About The Book
Stupendo the dog has died. But that’s just the beginning of his story.
To love and protect. The code of the good dog is clear. When single mother Tuesday took on mongrel pup Stupendo, she made a friend for life. Through the best and the worst of times, Stupendo has been there for her. Ever faithful, ever loyal, ever true. Nothing could break their bond. Until last week.
Stupendo doesn’t know why Tuesday is suddenly ignoring him or why his doggy antics no longer seem to soothe Baby William. It takes his worst enemy – the cat next door – to break the news that Stupendo has become a ghost.
Somehow left behind on Earth, Stupendo knows he has unfinished business. Enlisting the help of the community of animals in the neighbourhood, Stupendo must get to the bottom of the very human sadness that hangs over his old home and keeps him from saying goodbye to Tuesday.
My Review
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Despite never having a dog this book appealed to me, I occasionally like to read something a bit different to the crime or historical fiction I usually read. And I thought it was wonderful.
This is Stupendo’s story, or Stupido, as his sometime friend Caligula calls him. You get to know him as a puppy, cast to one side when Kenton, the horrible boyfriend is around, guardian of baby William and good friends with all the other animals who live nearby. Like him, it’s difficult for the reader to accept that he is a ghost dog for much of the novel.
I found this to be an extremely original novel, I really enjoyed reading about Stupendo’s relationship with Tuesday. The way he thought he manipulated her into treats, his matchmaking efforts with Zena, his guide dog friend, his caring nature with William and most of all his adoration of Tuesday.
The humans in the novel also had an impact on me. It would be impossible to dislike Tuesday, her friends Emily, Elvis, and Andrew and all feature heavily. But there were three others who were minor characters who in a lot of ways had more of an impact. It’s hard to say why, without saying too much but I feel I can say that there will be people all over the world who are like them. And apart from the death of Stupendo, this was one of the saddest parts of the novel.
I loved everything about this book, even though the ending had me in tears. I would definitely read similar again.
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