Once again, I’ve stumbled across a book I would have loved when I was young(er), another book whose cover invited me in with a story that intrigued me enough to stay for the whole party.

STELLA is a juvenile fiction book by McCall Hoyle staring Stella, a beagle recently retired from service as an explosives dog (dog’s that sniff out potential bomb threats). When she misses a scent at the airport that results in a fatal explosion and the loss of her handler and friend, Connie, Stella is racked by guilt and plagued by anxiety attacks. Now loud noises terrify her almost as much as being left alone. Unable to control her fears, Stella fails three times with new owners. With three strikes against her, Stella is given one last chance with a dog trainer and her daughter, Cloe. But it’s supposed to be only a temporary reprieve. “Don’t get attached,” Cloe’s mom warns.

Told from the point of view of Stella, this book delves into the mind of a dog who lives by her nose. The swirling scents of her world inform Stella through her keen sense of smell. Among them are the comings and goings of animals, the gun-bearing intentions of neighbors, and a strange chemical smell emanating from Cloe just before she has epileptic attacks. Stella’s dilemma – how to pass this information on to the humans in her life and warm them against danger.

Loaded with touching moments, Stella struggles with her own fears and tries to overcome them for the sake of Cloe. Packed with action as well as being informative, STELLA is a book I’d come back to again and again for a hearty dose of fun.