Rotten

Rotten

YA fiction
"'Bad news,' says Greg. "The judge will decide what to do with
the dog.'
'What do you mean, "what to do"?' I say, but that's not really a
question, either. He means whether to have him put to sleep, and I
know this is my fault. It's my fault because Mars is my friend. Or
he was."
When Jimmer Dobbs, protagonist of Michael Northrup's Rotten,
returns home from a summer in juvie, his mother has a surprise for
him: a rescue dog (rotweiller) that will belong to both of them.
Although the dog looks intimidating, he is terrified of adult males
and retreats when faced with a strange one. He'll only snap if
cornered.
One day Jimmer awakes to a bark, a shout, and the beginning of a
real life nightmare. Mars, an impulsive friend he's tried to keep
away from the dog until it becomes less high strung, is just outside
his yard. His hand is bitten and bleeding. Mars' parents take him to
the hospital. There's talk of permanent nerve damage. A law suit is
filed. Jimmer and his mother could lose their home and the canine
companion they've really come to care about.
I highly recommend this tale of courage and love practically
ripped from today's newspaper headlines.
On a personal note, I've had two lovely days with Joey cat getting
ready for Artsapalooza and making major progress organizing my house
for when I'm in grad school and time is tight. I'm an ambivert (yes,
this is a real word) which means I have traits of extroversion and
introversion. While I am really social and love people, I also
treasure my creative time. I call it the best of both worlds. I have
decided on a travel plan that will require spending very little
money. I am going to visit every library in Maine. Call it
Bibliotourism.
A great big shout out goes out to my faithful companion, Joey cat, and
all the faithful felines and caring canines who add so much to
people's lives.
jules hathaway


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