Strays

by Jennifer Caloyeras

Sometimes, life becomes unleashed...

Sixteen-year-old Iris Moody has a problem controlling her temper—but then, she has a lot to be angry about. Dead mother. Workaholic father. Dumped by her boyfriend. Failing English.

When a note in Iris’s journal is mistaken as a threat against her English teacher, she finds herself in trouble not only with school authorities but with the law.

In addition to summer school, dog-phobic Iris is sentenced to an entire summer of community service, rehabilitating troubled dogs. Iris believes she is nothing like Roman, the three-legged pit bull who is struggling to overcome his own dark past, not to mention the other humans in the program. But when Roman’s life is on the line, Iris learns that counting on the help of others may be the only way to save him.

With sparkling prose and delightful humor, Jennifer Caloyeras’s novel beautifully portrays the human-animal bond.

Genres: Young Adult, Animals, Dogs, Contemporary, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Childrens

232 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2015

About the author

Jennifer Caloyeras is a novelist and short fiction writer living in Los Angeles. She holds a M.A. in English Literature from California State University Los Angeles and an M.F.A. In Creative Writing through the University of British Columbia.

She is the author of the short fiction collection, UNRULY CREATURES (October 2017) and two young adult novels, most recently, STRAYS (2015). Her short stories have been published in Monday Night Literary, Wilde Magazine, Storm Cellar and Booth.

Jennifer served as writer in residence at the Annenberg in Santa Monica in 2016 and teaches writing at UCLA Extension Writers' Program. She is available for school visits and book club meetings in person or via Skype. Jennifer also hosts the book recommendation podcast, BOOKS ARE MY PEOPLE.

Reviews

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I would like to use this review to let you all know something. Strays had a part of me represented within the story that I had generally never seen before in a book (particularly a YA one) and that is Cynophobia. Cynophobia means fear of dogs and yes, this may be childish but I do have a serious fear of them and have done so for over a decade. We follow a young Californian teen called Iris who has lots of struggles on her plate. Her mum passed away, her dad doesn't care for her or have the time to spend with her and she also struggles with her temper. After the discovery of a note that threatens a teacher, Iris ends up in a youth court and is then placed onto a summer rehabilitation programme for troubled dogs. Iris is terrified since she has cynophobia. Over the long weeks in the summer break, she faces summer school to try and improve her failing grades, her confusing friendships and even a potential romance that could have disastrous consequences. I would have liked the story length to have been a little longer. However, it kept me interested right until the last page.

[Susan Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iris Moody is a California high school junior, living with her emotionally distant dad. Things haven’t been easy for Iris. Her mom was killed in a drunk driving accident and her dad’s response to the loss was to rid himself of all traces of his departed wife, while uprooting Iris from her home, friends and school. Iris is dealing with all of these changes the best way she can, which unfortunately includes some violent bursts of anger. When a confrontation with a rigid and unsympathetic English teacher turns ugly, Iris is arrested and sentenced to community service. Her well-meaning lawyer snags Iris the last spot on the Ruff Rehabilitation team, unaware of her intense fear of dogs. And thus begins the tale of Iris and Roman, an abused and frightened three-legged Pit Bull.

Strays is so much more than a story about a young, angry girl who learns to trust others and accept their help. It’s about grief, compassion, understanding and forgiveness. It’s about acknowledging that sometimes life can suck, but it’s important to find productive ways to work through it – and in the process, we just might be able to help someone else.

Jennifer Caloyeras’s writing is lovely and descriptive. Her book definitely struck a chord with me, since we rescued our Pit Bull, Penny, the day before she was scheduled to be euthanized. However, being a Pit Bull owner is by no means a prerequisite for finding value within the pages of this emotional book. Strays touched my heart and I would be willing to bet it will do the same for most people who read it. Although Strays is categorized as a children’s/YA book, adults will enjoy and appreciate it too. I would definitely recommend Strays and give it five stars!

http://ebookreviewgal.com Received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Ti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Short of It:

A sweet story with a lot of heart.

The Rest of It:

Iris Moody is sixteen-years-old and angry. Angry over her mother’s death, the fact that her dad doesn’t have time for her and to top it off she’s failing English. It doesn’t seem like things could get much worse, But when an entry in her journal is mistaken for a threat against a teacher, she lands herself a summer of community service. Community service which involves dogs. Of which, she’s been afraid of for as long as she can remember.

