Review of Blood on the Scarecrow

[Kirsi Cultrera]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blood on the Scarecrow" by Glenn Canning.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Daniel Tanner did not even want a dog. When his friend Jim brought him a puppy for his birthday, his first thought was to take it back to the animal shelter. His friend did not know Daniel felt guilty about his parents dying in a car accident when he was only a little boy. After all, when it happened, they were on their way to pick up a puppy for Daniel. Now, staring at this cute creature in the eyes brought back some painful memories, accompanied by feelings of guilt and loneliness. Besides, Daniel thought he already had enough to worry about as he was trying to look after his demented grandpa. However, the dog seemed unaware of Daniel's thoughts. He made himself feel like home, and even grandpa liked him. The unexpected happened, and Daniel formed a bond with this dog before realizing it. Sambuca had come to stay.

Life seemed to settle nicely for Daniel, Sambuca, and grandpa. Then, one dreadful evening, Daniel interrupted a burglary at his house. Without Sambuca's interference, the burglars would have beaten him to death. Shortly after this unpleasant incident, more strange things started happening. First, a dog of Daniel's friend went missing. Then Sambuca disappeared. At first, no one thought of the possibility of some criminal activity. Then Daniel found a lead, and it dawned on him that something deathly and illegal was going on. However, Daniel was not ready to give up. Sambuca had just saved his life, and he needed to return the favor.

As if the situation wasn't already bad enough, grandpa's dementia suddenly got worse. He was losing his last grip on reality, and Daniel had no choice but to place him in a nursing home. Grandpa did not take this well, but even in his fragile state, he encouraged Daniel on his mission to find Sambuca. So, driven by his guilt and fears, Daniel set off. He was about to enter the craziest and scariest adventure of his life. Would he find Sambuca alive?

Glenn Canning's fictional debut novel, Blood on the Scarecrow, tells a heart-wrenching story of a friendship between a man and a dog. Daniel appeared to be a broken soul; the difficult experiences of losing loved ones had severely damaged his trust in people. However, we witness Daniel's old traumas slowly healing through his bond with Sambuca. I loved how this book tasted like real life and how the author showed what I already knew to be true. In some cases, animals are masters in healing broken minds. In addition, this book was a suspenseful adventure that brought up an important topic. Under our very noses, an illegal, cruel sport called dog fighting is still being practiced. It seems that Canning intended to raise awareness on the topic, and this book did an excellent job of that.

However, a few details in this book would benefit from polishing. Firstly, the cartoon-like cover was childish and did not create a realistic idea of the content. Secondly, the book's first half felt tedious; the author took his time to build the frame for the story, but his delivery could have been better. I struggled to understand how all details and characters would fit together. In addition, the story had some confusing inconsistencies that gave the entity a slightly unfinished feel. For example, the preface left me with the impression that Daniel's parents were going to a family gathering when their fateful car accident occurred. However, it was mentioned later in the book that they were on their way to pick up a puppy for Daniel. In my confusion, I went back to the preface. It took three rounds of re-reading before I realized where the connection to the puppy was.

Despite the flaws mentioned above, this well-edited book was a delightful reading experience. I am honored to rate it 4 out of 5 stars. The author is an avid storyteller, and I can't wait to read more of his works. However, I could not wholly ignore the few unsatisfying details, even though they are probably a product of the author's short experience as a writer. It is for those I removed one star from the rating.

This book included a few violent scenes that might disturb more sensitive readers. But, in general, I recommend it to every animal lover out there. In addition, I hope that some screenwriter finds this story; it would make a great movie.

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Blood on the Scarecrow
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[Damian Keyes]

I have to check this book out because dogs are one of the friendliest animals you will ever come across. Hopefully, Daniel is able to find Sambuca, before it is too late. Thank you for this well-written review.

[GCRam91]

Definitely sounds like a good one! Thanks for the review!

[Kirsi Cultrera]

I have to check this book out because dogs are one of the friendliest animals you will ever come across. Hopefully, Daniel is able to find Sambuca, before it is too late. Thank you for this well-written review.

Yes that is true, dogs are pretty amazing creatures. Thanks for taking the time to read my review!

[Bethsheda]

The author started the book in a slow-motion manner making it difficult and tedious to read, yes but according to me, the book is a must-read because the review clearly describes what the book entails and I love it. The review is well written and thanks for the exposure to the book.

[Kirsi Cultrera]

The author started the book in a slow-motion manner making it difficult and tedious to read, yes but according to me, the book is a must-read because the review clearly describes what the book entails and I love it. The review is well written and thanks for the exposure to the book.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review!