Rating: ★★★★★
Plot
Cameron and his mom have been on the run for five years. His father is hunting them. At least, that’s what Cameron’s been told.
When they settle in an isolated farmhouse, Cameron starts to see and hear things that aren’t possible. Soon he’s questioning everything he thought he knew and even his sanity.
Review
I'm actually not sure why I wanted to read The Dogs. I think I liked the cover, but I also think I had no idea how creepy it would be, which is another time I've learned that reading the summary of a book would actually be a good thing. However, in this case, I'm kinda glad I didn't. Based on that summary, I would have never picked The Dogs, but I am so happy that I did. Even thought The Dogs is a scary story, it's not horror - it's more about what tricks your mind can play and how reliable our gut instinct usually is.
Cameron is an amazing unreliable narrator. At the beginning of the book, Cameron starts seeing the ghost of a boy who lived in his new house before him. Throughout the story, this presence becomes more and more strong and as a reader, you doubt whether or not Cameron is actually seeing this ghost or is imagining him. At times, the ghosts teaches us right information, but at the other moments, he seems nothing more than a fragment of Cameron's imagination. The great thing is that he also doubts whether the ghost is real, which makes it so much easier for the reader to relate to him - who wouldn't doubt something like that? (answer: a ton of YA characters)
The other thing I liked was the intertwining of several different plots. I can't say too much without spoiling the book, but the story of Cameron's family and the family that lived in the house before him seamlessly merge together towards the end of the story. This is done by Allan Stratton in an effortless way that makes you only realise the similarities at the end of the story.
Overall, The Dogs is an original take on the suspense and paranormal YA genre. Cameron is a great main character that guides you through the story as a reader and gives just enough information to keep you going. This book is a must-read for anyone who likes history, ghosts and finding out if you ever can be too curious.