The book is a long read so I suggest to wait til you know you have a whole weekend to devote to this book. It's too involved to pick up and leave and return to it later. In the beginning, the story takes place in Hong Kong, it's foreshadowing what evil lies ahead, however you have no clue who this person is in Hong Kong...until much later in the story. It's the center of the story and all else surrounds it. I believe it's what kept me reading when at times I wondered where this was leading me, especially when at times the scenes dragged out slow and boring. But, as all good books, it doesn't last and picks up again. So, if this happens to you, hang in there, keep reading for it is all worth it in the end. The dogs in this story was really something I've never read before in any other book in my 51 years. It was a lot of information about breeding dogs, which I who is a dog lover didn't need to know, but still it was important to the author to convey and a must for the story to come to its end. The connection between humans and dogs as our pet, our partner, and companion, and even possibly our "Soulmate" (as mentioned in the book) was revealed in words that described this relationship of the heart so well. I no longer cared or even thought of the boy as mute as time went on, perhaps because he signed his words with ASL and a little of his own, and was able to train the dogs on command using this sign language. Since he never went anywhere but school and home, there wasn't really any situation where he was forced to write his words on paper to communicate, with a few exceptions. The ending is not at all what I expected, but I was left feeling mixed emotions about it. No Spoilers from me. I find it worth the time to read and I'm glad I was able to buy the 1st/1st with Stephen Kings blurb. I just added it to my son's future library that I have been building for some years now. I hope this review will be of some help. Enjoy!Read full review
The book is in really good shape. I'm very pleased with it. So far, the book's content is very good, however, from reviews of the story, it turns really dark and readers are disappointed. They say it's like two different stories. The first part, so far, is very descriptive and even poetic. But that has nothing to do with the condition of the book itself, which is very good.
Being from Northern Wisconsin, I could really relate to the setting of the story. I found the character of Edgar and his favorite dog very compelling and the book a page-turner. Because I was not very satisfied with the ending, I went to the internet where I reviewed a log blog from other readers. The answer to the better understanding of the story lies in reviewing Hamlet. A modern-day story with some Shakespearean plot lines.
I found the book to be too long. It seemed that the author was trying to make the book longer by infusing a lot of dog commands and weather incidentals. The story could have been told in half the volume.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This was a book I did not want to end. As I was closer and closer to finishing it, I found myself rereading past chapters and slowed my pace as I did not want to leave Edgar and his dogs. The author's descriptive verse is exceptional. I appreciated his understanding and insight of the dogs. I feel his knowledge has enhanced the relationships I share with animals. As a person who understands sign language, I could easily visualize the conversations between Edgar, his mother, and his dogs. It added to the beauty of the story. I rarely read a book more than once, but this is a story I plan to return to.
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