Where the Red Fern Grows is about a boy named Billy who saves up enough money to buy two coon hunting dogs. The story is about his adventures and hunts with these dogs that he names Old Dan and Little Ann, and it’s a story about their bond with eachother.

If you have ever lost pets as a kid, I highly highly don’t recommend/recommend you read this book as it will feel cathartic but it will also paralyze you with sorrow for an hour or a half. Beyond that, it’s a neat little book about a boy riding out with his coon hounds and hunting game.

Anthony Heald did an amazing job with the voicing the main character who’s a 14 year old kid. He sounded innocent and curious but also desperate whenever the story commanded it. The adults he voices in an accent and they all sound great, there’s even a few bawls from the dogs thrown in which sounded amazing so I was really happy with the audiobook adaptation of it.

I have never seen a raccoon or even knew anything about the coon hunting culture in the Ozark mountains but the book is pretty easy to read and you never feel lost. The hunts are a big highlight of these book and some of the more important ones were a thrill to read through.

There’s a lot of sensibility in the book as well, it doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the hunt or real life but it also tries it’s best to show that there can be something noble in it as well or atleast a way to do something more nobly.

There are some really dark scenes and dark imagery in the book but it’s not scary per se and a little bit of adventuring thrill makes the book feel engaging and impactful.

I really enjoyed my time with this little book, the pacing is easy and it’s a nice journey to go on with a few serious moments.

For my next read, I’m thinking of going to Stephen King’s Tower but I don’t know the correct way so if there’s a chronological order comprising those books and any important ones I could use that or just go through the published order. I’ll be listening to them as audiobooks