Straydog

A powerful debut novel

A female collie mix, so beautiful, all gold and white and dirty; she’s in the last cage on the aisle, curled up quiet, watching everything — but when I get too close she goes completely crazy, biting at the bars, herself, anything in reach, until I back off and away. Her growl’s like ripping metal, jagged, dangerous, and strong ... Don’t mess with me, that growl says. I may be in a cage but I can still bite.

Rachel is happiest when she’s volunteering at the animal shelter, especially after she meets the feral collie she names Grrl: they’re both angry and alone. When a teacher encourages her to write about the dog, Rachel finds another outlet for her pain and frustration. Writing about Grrl is easy. But teaching Grrl to trust her is a much tougher task. And when Griffin, the new boy in school, devises a plan to bring Grrl home, Rachel finds that the dog isn’t the only one who must learn to trust.

Kathe Koja offers a raw and emotional tale about a girl who risks breaking out of her own cage to find the help she needs.

• Author
• Kathe Koja

• Format
• hardcover

• Pages
• 112

• Publisher
• Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

• Language
• english

• ISBN
• 978-0-374-37278-1

• EAN
• 9780374372781

• Genres
• animals, fiction, contemporary, dogs, teen, novels

• Release date
• 2002