Snitch

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are The Trouble with Liberty, Zee’s Way, and Chat Room.

Josh is an angry teenager. His parents are dead, and though his older
brother, Andrew, has rescued Josh from a group home, the situation is
less than ideal. Andrew, his wife Miranda, and their baby son live in a
small one-bedroom apartment. There is barely room for the three of them,
let alone a teenaged boy, and Miranda takes every opportunity to let
Josh know his presence is an imposition. Arguments between the two are a
daily occurrence. To make matters worse, Josh’s friend has turned him
in for stealing, and as a form of anger management therapy and penance
for his crime, Josh has to complete a dog-training program. Along with
other teen offenders, he must learn how to retrain abused animals so
that they once again trust people and are no longer a danger to society.

Initially Josh thinks this will be a relatively painless process, but
when he discovers that an old enemy is in the program and that the boy
who snitched on him to the cops is one of the instructors, the sessions
quickly turn into an ordeal. Moreover, training dogs is hard work, and
Josh must change his outlook in order to succeed. It is a daunting task,
made even more difficult when Josh is set up to take the fall for a
crime he didn’t commit.

Part of the Orca Soundings series for reluctant readers, this novel
should appeal to teens, especially boys. Recommended.