In Rotten, a novel by Michael Northrop, the main character JD returns home from a summer-long trip to an unexplained location, only to find his mother has rescued a dog.

It doesn’t take long before a friendship blossoms between this misunderstood teenage boy and his misunderstood dog.

Upon his return, JD’s friends are both desperate to discover JD’s summer whereabouts as well as acquaint themselves with the dog, Johnny Rotten, better known as JR. When Mars, one of JD’s friends, gets bit by JR, drama ensues, with a lawsuit and the strong potential that JR will be put down.

This novel captivated me from the start. I, too, wanted to know where JR had been over the summer, and how the relationships with JR, his mother, his friends, and a former girlfriend would develop. Would they deteriorate or flourish?

I found myself quickly reading through the pages for more of the story. I experienced JD’s emotions firsthand, and I was close to tears during the last few chapters.

Overall, it’s a good story that I would recommend to read when you have some free time. It might captivate you enough to read in a single night, like I did.