Red Rover

January 15, 2021
Hell's hound comes home to torment a girl and her family in this gruesome, dread-filled slow burner. On the side of the road sits a German shepherd, blindfolded and muzzle duct-taped shut. For the Tanners--Mom, Dad, sixth grader Amy, and her 6-year-old sister, Katie--such an act is reprehensible. They wonder how anyone could be so cruel. The Tanners rescue the dog, whom Katie immediately names Rover. Soon enough, Rover and Katie grow inseparable, and surrendering him to a shelter becomes unimaginable. Amy, however, notices that odd things happen around Rover. A bully suddenly experiences a nasty bout of sickness, the Tanners' other dog is deathly afraid of the new arrival, and strange tech disturbances abound. After a disastrous incident at the school science fair, Amy becomes the target of Rover's ire. She is plagued by nightmares, doors and drawers slam shut on their own, and before she knows it, Amy's dad falls prey to a kitchen "accident." Rover's getting bolder. Can Amy protect her family from one hellish creature? Krovatin piles on the terror, one incident after the other, with seeming ease, slowly unfurling the extent of the trouble the Tanners find themselves in. It makes for an enthralling read, and the author gamely raises the stakes with each chapter. Though a little longer than needed, this tale's nonetheless sure to entice fans of canine horror. The book follows a White default. All bite, no bark. (Horror. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.