Wayne Smith (5)

My experience with this book reminds me why reading groups are so much fun.

This is not a book I would have chosen to read on my own. The premise sounds so....hinky, (a story told through the eyes of the family dog), I almost decided to sit this one out. But then a friend of mine gave it a 5 star rating, so I figured I HAD to at least give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised!

Thor protects his Pack from any and all predators, no matter their form-human or canine. But when Uncle Ted comes to visit, (Thor's favorite person that is not part of his Pack), Thor starts to act weird, watching Ted wherever he goes, sometimes watching him all night long. Why? You will have to read this to find out.

I think this book would appeal to animal and/or dog lovers. The author did a good job of making the reader believe that he or she is right there in Thor's head. A lot of canine behaviors are explained, and though one or two of Thor's thoughts did not ring true, most of them did.

So I was pleasantly surprised and I liked the idea of the dog's POV. Why am I only rating this 3.5 stars, you ask? Simple-typos and missing words. Way more typos and missing words than I care to deal with. It was the strength of the story that carried me through this one and I am glad I stuck with it.

To sum up, I liked this book and I think it has a lot to offer. It doesn't easily fit into the genre of horror or dark fiction, (I think it's more of a thriller), but I liked it just the same. If it weren't for the typos and missing words, this tale would have easily earned at least 4 stars. I would read more by this author in the future, in the hopes that he now has a better proofreader.… (más)

Thor"oughly enjoyed this wonderful tale that takes place through the eyes of Thor the family Alsatian. It is warm, tender and at times will make you smile with a story that can be read by child or adult alike. Thor is the family protector and he looks after mum, dad, Teddy, Brett and Debbie until one day this peaceful existence is shattered when Uncle Ted comes to live with them. Ted is recovering from a personal tragedy and he has a secret that will test the strength and will of Thor to the limit. The story is told with such warmth and indeed humour as the mysteries of the world and everyday occurrences are described through the eyes of Thor....

"When Thor was young, the phone had been a bottomless source of mystery. Of all the strange things the Pack did, talking to the phone was the strangest. Sometimes the phone chirped, and they went for it like it was the last piece of meat in the world. Sometimes they picked it up unbidden, poked it a few times and waited. In any case they talked and listened to it as if it were another person"

There is a lovely scene of the family on the way to the seaside for a fun packed day and Thor resting his head on the car window "More important things occupied this mind, like the thrill of hanging his head out of the window at sixty miles an hour, and the distant smell of brine that was already finding it's way to his nostrils and making him squirm in anticipation".

But horror lies underneath this warmth and soon Thor will be called upon to protect the family when an unspeakable evil comes to visit..."It was utterly mad. Their eyes met, and Thor froze. The Thing's eyes were neither canine nor human, but resembled both. It looked straight into Thor's eyes, and Thor looked back as he would never do as a human. It's eyes seemed to beckon to Thor. They bore an invitation to join the Bad Thing in its wildness, in its freedom, in its madness. To enjoy the taste of blood and the smell of death, to revel in the power each of them possessed in such abundance - the power to kill"

To me this story shows the very close and loving relationship between man, and dog and what both will do to protect and secure that love..it's wonderful in its simplicity and brilliant in its execution. I would however once again ask those responsible for the kindle edition to pay more attention to "grammar"...."Thor lay of the floor a few feet from the table"...should surely read "Thor lay on the floor a few feet from the table".....or..."The best way protect the Pack" should read "The best way to protect the Pack" Why let simple grammatical errors ruin an otherwise wonderful story.… (más)