Review - I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery, cover art by Keith Robinson, published by Walker Books
Rebel is content on the farm and life is good. Bacon in the morning, Top Field with Tom during the day taking care of the sheep and chasing sticks, lamb stew and Tom's bed at the end of the day.
But all that is about to change.
Taxes are rising and the punishment for those unable to pay is severe; to risk not doing so means losing your farm, your home, possibly your life. So when the guardsmen come knocking, Tom's parents are keen to keep quiet, find the money somehow and stay safe. But Tom has other ideas.
Angry at the unfairness of it, Tom joins the Reds, leaving his home and his beloved Rebel behind to travel with the rebel group to the High Castle to overthrow the king.
Worried about his friend and desperate to find him and stop him putting himself in harm's way, Rebel sets out after Tom and so begins an incredible journey filled with danger, friends and foes and survival.
It is also a journey full of meditations on friendship, connection, loyalty and what's important in life, all of which are cleverly and unassumingly delivered through the voices of Rebel and his begrudging companion Jaxon (who is a particularly wonderful character, complex and layered despite his initial no-nonsense demeanour.) There's a warmth, a humour and a lightness of touch to this being written from the viewpoint of the dogs, and yet there's a real depth to it too, with much to mull over.
It's a book which shows the extraordinary lengths we will go to for those we love, the effect one can have on another and the importance of having someone in your corner. It also highlights the unexpected generosity that can come from the most unlikely of places when we open ourselves up to others, to asking for help, to trying to help. It is a book which, without being in any way patronising or sanctimonious, quietly extols the benefits of kindness.
It is also an original take on the coming of age tale as we see Tom questioning the life and views he has been brought up with and beginning to think about the path he wants to create for himself. There's more than a hint of teenage rebellion amidst the political one brewing around him; in Tom there is a sense of the fire and confidence and righteous anger and invincibility of youth that makes them strive for what they believe in, in a way that often seems to diminish as we age with caution, apathy, disillusionment or fear so often winning out.
Rebel's own musings and reactions to seeing the world beyond the farm gates work so well to mirror this idea of growing up, branching out, exploring a world bigger than the one you know too.
If you are an animal lover, you will love this. The dog's narration and animal dialogue - reminiscent of Phil Earle's Until the Road Ends, Sara Pennypacker's Pax or Carlie Sorosiak's I, Cosmo - will have all dog-owners heart-eyed and looking for a furry tummy to tickle, especially Rebel's desperation to be a "good dog" and a loyal friend.
And if, like me, you're not - you'll still love it. The friendships, the ideas, the writing, the characters - this is a wonderful, warm-hearted adventure story that is perfectly plotted and paced with that wonderful sort of chapter ending that leaves you wanting to read 'just one more....'
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