A pitbull with a gentle spirit finds new purpose with the help of a ragtag team of dogs.
The last thing Ninja wants to do is harm other dogs. Unfortunately, she belongs to Mr. Ferguson, a slovenly, mean-spirited man who adopts strays to have them fight one another. When Ninja throws a fight, Mr. Ferguson leaves her bloodied and waiting for the nearby wolves to finish her off.
Luckily, the badly wounded Ninja is discovered by the other abused dogs who have been left for dead by Mr. Ferguson. Having banded together, they now secretly inhabit the tunnels of his junkyard. Given the new name of Maytag to help shed her time as a fighting dog, she forms friendships with those who saved her, only to again find danger in a vengeful wolf, a territorial former fighting dog, and the always awful Mr. Ferguson.
Though Ninja/Maytag’s story is the focus, other dogs have important roles in this book. Dodge, the German Shepherd leader of the rescuers, works hard to keep his group of dogs safe, and his pup, Fiat, is feisty and desperate to prove himself. The grunting, snorting, chatty pug, Weber, offers comic relief during tense moments with his lack of filter, and the well-intentioned Ruby tries hard to make amends with the other dogs since she lives in the big house with Mr. Ferguson.
While intended for a younger audience, the content includes explicit depictions of animal cruelty and is less of a cuddly romp and more of a story about survival and community. Mr. Ferguson, a chain-smoking bully driven by greed, is quick to punish and use his gun on animals—the true villain of the story. There are animals at odds with one another, but Reilly does a good job of showcasing how they have had to fend for themselves at any cost. It’s haunting, gritty realism for the teens and tweens who have yet to discover the dangers their favorite household animals might face.
Reilly has built a complex, compelling world with these junkyard dogs. The tunnels they navigate add real tension and visualization to the plot; we’re constantly on edge and worrying the dogs will be discovered.
What gets a bit confusing is the use of abandoned items to inspire new names for the animals. While the renaming of the animals makes total sense as a way of shedding their prior lives, it becomes somewhat difficult to keep track of. However, the use of colorful illustrations step in to save the day to provide the clear vision we need.
This is an invigorating story with unexpectedly complex character development. Reilly makes it easy to root for these dogs and their survival. Though it is not always an easy read, the sentiment about community is lovely, and there is a nice underlying feeling of hope throughout.
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