Iris is a complicated character. She’s got a lot going on between her pent-up anger over her mother’s death and the fears she’s forced to confront in the dog training program she’s been assigned to. She can’t be around dogs without getting nervous so it baffles her when she’s assigned to an abused, three-legged pit bull named Roman. Of all the dogs to get, why this one?

This is a sweet story about a girl and a dog and how hard it is to let go of the past in order to get on with the future. It’s a story about trust, redemption and acceptance. I really enjoyed it. Readers young and old will appreciate this one.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.

[Anne Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Okay, you can tell me anything, it won't change my mind.
I know fighting dogs are not as sweet as Roman, I understand her father is very, very far from perfect and won't change, I know the author plays with our sentimental side (by making Roman a disabled dog, I am conscious that those tricks should work on 15 year old and not on adults. I do realize the group gathered for the summer with dog camp is totally unrealistic and such a band of nice kids, no violence, no drugs, etc... would be hard to gather in a normal environment and impossible in a delinquent community. What else? the flares of anger and violence the heroine goes through are scary and not exactly normal and whatever you want, yes, I've thought of it.
But I liked it, and while waiting to find what happened to the imaginary Roman, I felt half a tear - unless it was a fly.Seriously, I never cry for a book, and this time, I was not far from it.
That means the author has touched something in me ( and probably in many more persons ) with her dog love story, and it is worth something.
If looking for a nice book for teenagers, jump on it. And read it to, by the way. It may surprise you.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story of a troubled teen girl, who is very dogphobic, and an abused rescue dog learning to trust each other in a training program.
Memorable Quotes:
“The walls of the gymnasium felt as though they were closing in on me.The whole world was closing in on me.”(pg.35)
“If I believed animals could emote like humans, I could have sworn Roman was actually smiling at me.”(pg.209)

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iris Moody is tired of acting as though everything is fine in her world; because in reality, it's just not. Her mom died in a tragic accident and her dad has moved her away from everything familiar. Her father has his own way of dealing with the loss of his wife as he focuses all his time and attention on work, chasing after a big promotion. Her girlfriends at school never seem to have anything real to say, and while they are patient with Iris, they're beginning to grow tired of her aloofness.

Iris has her own way of dealing with the anger and frustration she's been bottling up, but it doesn't seem to be resolving her issues. Things come to a head when her English teacher finds her journal and an altercation ensues, resulting in mandatory community service for Iris. Unfortunately for her, she is placed in a dog rehabilitation program, even though she is desperately afraid of dogs.

Strays is a coming of age story that is as original as it is revealing with a heroine who is highly relatable. Author Jennifer Caloyeras' depiction of a young girl's struggles to find a way to move beyond her angst is a refreshingly honest tale which will appeal to readers of all ages. Caloyeras' comfortable writing style makes reading this book feel a bit like curling up with a fuzzy blanket. - This book is highly recommended and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iris has had a rough life. Her Mom was killed in a car accident and her Dad decides to move to another city where Iris has to start in a new school with no friends. Her Dad is working a lot because he is hoping for a promotion so he is spending less time with Iris. She has her moods where she wants to be left alone and watch her favorite TV shows. She is frustrated and writes in a journal daily which got her in trouble at school when before a test she wrote about a teacher she doesn't like. She left the journal on her lap which this teacher saw when walking around the room during the test. The teacher thought she was cheating and asked to see the journal and while flipping through it saw what Iris had written. She got in trouble with the school and the law and was sentenced to community service. Training dogs( which Iris does not like dogs). All the dogs and the kids in the program have had problems and help each other learn that good does prevail. This is a heartwarming story and a great read.
I got this for free in a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

** I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. **

This was a lovely story showing the importance of second chances, both for humans and for four-legged people. The interaction between the main character and her 3-legged charge, an abused dog with serious trust issues is wonderful and watching the two of them learn to interact with and trust others was a beautiful thing. I would have liked to see more of Roman (the pit bull the main character is charged with training) but the story's focus was on Iris so I can understand why there wasn't more focus on him. All in all, this was a moving and enjoyable story that explores the issues abused and neglected people (both human and not) can have and the possibility of rising above both anger and fear.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended as a monthly selection for a Goodreads Book Club group. I really enjoyed it! It was emotionally intense, but with a satisfying depth to the emotions. There were no easy, tear-jerking cries. It was very well-done. I also was pleasantly surprised to find discussion of literature and literary theory. I would suggest this book for adults or for young adults. Perhaps a mature 8th Grade student would enjoy it, but I really seeing it geared more toward High School or even a fun read for college students. The story had classic elements, but felt fresh and contemporary.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

To atone for various misdeeds and some felonies, the heroine is sentenced to do community service, which in her case turned out to be dog training. Not only does she have to overcome her fear of dogs but she has to learn to control her anger as it is her anger that has gotten her in trouble with the Law. Instead of punching on people, she uses a hammer to mash down her clothes closet; one way to do it. It is the developing relation with Roman, the three-legged stray dog that she must bring to a adoptable state, that allows her to mature and curb her anger to the point where she was both happy and sad to learn that Roman had been adopted.

