The Dogs by Alan Stratton is a psychological/horror thriller about a boy and his mother who are on the run from the violent husband who has apparently been stalking them for some time. Aimed at a YA audience, the author does an excellent job of exploring the mindset of a young boy who is under a permanent state of dread and self-doubt.

Their latest move has brought Katherine and Cameron to the small rural town of Wolf Hollow. They are renting an isolated farm house that Cameron discovers has a number of strange stories attached to it. Cameron is tired of living in constant fear, and he’s never quite sure whether his father is the evil person his mother claims, or if his mother is paranoid. When he starts to feel watched and then comes into contact with a ghostly being, again we are not sure if this is really happening or if it’s all in Cameron’s head. As more strange things happen, Cameron is feeling desperate so he reaches out to his father, inadvertently letting his father know where they are.

The Dogs is a gripping and insightful story that is well written and builds to a dramatic climax. The horror isn’t overdone, yet there are chilling moments of both the supernatural and of domestic abuse. ( )

I don't remember the last time I finished a book in one day. It means something about the nature of the writing and the immediate attraction to the plot.
I admit I was skeptical at first because I'm less attached to stress nor dark books, but it was just fantastic; from beginning to end.
It is a relatively a short book, and not too hard to understand it's plot. On the other hand, it is interesting and exciting. ( )

It was gripping from the start... Couldn't put it down! ( )

Molto carino, un thriller per ragazzi ma che può essere anche letto dagli adulti. ( )

Cameron and his mom have been on the run for years trying to escape his abusive father. Trying to get as far away as possible, his mother moves them to a house in the middle of a cornfield near a small town where she thinks they will be safe. While exploring the house, Cameron stumbles into the basement where he feels that someone is watching him. After he discovers eerie drawings in the basement closet, he sets out to discover who was the boy that drew them and what happened to him.

Although this book is somewhat of a ghost story, in my opinion, the central theme is about families that have gone through domestic abuse and what its aftermath may be like. While Cameron is trying to figure out what exactly happened to the previous tenants, his mother starts believing that he is going crazy and is going to turn out like his abusive father. At the same time, Cameron starts to question if his father really was abusive or if his mother has made the abuse up.
Overall, it's a good read that will have you wondering until the very end ( )