Zeus: Water Rescue

by W. Bruce Cameron

Do you know a kid who loves dogs? They just might be interested in Zeus: Water Rescue. Written for Middle Grade children, this book shares the story of Zeus, a puppy who watches his littermates find new homes while he is left desperately wanting a person of his own. It is charmingly told from Zeus’ point of view as the puppy tries to understand what the people are doing and to please them.

In Hawaii, Marco pieces a living together between jobs focusing on Search and Rescue and as an Emergency Responder. He especially needs the income he receives when he trains a dog in water rescue and sells it in Europe. Not many dogs are right for the job especially when they are given the final test—jumping from a helicopter.

Kimo lives with his dad Marco and his grandmother and wants a puppy of his own as much as Zeus wants a boy of his own. Because of the financial need to sell a trained dog, even if Kimo can train the rambunctious Zeus, there doesn’t seem to be a way forward for the pair to stay together. Kimo’s cousin Giana is smart and not intimidated by adults. She helps Kimo in his efforts to keep Zeus. Their banter is fun and lightens the sadness that naturally occurs as the impending separation looms on the horizon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Children’s Fiction

Notes: #1 in the series Dogs with a Purpose

Publication: September 26, 2023—Tor Publishing Group

Memorable Lines:

“Giana’s the only person in history to be kicked off the debate team for arguing,” Kimo informed me.

I could feel some of the fear leaving her as I lay there, so I didn’t try to change position. Having a dog nearby always makes things better.

I did not know why he had shouted Bear’s name. Bear obviously wasn’t here. Anyone could smell that.

Kimo loves Zeus and Zeus loves Kimo but when Zeus is fully trained will he have to say goodbye?
I absolutely adore anything to do with dogs so of course I loved this book. I smiled and laughed and felt so proud. I also felt sadness at times. All dogs deserve to be with their person.

Zeus: Water Rescue is the first book in the Dogs With A Purpose series written by W. Bruce Cameron. As many of you know, I love dogs with my entire heart, so when I saw the title and cover for this book, I knew I had to read it immediately. <b>HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE THAT PRECIOUS LITTLE FACE?</b> As a rescue pup owner myself, this book touched me deeply, not only was it inspirational, it was heart breaking at times. There's a saying that goes "a dog needs a human, just as much as a human needs a dog". W. Bruce Cameron writes so uniquely, he writes his stories in the dog's point of view, which honestly is so cool. I have read many books by this author before, so when I saw he a had a new series coming out, I knew I needed to read it because I just love his story telling so much. Honestly, I loved and adored this book so much, there's absolutely nothing I would change about this book even though it was truly heart breaking at times, but that's what happens when you become a dog owner. This book doesn't advocate to go get a dog right now, but it does show that when you adopt a pet, it truly changes their lives. <b>I can't recommend this book enough, it was so inspirational, beautiful, touching, and heart breaking at times, so please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book immediately.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND TOR PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

"The concern coming off both Kimo and Marco was raw and sharp, I knew that if I weren't in my crate, I could put my head in their laps and they would be comforted. A person will always feel better with a dog's head in their lap".

W. Bruce Cameron says "some dogs were born to lend a helping hand (or a paw), well that's very true for Zeus. Zeus is a chocolate lab puppy who is up for adoption. Zeus was born in a litter with other chocolate lab puppies, but they were all adopted by other families, the only two that were left were Zeus and his brother. Zeus's brother gets adopted by another family, now that leaves Zeus. Marco and Kimo are a father and son duo who rescue puppies to try and train them for water rescue, and then after they get trained by Marco and Kimo, they sell them to water rescue operations. Kimo is tasked with training Zeus, but Kimo and Zeus instantly become best friends. Kimo knows how hard it is to let go after they are done training these puppies, but with Zeus it's much more different, Kimo instantly loves Zeus. Zeus's excitement makes training very difficult, Zeus is full of joy and a rambunctious puppy. But worse yet, becoming a working dog means being separated from Kimo. Kimo is still in school, he does summer camp lifeguard training, and he has to stay with his mom from time to time, so that means leaving Zeus behind. Kimo and his father Marco live in Hawaii, so water training a dog is very important.