[Rachel Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not crying... no, I'm totally crying.

What a wonderful, moving, and relatable story. If you love dogs, it's a must read.

I've been blogging this book on my site, and so I've been reading it chapter by chapter quite slowly. I decided to finish the book all at once today during Dewey's 24 hour readathon. The chapters I read during the readathon will be discussed on my blog over the next week. I will also be publishing a more detailed review on my blog, a link which will be added to my review once it's up.

[Stephanie Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story follows a teen who has just lost a parent and moved to a new city with her father- a very moving story about a girl who finds herself after a great loss through losing herself in the love of an "unloveable" stray dog. Left me weeping at the end! beautiful!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Predictably cute YA novel with teen issues thrown in in the setting of dogs. Think: who rescues who?

[mad mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

Team Roman

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book for review through Library Thing's Early Reviewers program.)

"I wondered if the dogs were thinking the same thing about us – that we were all a bunch of strays."

"[E]tched on the inside of the collar, where no one else could see, were the words I am loved."

Sixteen-year-old Iris Moody is what you might call a "troubled" kid. After her mother was killed by a drunk driver, her father beat a hasty retreat from Los Angeles, packing them up and relocating to a smaller, unfamiliar place in Santa Cruz - all without consulting Iris. Two years on and she still hasn't quite come to grips with her mother's death and her new surroundings. Dad is unhelpful at best, consumed as he is with his new job at a juice company; he seems completely oblivious to Iris's feelings, including her mounting anger management issues.

When Iris is arrested (in a true "well that escalated quickly" moment) for making death threats and assaulting her English teacher during final exams, she's sentenced to six weeks of community service and mandatory therapy - along with summer school, of course. Her court-appointed lawyer thinks he's doing Iris a favor when he scores her a coveted volunteer spot, working with rescue dogs at Ruff Rehabilitation. The only problem is, Iris inherited her mother's fear of dogs.

Iris is assigned Roman, a tripod pit bull who was used, abused, and ultimately discarded by a dog fighting ring. Though she thinks she's the last person to teach Roman about trust and bravery, instructor Kevin - himself a graduate of the program - assures Iris that she and Roman have plenty to learn from one another. But just as Iris is warming up to her new charge, Roman's status in the program is called into question. Can Iris step up to the plate - for Roman's sake as well as her own?

A sweet but admittedly sentimental story, Strays feels like an abbreviated, YA version of last year's The Mountaintop School for Dogs and Other Second Chances by Ellen Cooney. Both feature young women who need rescue - and find it by rescuing others; a strong animal welfare bent, including information about various forms of animal abuse (in Strays, this centers mainly on dog fighting); and questionable training practices (in this case, training a special needs dog in an uncontrolled, public area; what happened with Kite Boy comes as no surprise) that I'm *almost* willing to forgive in favor of the greater message.

Strays boasts an interesting and engaging story concept, but for me, that's what it ultimately felt like: a concept. Both the plot and characters could use a little more fleshing out. I had trouble connecting with the characters, Iris especially - which is funny, because I've struggled with anger management issues myself. I thought I might see a little of my younger self in her, but not so much. Early Iris is a piece of work; and, while I understand that Caloyeras has to make her somewhat unlikeable so that there exists room for growth and redemption, Iris officially crossed the line for me when she fantasized about kicking Roman in his three remaining legs - for no reason other than that he's disabled. Different.

Just, no.

I also felt like the resolution with Iris's dad was way too pat. If a parent screwed me like that, I'd be moving in with Talbot and talking emancipation. Or at least threatening it.

My gut instinct is to give Strays three stars, but Caloyeras nabbed me in the end, when Iris connected the dogs on her leash to the food on her plate and decided to go vegetarian. The scene with the pleather collar was pretty nifty too.

Instead I'll go with 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 where necessary. All in all, it's not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon.

