So, in honor of Memorial Day, I read Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam, by Cynthia Kadohata. It's about this dog, Cracker, who's going to be used as an army dog after her owner, eleven-year-old Willie finds out that he can't have dogs in his apartment. A seventeen-year-old guy named Rick decides to go off and fight in the army in Vietnam because he isn't particularly good at school and he doesn't want to be stuck working in his family's hardware store. (Great reason, right?) Cracker gets assigned to her handler, Rick, and as they go through the war, they have to work together as a team, and they forge a bond.
I don't really read war stories, but this was different. It was engrossing and realistic. I loved how Cracker acted like an actual dog, and Rick acted real too. Together, they wanted to "whip the world." They grew to care about each other and protected each other during fire. The author did a good job with making it feel real, but not too gory. I really enjoyed getting to know more about what the war was like, having never really learned about it much, and the story was told artfully. The characters were relatable. All in all, I loved this book, and would definitely recommend it if anyone wants to read a war story about Vietnam. 
I'm always wary of dog stories. The dog nearly always dies (Lassie, anyone?) However this sounds too cool! Though I'd probably rather work in a hardware store then go to war. Just me, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI hate dog books for that reason. However, the dog does not die. You can rest easy, Cait.
DeleteYeah, maybe Rick didn't make the smartest choice, but it all turned out okay... relatively, anyway.
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