Straydog

Rachel spends her free time at an animal shelter, where a wild collie mix stands out to her. The dog sits silent in the farthest cage, then lunges and snaps whenever anyone approaches, and Rachel names her Grrl. Rachel recognizes something of herself in the animal, since both are furious and isolated.

At school, a teacher suggests that Rachel put her thoughts about the dog on paper. The writing comes easily, but earning Grrl's trust is far harder. The story follows Rachel as she tries to reach the dog while also reckoning with her own pain. Griffin, a boy who has just arrived at her school, comes up with a scheme to get Grrl out of the shelter and into a home. That plan shows Rachel that the dog is not the only one who has to learn to trust someone.

This is a raw, emotional novel about a teenage girl who has to take a risk and step out of the walls she has built around herself to get the help she needs.