“I’m Tom’s dog, and he’s my human. We belong to each other.”

Rebel is a good dog, and he loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner Tom – until one day the war comes too close… Now Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the king’s men. But Rebel knows war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save the human he loves. Rebel must bring Tom home before it’s too late.

The age recommendation for this book is 9+

thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my review copy.

The perfect book it you love dogs: poignant, full of emotions. It made me smiled and moved
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Period adventure of loyalty, rebellion and friendship.

We've loved Montgomery's picture books, Max and the Millions and now his dog's-eye-view portrait of a friendship between human and animal. It took a while to work out the context of the story, it wasn't obvious at the start, and it still could be a medieval/Cromwellian period/English setting, or a near-England with a tax-hungry king and a growing discontent, reaching out to the rural extremes.

Rebel loves his farm life with his boy, Tom, but their idyllic-seeming world is shattered with the arrival of soldiers, of demands, of family feuding. And of Tom leaving to join a rebellion against the king, with loyal Rebel unsure if he should 'stay' like the good dog he is, or follow his boy to danger and possible death.

A lovely story of new acquaintances and growing risks ensues, with partnerships and alliances made, dangers faced, and the scent of Tom getting ever closer to the front of the battlefields.

It's a fast-moving story that takes us through many settings and keeps their relationship at the heart of Rebel's motivation. His voice is strong and simple - he has to go bring his human home to safety.

Easy to read, evocative and immersive, it sped by to a conclusion readers will feel satisfied by.

For ages 8-12.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Superb book covering themes of war, oppression and family, This book depicts the relationship between animals and their owners extremely well. Essentially it's an unbreakable bond. Children with pets I'm sure will entirely relate to.it and I think they will absolutely love that it's written from the perspective of Rebel, Tom's dog. An exhilarating adventure with Rebel.making many friends along the way as he tries to reunite with Tom.

Ross Montgomery has such a mesmerising way of words and in I Am Rebel, this is on show in huge amounts. My heart was full when reading this book - the perfect example of a children's classic.

This book is an absolute winner. One of my books of the year so far (and I've read 85 books this year to date).

Beautifully written, warm, engaging and emotive. I'm not a dog person so wasn't sure how I would find it but my heart was in my mouth the whole way. Amazing to feel so invested.

I would absolutely recommend this to children and adults alike. It's a wonderful KS2 and KS3 read.

Rebel was a puppy that Tom found in the woods and brought home, his parents complained he isn't a farm dog but they love him too.

But Rebel is Tom's dog and Tom is Rebel's boy.

Tom's family, like everyone else, is suffering because the King keeps raising their taxes. This keeps everyone poor and him in power. There's a time curfew too. anyone out after curfew risks being shot by his guards (who are horrid!). This means Tom's dad doesn't have time to go to market in the bigger town.

The Reds were defeated once and many died. But things are so bad, they are rising again. When Rider - their leader - meets Tom he thinks Tom is 18 (he's tall and he lies because he's 12) and recruits him.

Tom and his parents argue over the Red neckerchief, they tell Tom to forget this, that they could all be shot. The next morning Tom says sorry, says he's burnt the neckerchief but when he goes to the top field with the sheep he ties the neckerchief round Rebel's neck and tells him to stay, Rebel doesn't know what to do. He's a good boy, he does what Tom says but he needs to get him back.
The farm cat tells Rebel he is silly. If he loves Tom so much he wouldn't be sitting here but trying to get him back.

And so begins Rebel's journey to find Tom. On the way he meets animals that help (one in particular) and some that definitely don't! People that help, and people that are horrid.
But can he stop Tom before something happens to him?

This is a just beautiful story of teh love between a boy and his dog. And the love that dog feels for his boy - not as a master but as friends and equals. Just how much will Rebel risk to be with Tom...I was fully into this story. If I find a story difficult to get into I'll take ages reading it but this was read in a couple of evenings! As a dog owner this is just fab.

Set in a non specific time and place , this book tells the story of how Rebel is separated from his beloved Tom . Tom has decided to join a group of people trying to overthrow a tyrannical king.

Rebel sets off the find him with many perils on his quest , but also friends in unexpected places too (some memorable characters ) It reminded me of Sarah Pennypacker's "Pax" in its setting , but also I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak in that they are both narrated by the dog himself.

It's got themes of love, freedom and loyalty.

I'm not going to say more about the plot as this review is pre publication and I don't want to give any spoilers. However , Ross Montgomery is one of the best children's writers around. He knows how to deeply affect you but also how to make you laugh. He also knows how to pace a story. He finishes most chapters in a way that would be great for a bedtime story or for a teacher to read to a class, in that it compels you to find out what happens next.

Loved it!

Loved this! Can’t wait to get it in store and get recommending. Bit of a soft spot for books narrated by animals - and this one was full of heartfelt moments and plenty of adventure,

Another enjoyable adventure from Ross Montgomery. Rebel, our narrator, is a small dog living on a farm with Tom and his parents. He helps herd the sheep and loves his life.
Life in the country, however, is not great as the King and his guards put up taxes and make life hard.
Tom joins the 'reds' to rebel against the King, leaving Rebel and his home behind.
Will Rebel follow Tom into the unknown?
An enjoyable read for younger readers

Ross Montgomery does it again. He got the voice of Rebel just right. The Perfect Day chapter is superb.
There are strong messages about love, friendship, taking risks and making sacrifices.

