Cody hates the
Berkshire Inn her mother bought. She hates her new school. She’s
angry, has no friends, and only relates to the artists in the local
art colony. Skye, Cody’s mother, is at her wits end. After Cody’s
father’s murder, she turned into a troubled child rather than the
happy loving person she had been.
The dilapidated inn
is trying Skye’s resources. She has a policy of no pets, but one
rainy night, Adam Marsh, a grieving widower, and his rescue dog,
Chance, arrive. Reluctantly, she agrees to let them stay; after all
the extra money will be welcome. One night turns into several more
visits.
Although standoffish
at first, Cody gradually warms up to Chance. When she and Chance help
rescue another pit bull, she begins to relate to the dogs, but she
still has a secret that drives her away from her mother. Perhaps the
dogs can help her they way they helped Adam get over his grief.
The best character
in this book is Chance. He opens the story with his discussion of how
he studies human emotions. Throughout the book, Chance gives his take
on what’s happening. It’s interesting to see how animals view
their human friends.
The plot raises
issues of bullying, love, fear, grief and loss. The issues are well
addressed by the characters and commented on by Chance. However, I
found the technique of shifting back and forth between Skye and Cody
difficult to get used to. Cody’s action is told in the third
person, for Skye the author uses first person. While that technique
does separate the point of view of each character, it seems strained.
If you enjoy stories
where animals have a major role, this is a good one.
I received this book
from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
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