I absolutely adored witnessing Marco and Kimo training Zeus, this dog was so silly but extremely smart. Even though he had a lot of energy, Zeus knew when it was time to train. My heart instantly went out to Kimo, I can so relate to him because it's so impossible not to get too close with a dog and then they have to go to a different home because certain lifestyles don't accommodate with certain dogs. Despite Kimo knowing Zeus was only with them for a short amount of time, Kimo never gave up on training Zeus to be the best water rescue dog out there, even if Zeus made it impossible sometimes. The cover is just too adorable, that beautiful chocolate lab sitting there with his tongue out, and those sweet little puppy eyes. This book was so inspirational because it basically teaches you that no matter how much energy a puppy has, it's not impossible to train them to be working animals. I want everyone to read this book at some point because it's so cute and so touching. I actually had tears streaming down my face when Kimo and Marco would talk about getting rid of Zeus, but Kimo kept pushing his father to let them hold onto Zeus forever, even after training was over. Kudos to Kimo for never giving up, that little boy was truly an inspiration.

A wonderful tale of the bond between a boy and his dog . When Kimo is tasked with helping his father training Zeus a chocolate Laborer with becoming a rescue dog.

I found the story heartwarming and touching, any animal lover would enjoy whether children or adult ..

I just reviewed Zeus: Water Rescue by W. Bruce Cameron. #NetGalley

Loved Zeus! Love what the author is doing with these stories. LOVE this book! It was fun, heartwarming, and I couldn’t put it down. LOVED!

Bruce Cameron's dogs are always moving and lovely. I smile and cry, loved them and hope for the best.
Zeus is lovely, I fell in love when I saw the cover, and loved the plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor as well as the author for this ARC. It was delightful.
#NetGalley #TorPublishingGroup #W.BruceCameron #Zues;WaterResue #DogsWithAPurpose
Author: W. Bruce Cameron
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Publication Date: August 29, 2023

I always love the books from Mr. Cameron. They’re always sweet and cute. They always make me cry (I can do without that part). This is the start of a new series and I can’t wait to continue reading. Zeus is a chocolate labrador puppy who is being trained to become a water rescue dog. His trainer and best friend develops a strong bond with Zeus. The trouble is that the whole point of training Zeus is to prepare him to be separated from his best friend. How will Zeus and Kimo handle that?
This is considered a YA novel but adults will love it too. If you love heart-warming stories about dogs, then you’ve come to the right book and the right author. Mr. Cameron is an expert at developing a relationship between dogs and their people. The stories are always full of the feels.
There’s not much to criticize. The only thing I wish is that the book didn’t have to end and that the next will come quickly.

A fabulous story written from the perspective of Zeus, a would-be water rescue pup being trained by Kimo and his dad. Zeus is meant to be sold at auction for work in another country, but Kimo works to train Zeus to be the pup he needs Zeus to be in order to convince his dad to keep Zeus around. Students will love this series, especially those who love animals/dogs.

This was an absolutely fabulous book and not just for children. I read this with a young cousin as one of his summer reading and he loved it as much as I did. It led to some great conversations with him and for him with his parents. They’re a cat family, but now he is driving his parents crazy for his very own dog to be his best friend. We both loved that it was told from the pups perspective and never spoke down to the intended audience. He felt he was listening to and reading a very grown up book and cannot wait to tell his teacher. We’re both looking forward to the next in the series.

Young Zeus is a smart, brave, and courageous pup. He is destined to become a water rescue dog! A young boy named Kimo is tasked with training Zeus, but training a rescue dog means parting with the dog when his training is done. Zeus loves Kimo. Kimo is his person! Can Kimo and Zeus find a way to stay together?

This fun adventure story will introduce young readers to the bravery, dedication, and hard work of water rescue dogs. I was very impressed with the research that went into this book. Although it is a work of fiction, young readers will learn a lot about water dogs and their work. This book is intended for young readers, but I think that adults will enjoy this book as well!

This story is told from the perspective of the dog, Zeus. W. Bruce Cameron is very gifted in getting inside the heads of his animal characters and allows us to feel think how they think and feel what they feel.

This is the first in W. Bruce Cameron’s new series about working dogs, and I can’t wait to read more in this series! Highly recommend!!!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this gifted ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so very much! It was fascinating to learn how rescue dogs are trained. I love how W. Bruce Cameron tells his stories from the dog's point of view. It is set in Hawaii and really shows the importance of rescue dogs along with a heartwarming story of the love and loyalty between the dog and their person!
I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I have read all of W. Bruce Cameron books and loved them all. This book was another winner. The love that a dog has for its human is symbiotic. Learning about dog water rescue was very interesting and important. A must read.