Ross Montgomery is one of those authors who seem to be able to pull me in to every story they write. The power of his words is phenomenal. Well written, fast paced, will be adored by children. Another cracker of a book.

An anthropomorphic adventure which will set tails wagging and hearts racing. I am Rebel is a fantastic middle grade novel with a cast of animal characters, who you will love and root for as much as any human. The title character and protagonist, Rebel, is plucky and his sense of loyalty through everything brought tears to my eyes.

A horrible war, in pre-industrial times, against a greedy tyrant is the backdrop of the story. But this isn’t a war story.
At it’s heart it’s a tale about a boy and his dog. No, scratch that: it’s a story about a dog and his boy.

The war creates the reason for the unthinkable separation of dog and boy and it also means that there is a thick thread of tension running through the novel. In ‘I am Rebel’ we see how awful and indiscriminate war is by viewing it through the animals’ eyes. War makes little sense to most people; it makes even less sense to other species. I’ll add here: the scenes of violence are peripheral, minimal and vaguely defined so as to be age appropriate.

I think Jaxon might actually be my favourite character. At first, he seemed very uncomplicated, living by a code, wise and knowing. But as the story continues, his conflicts and complexities are revealed as he makes a lifelong bond with Rebel. Despite himself, he’s the goodest boy.

The writing is so clean and crisp. No words are wasted, but it does everything it has to so well. I loved I am Rebel.

I received an eARC from Netgalley & confirm these are my honest impressions of this title.

There are several authors whose new middle grade books I will not only always read but will do so with huge anticipation at the pleasure that I am expecting them to deliver. Amongst these is Ross Montgomery, who I discovered after reading his The Midnight Guardians a few years ago. Having gone on to read his subsequent stories and older title, the wonderfully dark Christmas Dinner of Souls, when this read was announced it was always going to be on my list.

Very different in tone from those other stories, this is less influenced by magic and fantasy and more realistic in its telling but is no less brilliant as a result. The story of a faithful dog’s search for his master, this is a book that has moments that will threaten to break your heart mixed in with those that will lift you up, and is one that has proved that the author is not only an incredible writer but a highly versatile one too.

For farm dog Rebel, life is good and the summer days perfect as he spends them with owner Tom, helping him to look after the family’s sheep, playing his favourite games and being fed sneaky treats from the boy’s plate at mealtimes until the day that the family is visited by two of the King’s guardsmen.

Demanding more taxes from the already overstretched family, in addition to questioning them about their knowledge of a dangerous troublemaker who is wanted by the king, the men are about to leave when Tom gives them a mouthful of abuse, earning him threats from the men and a stern ticking off from his worried father. Standing his ground after their visitors have departed, Tom tells his parents that the local market has been full of people talking about standing up to the guardsmen and how he feels they should do the same but is told to forget any ideas of rebellion as they are unsafe.

When Tom meets the outlaw while tending the sheep, he is immediately drawn to him and his cause and quickly leaves the farm to join him and his men, telling the ever-obedient Rebel to stay behind. But fear and love for his master cannot bind the dog to his instruction for long and Rebel sets out to try to track down the boy to bring him home. Following the trail Tom has left behind is not easy though, and Rebel soon finds himself facing huge difficulties and in enormous danger. Can he find the boy he adores and bring him safely home before he is drawn into a war that he may not survive? And what will he do if he can’t?

I think many readers will envy Rebel the happiness and contentment he feels when our story opens. Describing the first day we meet him as a series of perfect moments, we all know that something is about to turn his world upside down and when the inevitable happens, the transformation in the dog’s life is heartbreaking. Not understanding why Tom’s enthusiasm for justice and change for a fairer society has separated the two of them, like so many of us might, he pins his hopes on the power of their mutual love overcoming Tom’s newfound passion once they are reunited and does all that he can to bring this about, leading him on an incredible adventure.

As we accompany Rebel as he pursues his goal, love and separation are recurring themes as he encounters humans and other animals who will either help or hinder his mission, making this a read that provokes a whole wealth of emotions in the reader and keeps you on the edge of your seat as you swing from cheering him on to fearing for his safety and wellbeing and back again. For the 9+ readers picking this up, the rewards for doing so are huge – it is powerful and moving, and everything that I want in a book with an animal protagonist, and I know that its target audience will love it as will any adults lucky enough to be sharing in reading it.

My enormous thanks, as always, go to both publisher Walker Books and to Net Galley for my virtual, advance read. I am Rebel publishes 27th June and is one to preorder now.

Rebel is a good boy who lives with his owner Tom, enjoying a bucolic rural lifestyle on a farm. But then, the war comes to claim Tom as a combatant.

To Rebel's dismay, Tom decides to join the fight for freedom, thereby putting his own life in danger. This is a moving story about a man's bond with his canine best friend, and just how far a dog can go to prove his love for his human.

This story is reminiscent of classics in this genre, and will be greatly enjoyed by readers who love animals. Definitely worth a read, it gets 3.5 stars.