Summary
Summary
A gripping family drama that brilliantly explores the relationship between a young girl and her dog--and the mysteries that lie within.
At the heart of this psychological suspense novel is the haunting depiction of a family's fall and the extraordinary gifted dog, Caity, who knows the truth. As the drama unfolds Caity evolves from protector to savior, from scapegoat to prop, and eventually, from avenger to survivor. She is an unselfish soul in a selfish world--and she is written with depth and grace by authors Ketchum and Mckee, who display a profound understanding of a dog's complex emotions. With her telling instincts and her capacity for joy and transformative love, Caity joins the pantheon of great dogs in contemporary literature.
Eleven year old actress Delia Cross is beautiful, talented, charismatic. A true a star in the making. Her days are a blur of hard work on set, auditions and tutors. Her family--driven, pill-popping stage mother Pat, wastrel dad Bart, and introverted twin brother Robbie--depends on her for their upscale lifestyle. Delia in turn depends on Caity, her beloved ginger Queensland Heeler--and loyal friend--for the calming private space they share. Delia is on the verge of a professional break through. But just as the contracts are about to be signed, there is a freak accident that puts Delia in the danger zone with only Caity to protect her.
Author Notes
Jack Ketchum has published twelve novels and several short story collections. He has won numerous Bram Stoker Awards, and four of his books were recently filmed as movies: The Lost (2001), The Girl Next Door (2005), Red (2008) and Offspring (2009). He lives in New York City.
Lucky McKee wrote and directed the cult favorite film "May," which in turn got him selected to write and direct an episode ("Sick Girl") in the first season of Showtime's Masters of Horror series, alongside such directors as Tobe Hooper, Dario Argento, Joe Dante, John Landis, and John Carpenter.
Reviews (2)
Kirkus Review
Eleven-year-old Delia, on whose acting career her parents have bet more than the house, proves a reluctant celebrity after being rescued from a bedroom fire by her dog, Caity.Delia and Caity have a special relationship, one that provides the girl with safe harbor from her parents' ugly marriage. Supported by her TV commercials, her mother, Pat, and father, Bart, sink deeper into indulgence, the former popping pills and sleeping with her daughter's agent, the latter puttering with expensive classic cars and largely ignoring Delia's introverted twin brother, Robbie. When Delia signs up for a network sitcom starring the popular Veronica Smalls, the future couldn't look greener. But that dream is destroyed by the fire, which emanates from the seemingly haunted dollhouse Delia inherited from her mother. The heroic Caity (to whose deep musings we are privy) not only busts out of a cage to save Delia, but also climbs up a tree and crashes through a door. The burned girl and dog seem perfect for Pearl, the queen of daytime talk shows. But when Delia resists being portrayed as a victim, the outwardly congenial hostalready put out by Pat's demandsreveals the cutthroat qualities that got her to the top. Full of enjoyably nasty touches, this co-authored effort takes its place alongside Megan Abbot's recent You Will Know Me as one of the darkest and shrewdest novels about greedy parents and unthinkingly abused children. The book's supernatural aspects aren't as rewarding as they could be, but there is no shortage of eerie satisfactions.Novelist Ketchum and screenwriter McKee deliver an otherworldly, satirically streaked thriller about a precocious young actress, her psychically bonded dog, and her increasingly unhinged stage mother. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Delia and her dog, Caity, have a special bond. They're connected in ways the rest of her family doesn't understand not her stage-mom, Pat, not her spendthrift dad, not even her twin brother, Robbie, gets it, though he loves Caity, too. With Caity's support, Delia can do anything, including become the next big sitcom star at only 11 years old. But just as she's about to get her big break, a prank turns to tragedy. Delia is burned in a fire, saved by a desperate Caity an act that, somehow, links the two psychically. But Delia's parents have built their lives around her potential career, and they won't let go of the dream easily, no matter what Delia wants. As the family careers toward destruction, Caity (and through her, Delia) bears witness to every secret that tears them apart. With equal parts horror and suspense and a heavy sense of dread throughout, Ketchum and McKee have crafted a tightly wound thriller with elements of magic that is sure to keep readers turning pages until the violent end.--Platt, Diana Copyright 2016 Booklist