happypug12

8 years ago

Savage Sam: You've probably never even heard of this sequel to Old Yeller, right? "Well...no. But it can't possibly by heart-warming, heart-breaking, and pulse-pounding enough to beat its classical predecessor! Otherwise, I'd have heard of if before!" That's where you'd be wrong. Despite being unfortunately less well-known, Savage Sam packs a huge wallop of adventure—a bigger wallop than Old Yeller did. I definitely loved Savage Sam better than Old Yeller. "Why? What's so interesting?" Savage Sam, Old Yeller and Blue's pup, quickly goes from clumsy to a top-notch hound dog and becomes six year old Little Arliss' best friend, helping create mischief wherever they go. Travis, meanwhile, is stuck laboring in the field with his Pa. Until Old Man Searcy gallops full-speed to the Coates family's home. He tells them a tale that everyone dismisses as his usual big talk: INDIANS ARE BACK AND STEALING HORSES! But Travis and Lisbeth are sent to retrieve Little Arliss, despite everyone's skepticism. Too late, they realize there was a whole lot of truth in Old Man Searcy's words. They are taken captive by Apache Indians, and suffer through terrible pain, hunger and thirst, barely clinging to the hope that someone might rescue them. Savage Sam was a clear, easy, and well-paced read. Fred Gipson didn't waste any time scrutinizing every sentence he wrote or being at loss for words. Every line feels straight and raw from the heart. I recommend to ages 12+ for some of the brutality.