(It's also entirely possible that this wasn't the right book for me, right at this moment. The day after I started it, I got some bad news about my eldest dog Peedee, who's been fighting lung cancer for the past fourteen months. Subsequently, I read the bulk of the book with no small amount of trepidation at what might come next. And while heavily distracted. So, grain of salt.)

http://www.easyvegan.info/2015/06/05/...

[Mirrani · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult reading a book that is clearly for younger readers, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this story in the same way a young teen would. I was surprised to find myself caught up in it right away. The storytelling was compelling and the plot was not at all as juvenile as I expected. Of course, it is a serious subject matter, so it should be dealt with in a fitting way, but this went far beyond what I anticipated as far as storytelling.

The main character is going through a struggle in her life, having to deal with the loss of her mother and a desire to go to college though her father is trying desperately to make ends meet. She ends up in a juvenile work program, helping to train unwanted dogs to become adoptable through the animal shelter. The catch to all of this is that she is afraid of dogs and has to overcome that fear.

I enjoyed the characters and ate up the story. I don't think you have to love dogs to enjoy the book, though it certainly helps the feel of the story if you are rooting for the dogs to be adopted. This is a feel good kind of book that helps readers realize they can get past whatever trouble they are in and still focus on the positive things in their future. Some of the events feel a little pushed or contrived and I wasn't sure that I was comfortable with the ease in which some things were handled, but it was easy enough to look beyond all of that. There were just as many times when the author managed to tie life lessons into the story, or evolve the character's thinking through what was happening to her. Those connections were really very good.

This is a book about new beginnings and pushing through your fears that young readers should thoroughly enjoy.

[Larena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santa Cruz, California


Iris Moody is a sixteen-year-old that has trouble controlling her temper. With the death of her mother, a father that is a workaholic, failing English and being dumped by her boyfriend she has a lot in her life to be angry about.

Then a single note that Iris made in her journal is taken as a threat against her English teacher Iris quickly finds herself in a lot of trouble not just with the school authorities but now with the law.

Iris not only has to deal with summer school but she is also dog-phobic and has just been sentenced to community service rehabilitating troubled dogs. Iris doesn’t believe she is anything like Roman who is a pit bull with only three legs. Roman is also struggling to overcome his own dark past. She also doesn’t think she is like the other humans in the program either. Iris soon learns that counting on the help of others may be the only way to save Roman when his life is on the line.


This is an emotionally rich story that will really hit readers hard. The characters are relatable and readers will find themselves connecting with them. The story takes readers on a roller coaster ride that will pull at their heartstrings. It will also have readers hoping everything turns out well for both Iris and Roman. Watching as both Iris and Roman grow and deal with their pasts makes for a very satisfying read. This is definitely a book worth checking out. It will also stay with readers long after the turn of the last page.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

After her mother dies, 16-year-old Iris is forced to grieve by herself when her workaholic father moves the two of them from LA to Santa Cruz, away from friends and familiarity. Like many teens, Iris uses words to vent her frustrations. Instead of journaling, however, she makes lists. When a teacher who is on her list of People I Want To Kill finds the notebook, Iris accidentally shoves the teacher while trying to get her notebook back. Though the list was just Iris venting, and the shove was unintentional, Iris’ actions land her in jail and she is sentenced to 100 hours of community service, along with having to go to summer school. Iris’ community service placement is at Ruff Rehabilitation, a program that pairs delinquent teens with dogs that need to be trained and made ready for adoption. Iris is terrified of dogs, and she is matched with Bruno, a pit bull who was used as a fighting dog and abused to the point of losing a leg.
An English teacher who shows her students how to think outside the box, a court-appointed therapist, and her fellow participants in the Ruff Rehabilitation program, along with Bruno, all play important parts in helping Iris learn how to handle anger and grief more appropriately, ultimately opening the doors to healing and empowerment. I absolutely loved this book and hope that Jennifer Caloyeras keeps on sharing her gift of writing with us.
I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strays is an emotionally moving story about Iris Moody, a teen having all sorts of problems, from failing Junior English to depression after her mother’s death and father’s decision to move to a new, smaller city, and her interaction with a stray, three-legged Pit Bull, as damaged and hurting as much as she is. At first, Iris is not happy to be volunteering at Ruff Rehabilitation as her court mandated community service sentence because, unknown to her lawyer who snags the spot for her, Iris is deathly afraid and hates dogs. Through her work at Ruff rehab, Iris begins to heal from her wounds and to forge a new beginning out of the despair into which she had fallen. This s a story about loving, understanding and forgiveness, learning to make the best of whatever life offers you. Roman, the damaged Pit Bull, and Iris learn to make the most of life and work through difficulties productively, as their bond grows and matures. This book may be intended a YA audience, but I think anyone of any age can find it interesting, and can learn from the story, as they follow the growth, compassion, understanding and forgiveness the author has handled so marvelously throughout this story. This is a story that will remain with the reader long after finishing the book. I recommend it. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strays is a book about a sixteen-year-old human girl named Iris who doesn’t know how to handle her emotions. Her mom passed away, and her dad is not around much because he is working all the time to deal with the loss of his wife. Needless to say, she has had a very rough time. Her way of dealing with her problems is to get upset and mad which has led to her getting into BIG trouble at her school and with the police. For example, she sort of threatened her English teacher, which the school didn’t think was very funny. Besides failing her English class and having to do summer school, she also had to complete court mandated community service.


