Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor - ADVISABLE

Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor, 280 pages. Farrar Straus, Giroux (Macmillan), 2018. $16.99. 

Language: G, Mature Content: G, Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL, MS – ADVISABLE.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Mavis is moving again. This time her mom has taken a job as housekeeper for a wealthy family in Alabama. Rose isn’t high and mighty like her mother, so she and Mavis hit it off well. Rose admires Mavis’ perky personality and together they pal around the neighborhood. When they hear there’s an old greyhound on the loose in the woods, they decide to capture him for the neighborhood gatekeeper who hasn’t been happy since his dog died. The plan backfires, and the dog they name Henry, is sent back to the Wonderland racetrack.

The chapter narration alternates between Mavis, Rose and Henry. Yes, Henry, the dog, narrates part of the book. This adds an element of fantasy which didn’t work for me. There is a bit of tug of war over whether this book wants to be more about friendship or dogs. Mavis’ character is executed beautifully, but the remaining cast needed more development. It doesn’t have the punch of either Wish or How to Steal a Dog, but it still has enough appeal to make the dog loving crowd happy.

Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, Media Specialist