Official Review: Gentle Hero by Ace Mask

[katiesquilts]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gentle Hero" by Ace Mask.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Gentle Hero is the sequel to Ace Mask's first novel, Forever Stay. However, it can definitely stand alone as the author briefly describes the events of the first book, as well as how the characters got to where they were, in the beginning of the second book. The star of the novel, Kane, is a border collie with remarkable intelligence. Elizabeth, one of his owners, decides to have him certified as a therapy dog to help people like her brother, who is going through chemotherapy. However, one of Kane's first assignments is to help calm a young girl who is the key to solving a murder -- the only person who might have seen the murderer's face.

Gentle Hero is classified as YA fiction and is only 230 pages long. It took me a couple tries to get into it and I lost interest quickly within the first 50 pages or so, but once the action picked up I read straight through to the end. The author's writing style is a little formal, which would normally suit crime novels, but does not really suit the YA genre.

Besides my issues with the writing style, I also found over 10 minor mistakes in the novel. Almost all of them were punctuation errors. Another thing that bothered me was the ease with which Kane became certified. The instructor even mentioned that certification usually takes half a year, but she ended up giving Kane and Elizabeth an assignment on the same day! That felt rushed and unrealistic to me, even for a YA novel.

Thankfully, there were plenty of good things about the novel that canceled those errors out, at least in my mind. Kane is very intelligent, but that doesn't mean that he always understands what the humans are doing. Some of his inner monologues were hilarious to read and it was interesting to see things from a dog's perspective. Also, Elizabeth's brother, Ben, has autism and is going through chemotherapy. Not only is it great to see representation in YA novels, but Ben is such a trooper despite being so young and going through such a hard experience. He was really an inspiration to me.

I'll admit that I'm not exactly the target audience for this book. A part of me wants to rate it only 2 stars for being predictable and having all the issues I mentioned above. Although I enjoyed parts of it and was satisfied by the ending, I wouldn't necessarily want to read it again. However, I know plenty of younger people who would be thrilled by it, so I'm going to give Gentle Hero 3 out of 4 stars and just take one star away for the multiple errors and the rushed scenes. I'm definitely going to recommend this to some of my younger nieces and nephews, as well as friends with autistic children or those who have never thought of having therapy with a dog before. I'm sure after reading this book, they'll be convinced that therapy dogs are amazing.

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Gentle Hero
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Like katiesquilts's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Debjani Ghosh]

I am a sucker for books that feature animals and hence was drawn by the book cover. But I am not the target audience for this book, hence, I will skip this one. Thanks for the honest review.

[kandscreeley]

I love that Kane is the subject of the book. I'm interested to see how he helps to solve a murder. I have to be honest, though, I'm not sure I would get through the first few pages of monotony. That's always the worst for me. I can't tell you how many books have lost me that way. I might be able to push through if I know more is coming. I'll think on it. Thanks.

[HollandBlue]

Some inner dialogue from the dog's point of view is very imaginative, and I like the idea of a therapy dog helping an autistic boy and helping to solve a mystery too. I think I could overlook the negatives, so I'll probably give this book a try.

[inaramid]

I love the premise of this book. This might not be for me, but I can also think of some younger people who might be interested in this. Thanks for the review!

[fredrick otieno]

I love dogs, and in this case Kane is indeed a gentle heroe. Such a book would not only give a sweet warm feeling but also a warm feeling that Kane was mine. I would therefore read the book even with the few errors. Thanks for the review.

[T_stone]

I'm here imagining what and how the dog's inner dialogue would be like. This sounds like a very good book for young adults, and I won't mind reading this as well. Thanks for the review.

[Mindy Conahye]

I thought I might like to read this book. I'm now wondering if I might also struggle to get into it. I like that the main character is the dog. I like how your review highlighted the good parts and you made note that you aren't the target of YA. I like that you don't have to read the other books to know what's going on. I recently finished a book like that and it helped to not have to read the others to know what was going on in the third book in the series.

[gen_g]

I'm glad to hear that there is representation present, although it's a pity about the errors and the plot being rushed. Thanks for the review! (:

[wendos]

I mostly like when animals are featured in children's books, unlike other genres, although I may enjoy a bit in young adult genres. The book's premise is great and would make a good read.

[evan1995muniz]

A book about a cute doggo? sign me up lol. thanks for your review. I love dogs in all forms unfortunatly I do like more fantasy and horror genras. I do not think i would actually read it but it seems like a great book.

[Hiruni Bhagya 81]

I love that the author has used autism in a YA novel. It's important to teach children about people who are different from the norm and that their differences are not to be laughed at. So I feel like reading this book.

[Book Lover 35]

I like that it's from a dog's point of view. I like the summary. Thank you for the review!

[Franc93]

Nothing like a good old dog story to help you see the other side of life, but with the way this one was reviewed i will have to give it a pass. Cheers

[Rebalgal25]

I have not read this book but would love too as it seems interesting and being a dog fan I think I would enjoy it