Review-Hangabout: Far from Home

Of course, after all my good intentions to start posting book reviews, I sort of let that fall to the wayside. However, I have been (and plan to continue) posting review shorts on my Jo Allen Ash YouTube channel. Still, those are shorts, and most books require more than a fifteen to thirty second review.

So, I’ll start with this one, with Hangabout: Far from Home by Ree Augustine. This is a children’s book, as you may be able to tell from the title. You can certainly tell from the cover. I, however, mistakenly thought it was a picture book (and I love children’s picture books, even though my kids are all grown). Hangabout: Far from Home is actually a novel for children, although perhaps for children who are old enough to be proficient readers, unless they have a willing adult to read it to them.

Hangabout is a young dog whose owner can no longer take care of him, for a variety of reasons. Without giving anything away, Hangabout abruptly finds himself in the position of desperately trying to find his way back to his owner. First, however, he has to figure out where, exactly, he is. He has relied on his keeper for everything up to that point and now must rely on his own wits.

Like certain old Disney movies, for example, Ol’ Yeller–which I believe was a book before being made into a Disney movie–this book pulls no punches. I found myself occasionally flinching and wondering where the tale would take little Hangabout, because I surely wanted a happy ending for this pup (which, if memory serves, was not the case for poor Ol’ Yeller).

There are a series of mishaps Hangabout faces alone, but eventually he gains the companionship of a cantankerous yet wonderful old cat and together they head out on their mission to find Hangabout’s home. The reader will soon learn what they are really searching for is a reminder goodness and kindness still exist in the world.

Exciting, suspenseful, occasionally distressing, this story does, indeed, have a heartwarming ending and a compelling story to reach that point. I cheered the two animals on throughout and was so glad when they found the happiness they both deserved. I am going to recommend this book for mature young readers and any adult who enjoys stories such as these. 🙂

This book is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as other retailers.