Alpha Dog
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Seventeen-year old Katie isn’t used to being in control. Her mother drives her crazy with her constant criticism and advice, and her boyfriend of two years just destroyed her whole world by dumping her on her birthday. It’s just as well that Katie’s headed to a summer program at the University of Texas in Austin–at least there, she can get over Chuck at her own pace. But Austin holds its own challenges–like Christine, a cooler-than-thou roommate whose rocker boyfriend is permanently camped out on the couch. When Christine drags Katie to the city pound to check out a potential pet, it’s Katie who’s mesmerized by a pair of brown doggie eyes. Before she can think it through, she’s standing out on the curb with her adorable new dog, Seamus.
There’s only one problem: Seamus is a holy terror. He chews up the apartment, barks maniacally, terrorizes their landlady’s cat, and seems destined to keep the cutest guy in their building at arm’s length. When Katie takes Seamus in for obedience training, she’s told, “You have to be the alpha dog.”
The alpha dog. The head of the pack. Katie has never wielded much power before, but she finds that being top dog can be addictive. Soon she’s acting the alpha dog in every phase of her life, and nothing will ever be the same.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ziegler unleashes a breezy first novel about learning to lead the pack. A semester of college summer school in Austin, Tex., frees 17-year-old Katie from the boyfriend who dumped her on her birthday, the friends who follow suit, and her controlling mother. After tagging along to the pound with her roommate, Christine, Katie winds up choosing a dog herself-a pup so unruly that obedience school forces her to try to become the alpha dog. But adopting a dog nudges Katie from her dispirited state. Ziegler offers some humorous touches, including Katie's band groupie roommate, who dupes adults into thinking she's super-responsible (Katie's mother calls Christine for updates). Dog lovers will likely chuckle over the canine misadventures, including puppy chewing and barking. But readers may feel that the heroine doesn't ever truly bond with her dog, and the relationships between the sexes come across as somewhat superficial. Even as Katie asserts herself, the focus shifts from one romance to another. The much-anticipated confrontation with her mother seems a bit neat, and Katie's excuse about using her parents' credit card for veterinary bills without a plan for paying them back undermines her claims of independence. Still, fans of teen romance will probably enjoy this romp with a likable heroine. Ages 12-up.