As luck would have it, Iris is assigned to do her community service at Ruff Rehabilitation, a program that takes homeless animals and pairs them up with troubled kids. The idea of the program is to teach the dogs how to be polite and well behaved so they can find their forever home. Iris is assigned Roman, a Pit Bull, who has a lot of issues because his previous owner abused him.

I don’t want to give too much away, but we see Iris and Roman grow together and deal with their challenges. Personally, I feel the author did a great job capturing the human animal bond and this would be a great book to share with the young adults in your life.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strays is an engrossing YA novel about a teen with anger issues after the death of her mom who has to take summer school and do community service in a shelter dog training program. Even though she's a nature channel junkie, she is terrified of dogs, so it's horrifying when she's assigned a tripod pit bull. Will she learn to care for and ultimately save the dog? Though this is ostensibly the focus, there is a lot of the book that happens out of the dog training sessions. Interesting setting: Santa Cruz, Calif.

"I was shying away, like a hamster or a jaguar, from being a social creature."

"But Schneider ran her classroom like King Henry the Eighth - hacking off our proverbial heads every time anyone misspoke."

"I'd rather bond with a snake ... a slug ... a tarantula."

"I hadn't seen the relationship between English and science before, but now I realized they could be linked. A biological cell was like a word. Molecules were like sentences. And bodies were like the essays made up of millions of cells."

"It was my favorite space in the ocean - past the waves, where the water sloshed but wasn't violent."

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! I'm really not a "dog person." so I wondered if this book would capture my attention, but it absolutely did. The characters really draw you in, even the dog characters! When we first meet Iris, she's really withdrawn and suffering. We get to look inside her head as she goes through her days in high school and at home with her dad. We being to understand who she is and why she's such having a hard time. And then she makes a small, almost inconsequential mistake that puts her future in real jeopardy. The rest of the book deals with how she manages to right her own ship. And that's where the dogs come in! It was really nice to see the relationships between teenagers, but also between the kids and the dogs they are working with. Caloyeras does an excellent job throughout of making her characters real. I felt like I got to know them, and I was a little sad when it was all over. This book is meant for a jr. high/high school audience, but I enjoyed it a great deal as an adult. I highly recommend it!

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a heart warming read. It was about a teenage girl named Iris and her journey of discovering herself.She has a lot of anger and pent up resentment. She is assigned to a dog training program as part of her therapy. Iris gets paired with a 3 legged pit bull, who is also misunderstood and gets a bad rep. Parts of the story were a little unrealistic, but sometimes you just need to read a book where things fall into place.
I am a school librarian, and I think my High School kids could really identify with Iris and her struggles.

*I received this thru a Goodreads giveaway.

[Shelby Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful read that will help you realize the positive outcomes of each tough situation. The problems of Iris Moody becomes your own experience as you immerse yourself in this beautiful book. A great view on the problems that affect everyone's life at sometime. This book also supplies an outlook on the harsh reality of animal abuse and will have you running to the nearest animal shelter to help our furry friends! I would highly suggest this book to any animal lover or anyone who is stuck in a rough patch!

Read though donation from Ashland Creek Press to EHS Cover to Cover!
Thank you!

[Sandy Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Jennifer Caloyeras’s YA novel, STRAYS, high school age Iris has a lot on her plate -– her mother’s death, her father’s distant nature, school and legal troubles. While the plot is predictable, it is an interesting read as Iris comes to grips with her issues with the help of Roman, the troubled dog she has to rehabilitate.

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[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for kids who love animals. A little romance mixed with anger management and grief.

[Alisha Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! It wrapped up kinda quick and predictable but an easy, feel-good story for sure. 🙂