Dan Gemeinhart

*Trigger Warnings: Grief, remembering death of parent and siblings, Covid-19

It’s been almost a year since Coyote and her dad settled down in a small Oregon town. But just as their lives were being close to “normal”, Coyote finds a box containing her mom’s ashes that was hidden in the bus and she thinks she’s ready to say goodbye. When Covid-19 hits and school is canceled, it’s the perfect time. The only problem - Coyote doesn’t know where her resting place is supposed to be. Her mom wrote it in a book of poetry that Coyote mistakenly sold last year on the road. Now, it’s up to Coyote to find the book so she can tell her dad where her mom’s resting place should be - all without her dad knowing she lost the book in the first place. Firing up their trusty bus, Yager, Coyote and her dad are ready to hit the road with some old friends and ready to discover some new ones.

Ah - Coyote and her dad have held a special place in my heart since reading about their first adventure. When I saw there was a sequel I immediately grabbed a copy as soon as I could.

This book is about moving on to the next chapter of your life and, even if it’s scary, accepting change, and finding things.

“…Finding ashes and finding books and finding friends and finding where you belong and finding clues and finding wings and finding a way and then, at the end, finding peace, Because we lose a lot, all of us on our journeys. There’s no way around that. But we find a lot, too, if we’re lucky. And I was.”

This book is aimed at middle grade readers, but I think those of all ages will enjoy it. Coyote is only thirteen in this novel, and she’s dealing with big emotions and grief of her mother and sisters death - so some may not like how she reacts to things - but, as someone who lost her dad at the age of twelve, the grieving process is weird and I hope think this novel will hope young readers in their own grieving processes. The characters will dig their way into your heart and you’ll think about them long after the last pages.

*Thank you Henry Holt and Co and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review… (more)

{My thoughts} – Brodie is a wonderful dog. He’s a faithful companion to his boy Aiden. He enjoys his time with Aiden: the playing, the snuggling, everything. Brodie loves Aiden and Aiden loves Brodie.

Brodie ends up going to an in between place once he passes away. He meets a number of other dogs there that haven’t quite decided to move onto forever yet. He meets a particular dog named Tuck and those two become close pals.

Brodie decides he’d like to go back to check up on Aiden. Tuck decides he’s going to go with him. This begins their adventure of learning that not everything is as it seemed before when they were living.

I really enjoyed this book as it shows how unbreakable a bond between a child and their dog truly is. It shows that even though things seem like they might not have a good ending that their is still a possibility and opportunity for hope to overcome all misconceptions.

Brodie and Aiden were a match made in heaven. Hopefully sometime in the distant distant future they will be given an opportunity to be together again.… (more)

Three and a half stars for this sequel. I loved the first book and was really pleased to hear there was a second one. I liked this story. The characters are always so funny and quirky which makes them appealing. Coyote is such a kind person; it is easy to read about her adventures and interactions with people. My favorite part was the friendships her and her dad make on their journeys. I was put off that the story takes place during Covid. Numerous references to "masking up" and sanitizer applications. Business and restaurants closed, etc. I really don't want to read about that. Overall, though, it was great to revisit with Coyote and her father. I received a complimentary e-book from the publisher in exchange for a review.… (more)