Haru, Zombie Dog Hero: An Award-Winning Spooky Middle Grade Novel About Friendship and Zombie Attacks for children

by Ellen Oh

"Tender character relationships between both pup and human, and the myriad fully realized animals Haru meets along his journey, combine for a multilayered and thoroughly heartfelt must-read."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Oh covers heavy, relevant topics in this tense middle-grade novel, informing young readers about animal cruelty, environmental pollution caused by biotechnology facilities, and racial microaggressions within social-economic classes." —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Ellen Oh of Spirit Hunters delivers this spooky middle grade novel about the friendship between a Korean American boy and his dog, Haru—who becomes a zombie! Fans of Frankenweenie will enjoy this scary yet heartwarming read.

Even though the world is changing and zombie attacks are on the rise, the bond between this boy and his dog remains strong, and when their town is threatened, Haru must rescue them all. Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award Honor for Children’s Literature, Ellen Oh delivers another standout story.

Eleven-year-old Luke and his dog, Haru, are the best of friends. Totally inseparable. But when their nasty landlord falsely accuses Haru of biting her, Haru is kidnapped!

As Luke and his friends go on a serious mission to find and bring Haru home again, they discover mysterious experiments happening at the old laboratory at Painted Lake, owned by an evil multibillionaire named Mr. Thomas Sinclair. And Luke and his friends soon fear that Sinclair’s scientists could be doing illegal testing that may endanger Haru and their whole town.

As more strange clues emerge, the boys realize their world is changing fast, and soon Painted Lake is plagued by zombie attacks. But the love between Luke and Haru endures, ultimately helping to save them all.

Genres: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Animals, Horror, Fiction, Paranormal, Audiobook

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2023

About the author

*Hi friends! I'm not often on Goodreads so if you want to keep up with me, the best place to do so is on instagram! I'm at elloecho!

Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. She loves K-pop, K-dramas, and eating good food that someone else cooks for her. She is fueled by Diet Coke. Ellen is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this wasn't my favorite book from Ellen Oh, it was nice to not only read a middle grade sci-fi title, but also one that was a great length for the younger side of middle grade. CW: racism, ill treatment of animals, animal experimentation, assault of a minor. 3.5 Stars

Haru, Zombie Dog Hero is an exciting middle grade sci-fi novel told in 3rd person that follows Luke, Haru (the dog), and Penny the cat. Luke and Haru are extremely close and do everything together with Luke's friends Max and Ben. Everything seems to go well until Luke and his family have a bad interaction with their landlord. During this interaction Haru attempts to protect Luke from the landlord who then accuses Haru of attacking her. Haru is taken away and it's up to Luke and his friends to find Haru and figure out whether his disappearance is connected to the illicit behaviors of Sinclair Industries.

What Worked: There were some really interesting elements in this one. It felt like a mix of discussions related to pollution/conservationism and animal rights. I was confused on how Oh was going to weave in Haru becoming a zombie, but it worked well. The relationships between Haru, Luke, and Penny were great as well. Oh did a fantastic job allowing readers to see the events that occur in the town through the lens of each character. Incorporating the mystery behind the Sinclair Industries was fascinating and gave the novel a little bit of edge that I did not expect.

What Didn't Work: The pacing of this one was off. While I appreciate the shortness of the novel as a whole, the ending felt rushed and jumbled up. Readers are left wondering what happens to the town post the reveal of what occurs at Sinclair Industries and to the animals left in their "care." While I'm all for cliff hangers, there is no indication on whether we will be getting a second novel so the story ultimately felt incomplete.

Overall, this was a solid read. I'm hoping that Ellen Oh and her publisher are considering adding an additional novel or two this story so that readers will have a better picture of what ends up happening to this community.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't what I was expecting, but in an interesting way. Halfway through I was like "I really don't know how they're going to bring zombies into this," but it's a fun spooky cross with pro-animal activism.

[KReid09 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the story of a boy and his dog. I think many a middle school aged child will enjoy this story. I know I did and I am much older than a middle schooler. This book shows the relationship between a boy and his dog. One that is not easily broken, not even a mad scientist or an old man set on finding the cure for old age will be able to break. This book is a very intense story it tells of animal abuse, chemical waste, racial discrimination, touches on self harm and guilt, and of course a zombie apocalypse. I do hope this is turned into a series, but the ending was a happy one, at least, as most stories of boy and dog end in tears.

