Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart

It's rare to come across a book with so much heart, friendship and paws so when I did see this book on the shelf I immediately picked it up and devoured it.

Brodie was a good dog and I say "was" because he is now in an in between place where dead animals go to hang out. He senses that his owner, who he calls "his boy" needs him and so he makes the tough decision to go back to the physical realm. He is able to do so but as you might expect there are a few strings attached. His boy is facing some challenges of his own but how will Brodie be able to help his former owner if he can no longer touch him, or anything for that matter?

For a mission of this magnitude, Brodie can't go it alone and along the way he meets Tuck, the faithful friend who is the perfect foil for the more thoughtful, deliberative Brodie. He also meets Patsy, an alley cat who is as streetwise as they come and shows the dogs how to move around now that they are in physical form.

Brodie's boy is in danger from someone he loves and so the trio of animals are in a race against time to save him. There is more danger too with a pack of evil demon dogs who have their own evil motives for hunting Brodie and co.


The question of whether we have souls is a tricky one but I think the ending was handled in a very satisfactory manner. My takeaway from this novel is that bullies come in all shapes and sizes but with a little bit of heart we can stand up to them. I recommend this book for ages 9 and up.