Traumatized By a Middle Grade Read!

TITLE: A Home for Goddesses and Dogs
AUTHOR: Leslie Connor
PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books
PUBLISHING DATE: February 25, 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

Lydia knows more about death than most thirteen-year-olds. Her mother was already sick when her father left them six years ago. When her mother dies, it is Lydia who sits by her side. 

Fully orphaned now, Lydia follows the plan her mother made with her. She uproots to rural Connecticut to live with her “last of kin.” Aunt Brat, her jovial wife Eileen, and their ancient live-in landlord Elloroy welcome Lydia. Only days after her arrival the women adopt a big yellow dog. 

Lydia is not a dog person—and this one is trouble! He pees in the house, escapes into the woods, and barks at things unseen. His new owners begin to guess about his unknown past. 

Lydia doesn’t want to cause trouble for her new family—and she does not mean to keep secrets—but there are things she’s not telling . . . 

….like why the box of “paper stuff” she keeps under her bed is so important…

….and why that hole in the wall behind a poster in her room is getting bigger…

…..and why something she took from the big yellow dog just might be the key to unraveling his mysterious past—but at what cost? 

MY THOUGHTS: So let me start by saying I've really wavered on this rating.  In the end, I went with the higher option.  Let me explain.  I fully realize that I'm not the intended audience for this novel.  However, I am glad that us bloggers fully understand we can read what we want without being judged.  And with everything going on in the world, I wanted a nice fluffy MG book.  Well, wrong choice.  Once again, I probably didn't pay close attention to the synopsis and why would I?  Look at that cover!

So when this book starts out, Lydia, the 12-year-old MC's mother has died.  She is being picked up by her Aunt Brat, and going to live with her in a small Connecticut town.  Lydia's father walked out on her when she was seven, and her mother lived with a chronic heart condition.  Lydia's life has not been great.  Yet she and her mother made the best of it and spent lots of time together on art.  They made a collection of goddesses to celebrate the good and bad in their lives and these goddesses are moving to the country farm with Lydia.  Once there, her Aunt and her wife decide to adopt a new dog and he also comes with some baggage.  Lydia has to make new friends, mourn her mother and try not to be a burden to her new family while at the same time learning to be a dog person. 

So as you can tell, Lydia has been through a lot.  I understand why this book would be great for kids.  It delves a lot into relationships and loss.  Lydia's Aunt Brat and her wife also live with a crotchety old man, Elloroy, who is obsessed with his own death.  But man, Elloroy was one of my faves.  Several times a day he would lament the fact that he wasn't dead yet to the point it starts to become a household joke.  I also fell in love with Guffer, the beautiful dog on the cover.

So you may be asking what was the problem.  Well let me tell you.  First, there was baby pygmy goat abuse.  Serious abuse as in they are found with two back hooves and their ears cut off!  The MG me wouldn't want to read about that.  And then, SPOILER ALERT!!!!! Guffer wakes up one morning and can't walk.  His back end is practically paralyzed.  They have to take him outside with the help of a towel because he's a large dog.  And he needs emergency surgery to live.  Well, he does live, but my precious Booker T didn't so I didn't need to relive that either.

All in all though none of my issues were the author's fault. Well maybe the goats but SPOILER ALERT!!!!! they live too. There is lots to love about this book and it teaches a lot of great lessons.  Lydia is a wonderful kid and she deserves some wonderful things to happen for her.  If I haven't sent you screaming for the hills yet and you enjoy MG, then pick this up.  It deserves some attention.

RATING: 4 PAWS