This book has a very unique plot and the twist of the main character being able to talk to animals. Some parts are confusing though, it took a while to realize he thinks he's talking to animals but really isn't. 3Q3P The cover art is okay and I'd recommend this book to high school students. I chose to read this because I thought the title was interesting. BenA

Strays is a tragic story about a young teen who suddenly finds himself an orphan. He finds himself in a house that is strict but safe from the harms of other foster homes he hears about. The other teenagers in the foster home tell him the stories of being in the “system” for years and how much abuse they have suffered. Ted is a believable character he feels isolated before his parents death. He goes through school longing to create relationships with his peers but is unable to. When his parents die Ted finds himself in a foster home with two foster brothers. The eldest of the two brothers help Ted make connections with people. He finds that these strong human connections bring an end to his ability to talk to animals. This is a well written book for any teen even if they do not find that they relate to Ted or his situation. I think that this novel will help them to become more sympathetic to other teens situations. Overall I found this book and easy read with believable life like characters. ( )

This is a heartwarming story about a misfit who never fit in and was always on the receiving end of the bullies’ fist when he was the quiet son of two quirky pet shop owning parents, and who feels like he fits in even less now that he’s an orphan living in a foster home. Ted has always taken solace in his conversations with animals. They communicate with him not only about their own lives, but to give him advice, comfort and guidance. But as he finally finds his little niche in life, when he’s finally able to have a friendship with, not only his diverse foster housemates, but with an older girl at school, he realizes he can no longer hear his furry and feathered friends. As quirky as that sounds, Koertge’s easy-going writing style and the words he puts into his characters’ mouths make everything totally believable. And he doesn’t hit the reader over the head with his premise - it’s left to the reader to decide if Ted really can communicate – or is it just a coping mechanism. ( )

A YA book about a boy who has to go into foster care after becoming an orphan. His relatonship with animals is interesting and well done. The human relationships are a little harder to follow because they're complicated and the book is written in the first person viewpoint of a character who has little understanding of those complications. I've seen that challenge handled better in other books. One complication Koertge does remarkably well, though, is the ambivalence Ted feels toward his parents (now dead).

I rated this 3 1/2 stars for my own reading pleasure, because I hold YA books up to the same standards as adult books. If I were to rate it on a curve with other YA books, though, I'd give it another half-star or more. ( )

Ted parents, who were just killed in a fiery car crash, owned a pet store, which somehow gave Ted the amazing ability to talk to animals. Now Ted feels like a stray himself, having to go into the foster care system. Join him as he learns to run with a new pack in this sensitive enlightening story about dealing with loss and growing up. ( )