I absolutely LOVE W. Bruce Cameron's writing!!! I have read all of his books and I just can't get enough. This book was wonderful! The story will just melt your heart and keep you wanting more. I love how he makes you feel like you know what the dogs are truly thinking. I like to think I know what mine say to me. If you love dogs then you will want to read this wonderful story. I loved that I didn't need a box of tissues for this one. I HIGHLY recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, Starscape for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Zeus is a happy Labrador puppy, playing with his litter mates and his human family keeps him busy all day. Until one by one his litter mates were taken by people to their forever homes. Only Zeus and Troy were left. Finally, Marco Ricci, a paramedic and member of the Oahu Search and Rescue team, came looking for a puppy to train to be a rescue dog. Marco took both dogs home to see if one or both were able to be trained in search and rescue. He planned to sell the dog he trained at auction later in the year. So along with Marco and his dog Bear, training began. Sadly, Troy was not meant to be a rescue dog, but Zeus excelled in his training.

Not only was Zeus a happy and smart puppy, he immediately fell in love with Marco’s teenage son, Kimo, who adored Zeus from the moment they met. Marco agrees to allow Kimo to help train Zeus. But sadly, Kimo has to give up Zeus when his training finished because the sale of Zeus would bring in much needed cash for the family.

Everyday Kimo and Zeus become closer. The boy and his dog work well together, but Marco keeps reminding his son that Zeus is going to be sold at auction. Despite this cautionary reminder, the teen and puppy become inseparable. Kimo decides to sabotage Zeus’ training, but his plan backfires. Grudgingly, he realizes becoming a water rescue dog is Zeus’ destiny. Kimo is determined to train his dog and make him the best he can be.

I was in love with Zeus from the first pages. He is definitely the star of this book and doesn’t let his readers down. It is a love story that is full of action with a satisfying end. Classified as a young adult book, adults, especially dog lovers, will enjoy it immensely. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in his series.

W. Bruce Cameron was named Columnist of the Year by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists in 2011. His A Dog’s Purpose Series is New York Times best-selling list as well as his book, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publicist and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2023 Laura Hartman

I don’t think Bruce Camron can write a bad book. I mean how could any book about a dog be bad. He is one of my main go to authors when patrons ask me about books on animals. Bruce just knows what he is doing. Zeus is no exception. This book is so sweet to watch a young man and his dog come into their purpose together is just such a heart-warming story. I appreciate that at first things don’t go right for Kimo. His love though for Zeus and his willingness to learn more in order to better train Zeus is just outstanding. It truly shows the power of kids when they put their mind to something. I know readers are going to love this newest book. I can’t wait to recommend it.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Starscape, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Part of a series that is great for animal loving readers, the story didn’t pull me in. It was fine but not different enough from others in the series.

Zeus has no idea what a water rescue dog is, but he is about to be trained as one as he is adopted by Kimo’s father, who raises and trains water rescue dogs. Thus begins the journey of one of latest dog books by the author. Zeus adapts well to life with Kimo’s family and with the training. However, Kimo’s father fears Zeus is a little too frisky to be a successful water rescue dog, so decides he should either return Zeus to where he got him, swapping him out for another dog, or send him off to a trainer who handles dogs like Zeus. Kim is devastated, as Zeus and he have bonded as trues friends. Zeus, for his part, does not fully understand this, though he truly is bonded with Kimo and cannot even think of being separated from him. As time passes, Seus becomes mor proficient as a water rescue dog with training by Kimo, but his father is still determined to sell him or take him back and get another dog to try to train. What can Kimo do to keep his new friend? How can Zeus help him out in this effort?

Though this is obviously a book for a younger reader, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I fell in love, much like Kimo, with Zeus almost from the start. I was cheering for the pair to stay together and for Zeus to become a success from almost the start. I loved the way the book was written in the voice of Zeus. It did not get old or become too much for me. The author has again written a masterpiece about dogs that will appeal to any dog lover regardless of age as well for a younger audience. This is a good book to read aloud to youngsters, who will undoubtedly cheer Zeus on as he goes through life and his training as well as Kimo worries about that the future if Zeus will be. I only wish I could give it more than five stars. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

I couldn't get past some of the discrepancies in Zeus's understanding of the world around him. I found the book's tone to be off-putting and did not finish it.

Zeus: Water Rescue is such a heartwarming story. Located in Hawaii and told by Zeus' point of view. Marco trains dogs for water rescue and then has them sold overseas but his teenage son, Kimo, forms such an incredible bond with Zeus that he'll do anything and everything (don't want to give any spoilers) in the hopes of getting to keep Zeus himself. The shenanigans they get into is laugh out loud funny. The book will grab and hold your attention from the very first page until the very end.

My daughter is 10 years old and LOVES all of W Bruce Cameron's books and was so excited to get to read this ARC so thank you to W. Bruce Cameron, Tor Publishing Group, Starscape and Netgalley for this ARC.