Based on the synopsis, I was so freaking excited for this book.

But.... as someone who is heavily involved with animal rescues and is an owner of two reactive dogs... the whole Gooseberry plot line made me VERY uncomfortable on so many levels. For one, it's completely unrealistic that a rescue would bring out a dog they know is fearful and reactive so a random kid can see him... I also don't buy that a foster family would agree to adopt a dog for a foster kid they've had for less than 24-hours... and that a rescue would let them walk out with a reactive dog after talking to them for a few minutes. Then we have B completely ignoring Gooseberry's body language because THEY know what's better for the dog than the dog does. Honestly, they're lucky they didn't get bit because Gooseberry was giving enough cues about his anxiety levels and doing everything he could to tell B to back off and B kept pushing. I get that most of the whole "I'm going to train Gooseberry to be a therapy dog in a month" and how unrealistic the timeframe was can be chalked up to B just being a kid... but still this poor dog! I hope that no kid reading this book thinks they can do the same thing with a dog like Gooseberry because it will end poorly. This is not a cute story about a struggling kid and a dog that needs a chance finding each other and discovering happiness. This is a story where almost every interaction with Gooseberry is dangerous because of how untrained the humans handling the dog are.

I also struggled with B's actions throughout most of the novel... y'all this is a stressful read with how angsty it is. B is clearly coded as a kid that's undiagnosed and on the spectrum... and this is somewhat resolved in the end of the book, but it did not make for a fun reading experience. This might not be as much of an issue for a tween, but as an adult I strongly disliked how B treated most of the people around them all the time.

There was a lot of potential for this to be a sweet and powerful story, but I couldn't get past the misses with the Gooseberry plot line.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, ABRAMS Kids, and Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This was a cute, wholesome, hopeful middle-grade read about a young person called B who’s just trying to figure themselves out with the help of their friends, foster parents and newfound furry best friend, Gooseberry. This book is filled with so many gorgeous characters disrupting heteronormative and neurotypical norms, and I just hope it helps a few kids who feel like their differences are a bad thing realise that differences are something to be celebrated.

I did find myself occasionally wishing for B to make different decisions, mainly around their training of Gooseberry. Gooseberry is a stray who’d been abused in a former home, and considering B wants to be a dog trainer and dogs are one of their special interests, they often get frustrated at Gooseberry’s reluctance to learn or make irresponsible choices. However, you have to remind yourself that B’s just a kid, and a kid who’s had an extremely tough time of it.

I loved their friendship circle, and it definitely reminded me of my own little circle of wonderful weirdos growing up. Gow does a marvellous job of depicting the ups and downs of school - spending all day with your pals, bullies, good teachers, teachers with good intentions but who still cause harm, all the frustrations and small joys of a school day. Jodie and Eri, B’s foster mothers, are also wonderful and show what a massive impact a bit of understanding and consideration for people’s differences and needs can have.

The writing was a little bit stilted at times though - too many likes and justs, which people definitely do use but to that extent? Unsure. But still, v heartwarming little book and who doesn’t love a wholesome story about dogs!

I really enjoyed B's journey! It was really wonderful seeing them grow and get the support they needed. This was such a unique and easy to read take on some very heavy subjects.

B has been bounced around to different foster families for as long as they can remember. So much so that they’ve had to come up with different nicknames for each of the houses they’ve stayed at. Through it all, they’ve always dreamed of becoming a dog trainer. And when they meet the dog Gooseberry, they know that he’s the dog for them.

The only problem? Trying to convince their new foster parents, Eri and Jodie, to adopt Gooseberry. When they finally get to bring Gooseberry home, training him isn’t as easy as they thought. Will they be able to train him enough to be able to stay?

Thanks to NetGalley and Amulet Books for an advanced copy of Gooseberry by Robin Gow to review! First of all, let’s talk about that cover. From the adorable dog to the color palette, I love everything about it. I think it will definitely draw kids in, too!

Gow has a knack for writing such authentic middle grade voices. For a lot of the book, B is trying to figure out who they are, especially when it comes to their name. They want to pick something that feels right to them, which is a hard thing to do!

