Kim V. reviewed on 1/4/2010 + 54 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

Full disclosure: I am a pet owner. Specifically, I have three cats (two Siamese and one domestic shorthair) and two dogs (both Labrador Retrievers). The joy that my furry crew bring into my life is commensurate with the destruction that they cause (carpets used as scratching posts, furniture as teething toys and assorted electronics and apparel as edible snacks). And don't get me started on the retirement funds spent on vet bills (the local emergency vets know my gang by name!). Still I have never in my life been petless â a furry face has always been a part of my family. All this is my longwinded way of saying that any book that features a furry face has me from the cover, so with my admitted bias, below is my review of Cowboy & Wills.

When Monica Holloway's son, Wills, is diagnosed with autism she flees to the pet store to purchase an aquatic fish wonderland. This is a pattern that repeats itself with each blow that the family suffers â bad news leads to a new fill-in-the-blank pet: hermit crab; land turtle; hamster; rabbit; and, eventually, the top of Wills' pet wish â a puppy!

When Cowboy Carol Lawrence, a female golden retriever, enters Wills' life he begins to enter the world around him. Holloway describes the stark transformation:

With Cowboy in between himself and the crowd, Wills was able to answer most of their [his classmates'] questions. Everyone suddenly now knew Wills. We'd hit an unexpected gold mine. Wills was making his social debut. Cowboy on her purple leash, was leading Wills into the world of his peers, one that both terrified and beckoned him.

Without revealing any spoilers, Cowboy & Wills is a touching three hanky tribute to the powerful bond of a boy and his dog.

Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (October 6, 2009), 288 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

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