[Elizabeth Mellen]

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this! I'm catching up on some of my Netgalley backlog and listened to the audio of this from my library in addition to reading from the ARC I was supplied.

I love zombies, dogs, and middle grade, but this one didn't click with me as much as I'd hoped. The pacing didn't work for me; the ending, especially, felt abrupt. I did like the characters.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story about a loyal dog who is taken by a mad scientist. Animal lovers should be aware that the animal experimentation plot leads to animals being hurt and killed. Kids will appreciate the brevity of pages, though, as the pacing keeps the story moving from exciting episode to exciting episode.

[Jasmyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 starsss

For only 176 pages, this book was compact with action and events left and right. I did think that the writing was engaging and that our characters were solid, albeit a bit exaggerated for some, but it made sense for the narrative and the audience. I liked Luke and his friends and Luke’s parents. And I really liked the animals’ POVs as well!

But piggybacking off of that, I will say the animal cruelty in this was hard to get through at some parts and I’m a 23 year old teenaged girl so I can’t imagine how 10 year old me would’ve reacted 😭 Especially given it’s in their POV and the writing gets pretty detailed.

Also wish we had a bit more resolution. Everything goes haywire and now we have zombie dogs making zombie ppl and it just kinda ends there? Just a “we’ll figure it out” attitude? Idk, but I’ve never been a fan of open endings lol.

But overall, it’s a quick read and I’ll ignore the plot holes and open endings in exchange for good characters and keeping me engaged.

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this authors Spirit Hunter series so I was excited to see that she had a new book out. I did like it but there was some things that I wasn't a huge fan of as well.

This has the third person POV from Luke the boy, Haru the dog, and Penelope the cat. It was fairly easy to follow the different POVs. Haru remembers the first time his humans brought him home and how him and Luke done everything together. They are the best of friends. He is a hero to his family and Luke's two best friends as he protected them from a scary raccoon. He is just the best dog. He also doesn't like it when someone is mean to his best buddy Luke.

Penelope is a stray cat that Luke and his family have sort of adopted even though the mother is allergic. They make sure she has food. One day she went missing and they worried about her then she came back but was covered in some really nasty gunk and it's a good think Luke and his family are super nice people and cleaned her up. It's because of this that she made friends with Haru and Luke.

In the town of Painted Lake there is a nasty factory that does really bad things that and has ruined their beautiful lake. The guy that owns it is an old man called Sinclair and he is looking for a fountian of youth type of serum and has scientist working on it. They do experiments on animals but nobody in town really knows what goes on there. Lukes friends, Ben and Max, mother works as a reporter and has been trying to find a good angle on the factory and to find out what is going on but her editor always shuts her down.

The lady who rents the building that Luke's parents have their store in is a horrible person and a bit on the racist side and hates Haru, so when he tries protecting Luke from her and lunges at her she falls and hurts herself and use that to call the animal shelter, only thing is the guys are not taking him to a shelter but to the factory!!

So I really liked Luke and his friends, his parents and even his friends parents, of course I loved Haru and Penelope as well. All were great characters. I was even okay with the big environmental/testing on animals issue we got within the story. My problem was that I thought it was a little to detailed on what happened to the poor dogs that turned into zombies. I mean, I know adults including myself that don't like that kind of detail in adult books when it comes to harming animals. (Their bodies steamed as if they were being baked, and large lumps began to form on their faces and torsos.) I mean gross, is it just me or is that to gross for a kids books? Could be just me. I feel like the author could have gotten the point across without the reader having to know exactly what happened to the dogs. :(

Don't get me wrong it was a fun story about a boy and his dog and the bond between them, but trigger warnings for animal abuse/experimentation big time! I know a lot of adults who will not be reading this because of that. I docked it a star for that, so maybe I am being petty, but it's my opinion and I don't like books that hurt dogs. I could handled it if he went into the lab and we are told something bad happened and he came out a zombie, I just don't need details!

Would I read another book about the zombie dog if it is a series? Sure because I feel like the worst part is over now he can just be a zombie dog hero. :) It left the ending very open ended which is why I don't know if it's a series or not.

Oh and also we don't get anything zombie until around 89% of the book which for a book called Zombie Dog Hero, I sort of thought there would be much more zombie hero action going on.

