Good Boy
Author: Mal Peet
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
ISBN:1781128529
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes
We have all had nightmares, whether we are young or older, but what if your nightmares were a premonition of a future event?
This is the premise of Mal Peet's new story, with young Sandie Callan who has had constant nightmares where she is haunted by a black dog. The only person who gives her any comfort is her mother, but she can't always be there; not when Sandie goes to school most days and has to cope with the effect the nightmares have on her waking life.
The psychological impact of the nightmares gets worse as Sandie finds she can't cope with daily life, such as lessons and tests. She is still haunted by the black dog from her dreams and only her psychologist, Aziza can shed some light on why she is getting them.
Usually, a black dog is supposed to signify depression in adults and this is what Aziza thinks Sandie has, but hasn't accepted it. Yet she couldn't be more wrong about Sandie's condition as the story progresses. Aziza even thinks she might have a fear of dogs, so suggests it might be a good idea for her to get a dog, as it might ease her nightmares. Sandie warms to the idea of having a companion with her most times, though if she can't move on, she might not be able to go for her career in the Police force as she wanted to.
Mal Peet is the award-winning author of young adult fiction such as Keeper, Tamar and Life: An Exploded Diagram and Beck, and this new novel has the right kind of suspense, drama and feeling needed for that Halloween feeling. The reason this is worthy of a read is the story at first isn't what you might think, but a prelude to a future event that makes the haunting references so interesting. Good Boy is a tale of the positive that can come from negativity and could be one of Barrington Stoke's best stories to date.
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