I am Rebel
Rebel lives a comfortable life on a farm with young Tom and his parents. He is inseparable from Tom; he is Tom’s dog and Tom is his boy. Life is idyllic, until one day everything changes, when Tom leaves Rebel to join the Reds to fight a rebellion against the King and his cruel regime of double taxes and road permits against his people.
This is a wonderful adventure story with the unusual perspective of the main protagonist being a fearless, loyal, and clever dog. The story is fast-paced, and readers will enjoy the many characters Rebel meets on his journey including Pearl, the kindly donkey, Seamus the clever pig and Jaxon, an older wild dog who becomes Rebel’s guide. Throughout the story the readers are taken from the highest mountains where thunder shakes the treetops and rain-swelled rivers flow to bustling towns across vivid and well-constructed scenery. As well as themes of friendship, loyalty, family and justice, the relationship between animals and people is a recurring theme in the story, with interesting conversations take place between Rebel and Jaxon, who ridicules Rebel for his dependence on humans, calling Rebel to find within himself his ‘True Dog’. The action in the battle scene towards the end of the story quickens the pace of the narrative and will grip the reader.
Readers will love each of the animals we meet in this story but particularly the brave, clever and selfless Rebel.