Would I recommend it? It was a decent middle grade book so if you don't mind the animal stuff and you think your kid can handle it, sure. Like I said it would have been 4 stars but I dock stars on adult books with harming of dogs in them, so middle grade is no different. :)

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Luke lives in Painted Lake, Virginia where his parents run Sun's Deli and Grocery. He has two good friends; Max Cole, and his older brother, Ben. The three like to wander in the woods, building forts and having picnics. They always bring Luke's beloved dog, Haru Haru, whom he rescued as a puppy. Haru Haru is an excellent dog, and even saves Max from a rabid raccoon, which requires a stay at the vet, and some unpleasant shots. Around this time, there is a fire at the suspcious and harmful Sinclair Industries, which used to make vials and syringes, but has been doing secretive biotechnology research using only nonlocal staff, and has been accused of polluting the local waterways. The fire burns for a long time, and there is concern about the environmental fallout. The animals in the area are endangered, people have to stay indoors, and Luke rescues a cat that has been covered with a tarry substance after having a close up view of the fire. Penny, the cat, talks to Haru Haru about what has been going on at the site, and none of it is good. They are apparently experimenting on dogs and discarding and burning the bodies. Somehow, Sinclair always gets away with this, and the fire is blamed on a worker who died. Sinclair's cousin, Mrs. Sinclair-Greene, owns the building where the Sun's deli is, and decides to increase their rent dramatically, in part because they are "foreigners" (they aren't; they were all born in the US but of Asian descent). She hates Haru Haru and complains that he attacked her. In order to buy time to work things out legally, the Suns surrender Haru Haru to animal control, but through some snafus, he ends up at the Sinclair Industries "death dungeon". The other dogs warn him of the dangers; there's been experimenting with radiation on animals in order to develop various products. Haru Haru is experimented on and near death, but manages to get back to Luke. As the fallout from the Sinclairs' evil ways starts to infect many other animals in the region, and since they are losing their lease, the Suns try to flee and get to relatives in New Jersey. Will they be able to make it out of Virginia? And what exactly has happened to Luke's beloved dog?
Strengths: Luke and Haru Haru have such a great relationship, and it's good to see that the two are able to enjoy the wilderness in their small, rural town. This started out with a lot of information being presented from Haru Haru's point of view, and seemed like it would be a furry, feel good tale, but that changed very quickly. The boys throw themselves into an investigation of what happened with the fire, and even provide information to the Coles' mother, who is a local reporter. There are some strong themes of race relations and social justice that are timely and well thought out. One of the best characters is Penny, the cat that Luke rescues, who was a lot of insight into what is going on with the Sinclair Industries site. Penny is a wild cat, but it is endearing to watch Haru Haru bond with her.
Weaknesses: The ending of this was a bit abrupt, with the Suns on the run and trying to get out of Virginia, so I'm wondering if this is just the first book in the series.
What I really think: There is a lot of very clear cut evil in play in this book, and the treatment of the dogs might upset younger, sensitive readers, so just be aware of the content. This is not a humorous zombie dog romp in the vein of O'Donnell's Hamstersaurus Rex or Greenwald's A Zombie Ate My Homework. This has more in common with Lang and Bartkowski's Whispering Pines or Short's Mutant Mushroom Takeover. With the recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, (where my mother taught 5th grade) and the serious ecological fall out from that, I wish this have been a more realistic look at this sort of disaster.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
The majority of the plot follows Luke and stresses the tight bond he has with his dog, Haru. The pair do everything together, along with the Cole brothers, and Haru even saves the boys from a rabid raccoon. Some chapters focus on Haru where the dog is able to communicate with other animals. Readers will learn that most cats and dogs have little faith in humans and these animals try to convince Haru that his humans will eventually turn on him. This information creates a subplot as Haru hopes he can always rely on Luke and his family, especially when he’s dognapped.
The plot tells a story of big business versus society. Sinclair Inc. is the biggest employer in the county but it’s also the biggest polluter. The owner and his family own much of the property and media in the town so they’re able to control any citizen complaints and investigations. The lake contains so much hazardous waste that no one can use it for recreation anymore and much of the wildlife has been driven away. The company pays fines but it never really does anything about cleaning up its mess. These images will resonate with young readers as real stories like these have been happening in the world for decades. Most people feel they have no power against the money and influence wielded by big businesses so this book tells the story of characters who won’t be stopped.
Based on the title, readers may be surprised by the actual story. Haru is a normal, living dog for most of the story as he’s Luke’s loyal companion and protector. He enjoys the outdoors and eating sandwiches with the boys and they find ways to occupy their time during the remaining days of summer vacation. A wild cat named Penny is the first character to provide a hint of what’s to come as the last third of the book is in stark contrast to the earlier pages. The topic of zombies arises but not in the way readers might expect. The plot veers into a totally new direction with a large increase in action and tension. It will be a surprise if a sequel’s not in the future as issues are left unresolved.
What didn’t work as well:
The story is written quite literally so readers don’t need to infer much of what’s happening. The positive twist to this style is that it will appeal to younger middle-grade readers hoping to enjoy a simple story of a boy and his dog.
The Final Verdict:
The first half of the book may not immediately grab readers because it doesn’t seem to match the title. The second half makes up for it, although readers may want more finality in the conclusion. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.

