tells the story of one lonely old hound dog who decides to shelter a calico cat and her two kittens. Thus begins an unlikely but powerful relationship between the cat, the dog, and the kittens. But, even while they are safe hiding in the Underneath (under the house), danger lurks just beyond that place since Gar Face, the dog's owner, is a cruel and ruthless master. When one kitten ventures out of the safe place, it sets off a chain of events that has been waiting for many centuries...
Like many others who read this, I found the cover to be deceptive. This is not a happy animal tale. This book has cruelty and betrayal, loss and sorrow. It is very beautifully written and the stories (there are multiple threads) are each interesting. However, I was distracted with the jumping around from story to story a little disconcerting. The themes and ending are quite lovely, but I really hated Gar Face and found nothing redemptive about him. He was just mean through and through. I guess overall, I have mixed feelings about it.
RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->
There are a few frightening and violent things that happen.
Overall rating: ***
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The cover is really deceiving. I knew when I was reading it that it was Newbery material. It just had that feel to it.
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