Overview

Central Illinois - 1979 Thirteen-year-old Spencer MacElliott is a kid in trouble. Hit by his drunken, abusive father at home, and hitting others at school, Spence is on the verge of being expelled from his eighth-grade class at Halvdale Junior High. Seeking refuge from the violence of his rust belt town, Spence spends every spare minute volunteering at Pal's Place, an animal shelter far outside the city limits. It's there that he forms a bond with Blue, a battle-scarred pit bull who has managed to escape from a ruthless out-of-state dogfighter. When Spence's father dies during a mysterious ""domestic incident"" his son, with a reputation as a troublemaker and fighter, becomes the main suspect in his death. Facing a stint in juvenile hall, or worse, Spence vows to keep a low profile-but the more he tries to avoid trouble, the more trouble seems to find him. After Blue is kidnapped by the dogfighter, Spence must make a choice: protect himself or save his new best friend. Crossing two states by foot, bike, bus and train, Spence follows Blue's trail, finally finding him locked inside a rusty crate at the dogfighter's compound. That was the easy part. The hard part? Freeing Blue and getting them both safely back home without resorting to the violence that has plagued Spence's family for generations.

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From Publishers Weekly's BookLife Reviews (9/30/24) ""Schulze's moving debut, a coming-of-age story set at the end of the 1970""s, offers a clear-eyed look at violent encounters, finding a self, and-blessedly-a lot of dogs. ""The narrative unfolds from Spencer's deceptively offhanded perspective, with readers given continuous insights into this 13-year-old's observations and internal monologues. Schulze does a good job of personifying a teenager, and the sarcastic minimalism of the tone recalls Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. But there's a lot more action here, much of it exciting and dramatic yet written with compelling realism. Readers will not find it hard to believe that it is a 13-year-old both handling and narrating these events."" ""Heartwarming coming-of-age story of escaping abuse and the love of a dog.""

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