[Paige V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from my little sister Laly (10):

Luke, his friends (Ben and Max), and his dog Haru were hanging out in the woods, completing the fort they made together. That is, until a feral raccoon attacked them. Haru saved the three friends making Haru a hero. Meanwhile, a factory owned by an old, rich coot called Mr. Sinclair. was illegally experimenting on dogs, which always results in death. Sinclair's cousin, the landowner of Luke's house/ store, decided to raise the rent for the store. Luke and his parents can't pay off their new rent, so he gets mad and snaps. And unfortunately, so did the dog. Sinclair's cousin got angry and sent the dog to the factory for falsely accusing Haru of biting her. Luke and his friends are trying to do all that they can in their power to rescue Haru.
Will their unique bond save Haru?

This book was unputdownable. The story is excellent and well-written too. The book switches from Luke's, Haru the dog, and the cat's perspectives.

Haru is a lovable character that cares about Luke. This book also displayed the loyalty of dogs. I enjoyed reading about the great relationship Luke and Haru have.
Luke's friend Max, was my favorite human character because he was funny and thought a lot about food. Plus, when he texts, he types in all caps. There was also a cat in the story that was friends with Haru, whom I thought was a great character, not just because she was a cat, but because she was caring and knew well of the danger of the Sinclairs' factory.

Sinclair is getting old and experimenting with dogs as an anti-aging product. The idea of this was quite original.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes dogs and a moving story.

Exciting cover; to understand the reflection of the upside down, you must read this book!

Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚 🦮

Thank you, Harperkids & The Shelf Stuff, for sharing this zombie-tastic book with me!

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are very interesting reactions to power (dis)equilibria in this book:

- Haru < Luke. Defend one another. Luke sets rules and controls food. Luke sees Haru as a friend, an asset his friends admire, and an allie against more powerful in his society as well as foreign threats (raccoon). Haru sees Luke as the most important individual, but is repeatedly told Luke doesn't have the most power, and thar power dynamics make humans untrustworthy.

- Haru < Penny. Haru is a dependent state-based sedentarist, whereas Penny is a somewhat independent anarchist hunter capable mostly of self-sufficiency, who needs society to some degree, but who is fluid in her ability to not depend too heavily on any part of the state.

Other relationships include:

- Landlord > Luke's family
- Corporation > media
- Corporation > scientists > thugs > the state > armed state bureacrats with state-sanctioned violence (police) > people not identified as corporate or state power nodes ("the public") > non-human animals (deer/bear/coyotes, animals with the freedom of movement and control over food supply > semi-ferile cat with freedom of movement and access to food, but may be named and caged by people > dogs, reliant on people and answerable to the least powerful among people.)
- Direct action activists > corporations
- Customers > vets > patients

There is also an interesting treatment of blame.

- Penny, sold from her parents into ownership as an infant, blames herself for overreacting to physical abuse enabled by the toddler's parents who bought her.

- Luke, physically assaulted by a much more politically powerful character, nonetheless blames himself for the state-sanctioned consequences of standing up to her.

[Chandler Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luke Sun and his parents live in Painted Lake, Virginia. They adopted the family dog, Haru, when he was a puppy, and he and Luke have been inseparable ever since. Life in Painted Lake is primarily supported, and challenged, by the big factory run by old man Sinclair. Pollution from the factory has polluted the town's namesake lake and has decimated their once valuable fishing industry. Numerous attempts have been made to hold Sinclair and his company accountable, but nothing has been done. Then, a massive fire breaks out at the factory and Luke and his friends can't help but be suspicious (and curious). While investigating, they discover the factory must be conducting experiments on helpless dogs. It just so happens that the Sun family is renting their store and apartment from Sinclair's cousin and when she threatens to increase the rent, Luke and Haru make a bad attempt to intimidate her. She orders Haru be taken to the pound, but he ends up falling into the hands of Sinclair whose scientists are desperately trying to formulate an eternal youth serum. Their experiments go terribly wrong and once again threaten the town of Painted Lake. Haru must save himself and his family.

