Wild is a dog on the run with no memory of his past, Chance is a boy in a group home waiting for his mom to get clean so he can go back to her. But to each other it is best friends, at almost first sight, in a time when neither has a friend. However, when animal control shows up to take Wild it sends them both on the run, and when all seems lost and with no way out help comes from a hacker named Junebug then their duo becomes a trio all on the run and now looking for answers to Wilds past life.

This is a action packed, suspense filled wonderful book. Calling all animal lovers this book is for you, it fulfills most all your wishes you have had about your furrbabies. I am really sorry there isn't much more I can say without giving away all the good parts of this book so your just going to have to read it yourself and see how awesome Wild and this book are. Also I really hope this isn't the last we see of our trio of friends.

This review will appear on my blog on April 28th

Our main character wakes up when the yacht she is on explodes and people are chasing her. She makes it to land, and eventually meets Chance, a boy who is in a group home because his mother is addicted to drugs. He offers to help Wild, who turns out to be a dog. Not just any dog, but a genetically modified super dog who can talk to humans with the proper collar and corresponding ear bud, can heal quickly, and has great physical prowess. Wild has vague memories of a little girl whom she loved, and is trying to remember enough to get home, but in the meantime, people are out to get her! Chance takes her to a pet store to buy a leash, and a groomer there identifies the dog as "Honey", but the two can't stay long before someone is after them. Myron the groomer had a case Wild had asked him to hold, and also mentions "Maelstrom". Chance and Wild are joined by Junebug, a hacker who helps them locate a GPS chip in Wild's hip that needs to be removed. Junebug has stolen her father's car, so police are after her, but she doesn't think it's animal control who are after Wild. She lets them know that there was a Dr. Pao who developed a BreedX, and the group tries to locate her to find out what she had to do with Wild's development. They can't stay long, and Junebug says they should go to her father's cabin and try to lay low. There's a lot more going on with Wild, though, and there are a lot of people who are invested in her abilities. Will she be able to find her family? Or is she the type of dog who is destined for greater, or worse, things?

Strengths: Sorry to be so vague-- there are a lot of nice twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I don't want to ruin. Suffice it to say that Junebug is not quite who she appears to be! This book was written in a very fast-paced, pell-mell style that was very much like watching a movie. I think that students who like spy books, dog books, or a lot of action and adventure will get into this one immediately. There's just not a good place to put the book down for about five chapters-- you just need to know what happens next. That is what my students want, but it's hard to find. There's also a lot of science, some philosophy about the idea of home and friends, and a plethora of villains! Top notch stuff. There could possibly be a sequel. I hope so!

Weaknesses: The beginning is a bit confusing-- Wild is not identified as a dog for a bit. A few sentences about who she was would help struggling readers get their bearings before being swept up in the action.

What I really think: I loved Zadoff's 2009 Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have, and even picked up his Hungry: Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin (2007), but his other titles have been a bit too Young Adult for my crowd. Wild and Chance is a perfect middle grade adventure book with a wildly appealing cover. I'm glad to see this author delving into middle grade and will definitely purchase this while eagerly awaiting (hopefully) the next installment.

Great story, I love these characters. Some mild languages prevents me from nominating it for my school district lists. I will be dreaming of what happened to these characters in the end, so many unanswered questions. 5 stars if I really knew how they managed without each other .

This girl dog can can't remember her life at all but she's intelligent, too intelligent for other dogs. She discovers weird clues, meets boy named Chance in a group home, is chased by military-like Animal Control humans, and discovers a collar and connected ear piece that helps her talk to her human friend, Chance. As the action and mystery progresses, Chance and Wild the dog meet a mysterious hacker who helps them escape from the Animal Control people. They discover that Wild was part of an evil group that weaponized dogs. But wait--there's a big plot twist! All in all, the story is very creative and well-written and I can't wait for next book.