What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1. *Pup is the youngest child of eight siblings. He typically tries to fly under the radar and just "squeak" by.
2. *His large family continues to deal with the loss of Patrick, one of the eight siblings. They each are handling the loss in their own way.
3. *Pup is barely passing his high-school classes and has been given one final chance to "UP" his grade in an art class. After taking a photo of one of his brothers passed out on the roof of their home, his life is about to take a turn.
4. *Slowly Pup begins to show an interest in photography and representing his life/situation through the images he captures on film.
5. *Not only does Pup have to deal with family issues, he encounters a stumble or two with his peers at school.
What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1. *Even though the novel is slated as young-adult, I felt it almost read as an adult novel. It certainly could meet the needs of both audiences.
2. *Pup was one special young man that unfortunately was dealt a poor hand and wasn't quite sure on how to play that hand.
3. *Being from a family with only one sibling, I'm always fascinated when I read about large families and their interactions.
4. *The story was definitely a character study, but there were a few plot "surprises" along the way.
5. *One, of many, strength in the book was the relationship between Pup and his older brother Luke. In some ways, Pup almost played the role of the older sibling.
Who Should Read It: As I mentioned, this is promoted as a young-adult novel, but I could see both adults and high-school readers enjoying the personal journey of Pup and his family. Happy Reading!
Rating: 4 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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