This book might be too much for our younger readers and even some of the older ones. Spoiler alert: Haru does die but he comes back to life. There is a lot of detail dedicated to the experiments that Haru must suffer through: the shots, the radiation, and the hot poker. It's a tough read for any animal lover and I wasn't sure the story would be able to wrap from first zombie dog attack to conclusion in just 20 pages - I'm still not sure it really succeeded.

[Allison Damico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is intended for children aged 8-12. So you’re getting my 34 year old former educator background who loves dogs type of review on this one. It took me only about 2 hours to read it and I thought it was very well put together. You get the perspective of the human boy Luke alternating each chapter with the perspective of Haru his dog. The love between this boy and his dog is very heartwarming. Ellen Oh weaves in the harsh realities in this story regarding power and greed. “Bad people shouldn’t get away with bad things just because they’re rich“. I think that offers a great lesson to children reading a book like this (and seeing them get what they deserved was nice). Throughout the story I found myself feeling so incredibly sad for Haru and the dogs in general. It was a bit tough for me to read through some of the gruesome details of the testing being done on the dogs so I can’t imagine it would be easy on kids, especially dog lovers so proceed with caution. When you would read Haru’s perspective, he cherished his family so much but not all dogs have that same experience of love. He was very naive to that concept and a lot of other dogs tried to convince him humans couldn’t be trusted (rightfully so based on their experience) but Haru hung on strong to his family’s love. Another very true yet harsh reality in this book. Ellen Oh doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts of society and I think it’s necessary in the books children read nowadays. Haru is just an all around good boy and I hope Ellen considers giving them a series because I think the adventures of them together would go over well for this age group. The ending felt a little quick so I’m hoping it’s because she left it open ended for the next story to be told. #goodreadsgiveaway

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fast read and I enjoyed it, but it ended so abruptly! I wanted more. Makes me wonder if this is the first book in a series as it was left open ended.

The premise of the book was so interesting. Haru is a beloved member of his human family, and has a very close bond to Luke, who is a great kid. Luke's family owns a store in a town, and the town has a big bad guy, Mr. Sinclair who owns the factory and is also a downright terrible person. We find out that Sinclair has hired scientists to do medical experiments and they are experimenting on dogs.

Haru gets sent away from his family for defending Luke, and ends up becoming one of the experimental subjects. The experiments get out of hand, and Haru must defend against some of the other animals that were subjected to far worse treatments.

The good:
- Haru was a great character. I enjoyed his POV chapters the best.
- The supporting cast was also great, particularly Penelope a stray cat that Haru and Luke befriend.
- It was fast paced.

The bad:
- Trigger warnings for animal cruelty which was very difficult to read. The animal abuse was horrifying and my heart ached for those poor dogs!
- The ending was open-ended. I felt like it either needed a bit more closure or more indication that this would be a series.

All in all, a good read for younger kids but please be mindful of the animal abuse that can be triggering for children.

[A Broken Zebra · Rating 3 out of 5]

NETGALLEY & HARPER COLLINS ARC

Plot: 4
Characters: 3.5
Writing Style: 3.5
Cover: 5
Enjoyment: 3.5

This book is written in third person POV through Haru Haru (doggo), Luke (11 years-old), and Penny (cat) and the style is pretty simple, making it a decent first chapter book read. A little too easy for me, but I'm over 35, heh. For those concerned about anything remotely vulgar, the following words are used: sucks, hell, shut up. It's set in Painted Lake, Virginia, which is always nice, having a book be set somewhere other than the typical Go Tos); it centers around Luke, his friends, and his family, and a business that is experimenting on animals. One detail I adored was that Haru and other animals can communicate amongst one another, but aren't understood by humans. I appreciate the topics presented, like environmental side-effects of a shady business, bonds amongst animals, as well as bonds between animals and humans.

Contains: Zombies (obviously), racism, racist adult hitting child, animal experimentation, self-harm in the form of hitting oneself and pulling hair (no cutting, just the hitting), premature infant + death.

