Of course, there will be a dog! Jack Jack brings Thea back to life by just being a dog, assisted by a new friend and her sisters' great teacher. So, this is a book for middle schoolers who like shorter, easy reads, for dog lovers, younger readers and for teachers. I wouldn't be able to read it aloud to a class, because I would definitely cry, but there will be a teacher looking for a book just like this. I especially love how Thea reaches out to her lost friend's parents, even though it's hard. For thoughtful engrossing school stories, you really can't beat Rob Bulyea.

[Michelle Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Thea loses her best friend Charlie in a horrific accident, she experiences such grief that she quits speaking to anyone and struggles to be out in public. Her supportive parents try to give her the time and space she needs, but after a while they make a couple of big decisions. The first is to move the family to a new home and community, and the second is to adopt a dog. Even though Thea’s heart isn’t in it, she is a good sport and goes along as he twin sisters excitedly pick a family pet. While they are there, their future dog, soon to be known as Jack, seems to reach out and pick Thea. Along with some new friends they meet along the way, Jack helps Thea as she tries to move forward with those around her.

I have never read anything by this author that I didn’t enjoy, and I look forward to sharing it with students! Early digital copy received from NetGalley.

[Sylvie Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea that Jack-Jack was a reincarnation of Charlie (which I began to suspect early on, based on the "Forewarning" at the beginning, as well as many other hints throughout the story) and the realization in the "Years Later" epilogue that he had helped his own parents, just as he had helped Thea. While it was dramatic to have that revelation come to Thea many years later, after Jack-jack's death as a dog, I would like to think that Thea would have kept in touch with Charlie's parents and stayed a part of their lives throughout the years following Charlie's death, once she had healed sufficiently from it, so she would have known about Jack-Jack's appearance in Charlie's parents' lives much sooner. I think she would have been comforted by knowing it during Jack-Jack's lifetime too.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite. Her best friend is hit by a truck. She moves and finds a person to talk to (her sisters’ teacher, because the counselors she sees are absolute crap and I would hope no mental health professional would EVER act like they do). Incredibly, it turns out the teacher’s brother is the one who killed her best friend, and the teacher thinks the best way to introduce this information is to just bring her brother in to meet the girl with no warning. Also they adopt a dog and the brother saved the dog. The dog helps her heal. Then the dog saved another kid from a car. Wait for it… THE DOG WAS THE BEST FRIEND, and he disappears after he’s made sure she’s healed. Then she marries the only other friend she makes and takes him to her best friend’s grave, AND THE DOG’S GRAVE IS THERE TOO.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this e-ARC courtesy of the publisher through SLJ's Middle Grade Magic Event.

I have read and enjoyed both the Mr. Terupt and Perfect Score series, and was excited to get a copy of this standalone novel. Thea's story is heart wrenching. She is left reeling after the death of her best friend, and the arrival of a new family dog turns everything upside down. There are many kids that will love this because it's a dog book, but for it's much more. It is about sisters. Great teachers (who may not even be your own teacher!), and unlikely friends. You may need a tissue or two to get through this one, but it was well worth the read, and I think it will be a much loved book in classroom libraries.

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thea lost her best friend Charlie and a terrible accident during spring break. She can't even go back and finish 6th grade, so her parents homeschool her. Her family decides to move to another town to give her a fresh start and her dad decides to get a new dog. They go to the rescue to pick out a dog and Thea ends up selecting, a little dog with a lazy eye...just like Charlie had. They name him Jack, or Jack-Jack, or Jackson. They all call him various versions of the name. :) Thea has gone mute since the accident, but slowly Jack gets her talking again and then she meets her little sister's teacher Ms. Stacey, who helps her out, but also introduces her to Rory. With all their help, she is able to start living again.

By the end of the book there are so many ties that I didn't see coming. I just love that it is a window into grief and how people handle things differently. The little supernatural touch of the dog is just perfect.

[Beth Mendelsohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thea, age 12, is suffering from PTSD following the tragic death of her best friend, Charlie. Thea has gone mute and her parents decide they all need a fresh start. The family moves to a new town and Dad promises Thea’s younger sisters a puppy. When they go to the shelter to pick up the puppy they chose, they find out that another family has already adopted it. However, a puppy with a lazy eye paws at Thea, effectively choosing her. The puppy, named Jack-Jack, reminds Thea of Charlie, who also had a lazy eye. Jack-Jack helps Thea open up and find her way back from her grief.

This is a stand-alone book from the author of the Mr. Terupt series and is a very quick read (super short chapters). It is a great book to help with grief that a young reader may be going through. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it for grades 4-6.

#WhatComesNext #NetGalley

[Tara Ethridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a doozy of a novel that had me crying more than once, and I’m not even a big dog person. Without giving too many spoilers, Thea has suffered an unimaginable tragedy and is in the depths of sadness. A dog comes into her life and slowly makes changes for her and others as well. It’s about the love of a dog but also so much more—learnjng to trust again, dealing with death, and teachers who take the time to really help kids. Our 4th and 5th graders love the Mr. Terupt series and I’m sure they will love this, too. But whoa on the sadness.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadness, humor, hopeful story about family, grief, and dogs.
After Thea loses her best friend, she becomes mute. She and her family move to a new town for a fresh start. Her younger sisters are excited, but to Thea, it feels as if they are running away. When their dad offers to get them a rescue puppy, Thea goes with them. When Jack-Jack enters their lives, things change, for the better. Jack-Jack seems to know what people need when they need it. Because of him, Thea starts to open up again.
Short, quick chapters make this a fast paced story that is hard ot put down.

[Debra Covell · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I loved the first two thirds of this book. The last third felt like a totally different book. Really disappointing. The coincidence that Ms. Stacey’s brother was the driver of the SUV was completely unbelievable. Jack disappearing and Thea chalking it up to him being some sort of magical dog (who is then quickly replaced by the gift of a puppy) was aggravating and didn’t make any sense. There are better books for middle grade that deal with grieving the loss of a friend like The Trail and there are many better dog books (Stay, Saving Zasha, Chasing Augustus).

[Jaymie · Rating 5 out of 5]

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

5 stars = Outstanding!

Another winner from Rob Buyea! I loved this - I loved the characters, the story, and the way all the pieces wove together. Heart-tugging in all the best ways - bring a few tissues for this one (TW: grief/loss)