In addition, they’re also learning about the other ways they might be different, too (mainly autism and ADHD). The way their new foster parents, Eri and Jodie, handle this is beautifully done. Yes, B makes frustrating decisions at times, but it’s a part of growing up. They’re learning, both in a place that actually makes them feel safe and in who they actually are.

At its core, this is really a story about learning to be okay with change and finding your place in the world. Both worthy themes for a middle grade novel. Definitely check it out when it comes out this May!

Anything that Robin Gow writes is an immediate yes for our store, but this book is special. As a nonbinary adult who loves a found family book - this one made me cry and hug my rescue dog tight.

I am looking forward to stocking this book as I know so many readers who will see themselves in B just like I did 🥰

I would not normally read Children's fiction (I think this is labelled as middle grade), but I am non-binary and going through the phase of wanting a dog. So the description along with the cover art called to me. With this booked being aimed at a younger audience, it made it very easy for me to read. I read it on my phone via NetGalley and it was easy to pick up sporadically whilst still feeling submerged in the story. This is a tale of good feeling, and although some plot points seem almost too good to be true, there is still a lot of struggle our MC B goes through.
I especially liked the use of the ze/zer pronouns. I have not met someone who outwardly uses them and I myself would never have considered those pronouns when changing my own pronouns to they/them, as neo pronouns seemed confusing. At first the use of ze/zer was jarring, but by the end of the book they flowed as easily as any pronouns I has been using for years. I think this is a great demonstration of how we only need to give time and practice, and the unfamiliar can soon become familiar and easy.
I hope this book does well, and I think it will be a great comfort and friend to many young people.

A story about second chances and learning to live with the many adjustments life requires.

B has been moved through the foster system since their parents passed away when they were very young. B has worked to make the best of the situations they have been presented with. But regardless of how often home changes or what type of foster parents they receive there is one in mind: get a dog.

Not just any dog, but the most wonderful dog in the world! Enter: Gooseberry -- a dog with an attitude problem.

But does her really? Like B, Gooseberry has had a rocky past. Together, they work to learn to trust one another and the world that they live in.

A wonderful new book from Gow! I enjoy both the LGBTQIA rep in this book but also how it doesn't fall into that "boy story, girl story" dilemma that so many people attempt to place middle/ya books into. Let a story be a story. Just like B just wants to be B.

If you're looking for utter delight, queer affirmation and autistic joy instead of sorrow - boy will this book check all your boxes!

This book had so much delightful queer rep that I couldn't even begin to say how excited I was and how lovely it was to see! A non-binary autistic mc, sapphic foster moms (one of which is trans), a best friend who uses neopronouns and MORE queer rep in the ensemble cast!! I love when books are queer at full throttle.

This book was so quick though and whilst I loved the inner monologue, the writing, the simple plot - I would've loved to see more of a focus on the dog training instead of a few scattered scenes. I'll be honest, I thought that's all the book would be going into it.

But, this story of belonging, fighting for love and starting again was so delightful and joyful and I'll be so lucky to own a physical copy later this year at it's release.

Gooseberry is a heartfelt coming of age middle grade novel about a foster kid finding themselves as they deal with a troubled dog.

This book was very raw, showing an authentic picture of what it's like to grow up in foster care. B has a lot of emotional issues from their time in foster care, which makes sense, and it was great to have the new foster parents really try to help B, and the dog once they get him.

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters. I do think the LGBTQIA+ representation was great from the little bit that I have read. It didn't feel forced or unnatural in the set up either, which is good. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

Tbh, I wish I liked this more than I did. I think a lot of kids will connect with B and their story, but I found the writing lacked any subtlety. Eri and Jodie did seem perfect, and B's crying felt exaggerated rather than authentic. Maybe I'm being harsh here, and I do recommend it for library collections, but I've read (much) better books on the same topic.

Younger me would have died to see all the representation portrayed in this book. Neo-pronouns. They/them pronouns. Foster parents. Lesbians. Trans kids. Autism. ADHD. I did feel some of the dialogue could use some work, and some of the scenes felt a little jumpy. I also felt like it promoted the “homophobia/transphobia is bad!!” trainline a bit excessively, with the MC acting a bit more childish than you would expect from a 12 year old, but it was a pretty good read.