I am uncertain if this will turn into a series, though either option works; standalone or further installments.

[Rebecca Shelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Haru, Zombie Dog Hero" is a supernatural/paranormal novel that delves into the adventures of eleven-year-old Luke and his beloved dog, Haru. The two are inseparable until their unscrupulous landlord falsely accuses Haru of biting her, leading to Haru being kidnapped. Determined to rescue his dog, Luke, along with his friends, embarks on a mission that uncovers sinister activities at an old laboratory near Painted Lake. The laboratory, owned by the malevolent multibillionaire Mr. Thomas Sinclair, is suspected of conducting illegal experiments that could endanger not just Haru, but the entire town.

As Luke and his friends delve deeper, they uncover strange and alarming clues that suggest their world is undergoing a drastic transformation. The emergence of zombie attacks in Painted Lake escalates the urgency of their mission. Despite the terrifying circumstances, the enduring bond between Luke and Haru plays a pivotal role in their quest for safety and resolution.

"Haru, Zombie Dog Hero" is the perfect example of a short novel that delivers a powerful impact. The plot is meticulously crafted, ensuring that readers remain emotionally invested from start to finish. The narrative effectively balances suspense, emotional depth, and the supernatural, making it a compelling read.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not what I was expecting. I got it from a subscription service and thought it looked perfect to put out for Halloween, but wanted to preview it first since some other reviews mentioned racism and violence.
As it turns out, the summary makes the story seem more engaging than it actually is.
The cover is cartoonish and fun-looking but a kid reader should be aware going into the book that is has matter-of-fact descriptions of animal torture and death, plus other violence between animals and/or people. It's not really a story about the bond between a boy and his dog, and it's not really a zombie thriller. It's more of a social justice story in which the themes are heavy handed and repetitive. It sort of feels like an outline to a more complete story that was never really fleshed out. The ending is rushed and lacks resolution...maybe it's intended to leave open the chance for a sequel? A half dozen people zombies appear in the last 11 pages and then Luke's family leaves the state.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dog's loyalty knows no bounds!🐕

4.5🌟 stars
This middle grade story is an engaging, fast-moving adventure tale of a boy and his beloved dog Haru. From the very first chapter, it's full of action and villains (human, animal & supernatural) intent on tearing them apart. Pretty nasty things happen and some children may find the animal cruelty too disturbing, but I can see young readers being inspired by Lucas and his friends' example to action to protect animals and fight the pollution and questionable corporate policies in their own communities. And it was very easy to grow emotionally attached to brave, protective Haru, stray cat Penelope, rejected senior dog Bruno and young Lucas.

I thought it used the changed points of view between Lucas and some of the animals to really good effect.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay story with all of the characters. The main characters were Luke and Haru that was Luke's dog.

Luke and Haru are best of friends. Where ever Luke goes Haru is there to. When the landlord lady comes to visit and tell Luke's parents something.  Luke gets mad at the landlord lady and start to yell. That gets Haru in a protective mode. But when the landlord lady hit Luke. Haru goes after her. The landlord lady is mad and blame Haru for bitting her but he didn't. And she takes Haru away. Later Luke finds out that the lady didn't take Haru to the place that she said but to the factory that is doing something to dogs.

This was a fun story with a mystery within. It had action , adventure, and suspense throughout. It had a few giggles within. It was fun trying to solve what was happening in the factory.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely cute dual POV between a boy and his turning-into-a-zombie dog. Touches on real world things like pet abandonment, friendships, environmental damages done by careless factories, animal testing, racism, and how to deal with 'friends' who are more like bullies than actual friends. I loved the twist on the classic zombie lore to tie into more real world events, and while the book ends on a apocolyptic note, it's still strangely hopeful despite everything. Extremely quick read, and the short size will help make it more accessible to reluctant readers (I mean, besides the fact that this is a book about a ZOMBIE DOG). The colors that pop on the cover will also definitely draw in readers. (and for anyone who doesn't want 'the dog' to die in the book if you ignore the zombification of Haru, you are in luck! Happy ending, no spoiler I hope LOL) Loved it!

[Felicia Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I am a sucker for anything with dogs or zombies so this was a must for me. I have to say I couldn't put this down even as a grown up I was completely sucked into this story and mystery of what was happening to the animals of this place. The way this was framed could have easily made this ya or even adult which is to sag I think people of all ages could really enjoy the story. The writing is of course more juvenile but that didn't make this any less enjoyable.
The characters were great as well. I especially liked the parts told from Haru's point of view. I could just feel how powerful this dogs love for his people was. All the side characters had such distinctive voices as well.
Overall this is just a solid read for all ages. Especially if you love dogs or zombies or both. I loved this and can't wait for me!

[Erica Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Fast paced, tense plot, and diverse characters. But this book is more than just entertainment, there is much to glean from Ellen Oh's writing. Get ready for micro-lessons in animal cruelty, capitalism, racism, and classism.

That being said, this is not merely a happy-go-lucky middle grade book. It is a deep, insightful one—intended to teach. This book introduces readers to some of the environmental problems caused by factories, it raises awareness of the corruption that can exist within big business, and it shines a spotlight on animal cruelty/testing. Because of some of these difficult topics, consider reading this book ahead of (or alongside) your children so that you can address any questions that may arise.

Wonderfully written and socially relevant.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke and his dog Haru are inseparable until the day the landlord of Luke’s family store comes to raise the rent in a mean and racist way. She’s also the cousin of the owner of a biomedical plant that is wrecking the small town lake and quite possibly testing on animals. Haru growls at the landlady and she says it’s an attack. Animal control is called and Haru is taken away. Story takes a fast turn from a boy and dog story with perhaps some fun zombies (like the cover art looks) to some seriously scary and potentially upsetting to tender animal lovers scenes in the factory. End is a little abrupt but maybe there will be more books? Good secondary characters, especially the animals and how they can talk to each other. Another bonus: Under 200 pages.

[Emily Kleinhenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take a little animal activism and environmentalism, add a dash of paranormal, and sprinkle a lot of love between a boy and his dog and you get an interesting zombie dog read. I found it interesting that it was told from both the pint of view of the dog and the point of view of the boy. I think the book did try to pack too much. There was a bit about racism, sibling loss, and other bits that were tough topics and kind of felt like they were just thrown in there. I think the book could have dived deeper into those topics (it was only 150 pages, so there was room to add more to the story). Still a fun paranormal read though.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haru, Zombie Dog Hero is a love story between a boy and his dog and the power of their relationship. The story touches on racism and classism in a way that both gives a non-white perspective and illustrates the insidiousness of the power dynamic created by wealthy whites towards the groups who interact with them, regardless of race. This was a quick read, and I wonder if perhaps it's meant to be a part of a series, because it ends rather abruptly, just as the story reaches a climax, which definitely leaves the reader wondering what will happen to Haru and Luke next?

[Sara Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some young readers are really going to love this - a loyal dog, evil scientists, zombies. And, I like that it comes in under 200 pages - the pacing is quick and crisp. Just not my kind of story. Sensitive readers should know that there is a lot of animal cruelty in the book. I listened to the audio and skipped forward in several places. Again - some readers will want all of that detail, but not me.

I also found the ending to be unsatisfying. It felt like it needed an epilogue to tie up some loose ends.

[Shannon Ozirny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many ridiculous things happen in this book: a landlady hits a kid (no consequences), the dialogue is melodramatic and absurdly expository (to the tune of "But Mr. Sinclair, we've been working on the youth elixir for years! You funded it! This is your laboratory!"), things move way too fast and the Zombie Dog thing doesn't happen until, like, the last 40 pages, essentially making the title one giant spoiler.

The audiobook is read like a hyperactive seventh grader doing reader's theatre.

But I somehow didn't care and was totally on board and know many kids who will go nuts for this.

[Mik Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is old yeller meets ecofiction, but with a happy ending. Enjoyed the sweet relationship between the main character and his dog. My kids absolutely loved this story, my 7-year-old gave it 4 stars and my six-year-old gave it 5 stars. I appreciated the character work, especially the realistic feel of the family and the mc's best-friend dynamics. I also loved how the author establishes setting so concisely and specifically, I could picture exactly where we were the entire book. 3 stars for me, though, because the pacing felt a bit slow, and the wrap-up felt a bit rushed.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luke has the best dog ever, Haru. But when a mean old lady with lots of money accuses Haru of attacking her, Haru is taken away despite his innocence. Haru is taken to a secret lab where they are doing horrible experiments on dogs. Haru is next in line. Luke is desperate to save his dog.

This is a sweet story about the love between a boy and his dog. It is also a horrifying story about the cruel things being done to animals in the name of science.
CW: animal cruelty