I like Ross Welford books (Hamster, Invisibility, 1000 year old boy) but this book was really, really, particularly impressive. His best yet! There's a plague. The protagonist thinks she is responsible for it's spreading (I'm not arguing with her on that one). Dogs die. People die. It's the end of the world. Time travel. Bravery. Threat. And, heart. It's all there. Thoroughly recommend.

This book was so brilliant I devoured it in one sitting!

A mix of adventure and science fiction, The Dog Who Saved The World follows eleven-year-old Georgie as she sets off on a quest to save her beloved dog, Mr Mash from a terrible fate. For a deadly disease is sweeping across the world, a danger to dogs and humans alike, and now humanity’s only hopes lies in finding a cure that does not yet exist… unless like Georgie, you happen to know a mad-scientist who has a prototype, glitch-ridden time machine… what could possibly go wrong?

I’m not usually a fan of time travel stories, but I loved everything about this one. With just a pinch of imagination, Ross Welford made the idea of jumping to the future seem very possible, without going into great depth about the actual mechanics of it all. Plus the idea of a future with no dogs in it really tugged at my heartstrings, and with such high stakes I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

The main characters, Georgie and her best friend, Ramzy are such a fun pair. Their friendship has such solid touchstones of trust and respect, despite the utter difference in their upbringings. Then there is Dr Pretorious, the mad genius behind it all. Her humour really helped level out some of the more serious elements in the story and her personality is so huge it lights up every page.

However all the secondary characters each have their own zing about them. From crazy aunts, to moody older brothers, sweet vicars and sharp tongued police. I adore that every character (be they two legged or four) gets their own distinct voice.

When it came to the plot though, Ross Welford is a master story teller. Between the layers of heart pounding, tear spiking and edge-of-your-seat fiction, the author weaves many sensitive issues into his work. However he presents everything in a relatable, child friendly way without pushing any opinions onto the reader. It’s inspiring how he can open your mind to world, making you consider all the people and animals that share this planet with us and the problems others face. Even without the awesome writing I would applaud him for this alone!

All in all, Ross Welford is one on my favourite, auto buy authors for a reason. Not only are his books all stand alone reads, but each one is set in the North-East of England (In and around the towns I was actually born and raised, winning him extra points with me!).

His latest book, The Dog Who Saved The World was yet another gripping read full of fun, adventure and futuristic spark! An easy 5 Stars!

When Georgie and Ramzy, two best friends in Whitley Bay, are asked to follow a strange and eccentric elderly woman into an abandoned amusements, you wonder where this story might be going. As it turns out, the woman is an inventor who has had the idea of 3D virtual reality, complete with smells, touch and interaction. Georgie and Ramzy are besotted with it, despite its imperfections.

But when Mr Mash, Georgie’s dog, falls ill, it heralds the start of a potential Armageddon - an end of days plague that starts to sweep the country gets Georgie and Ramzy thinking...how can the 3DVR invention help?

Dystopian, but contemporary, science-fiction set in a thoroughly recognisable world, there is lots to be enjoyed here, not least Georgie’s bravery and determination in the face of adversity.

Viral dystopia, virtual reality time travel and dogs. Clever, unsettling and expects some maturity from its readers.

All of Welford's novels for children have expected the reader to be able to cope with some element of darkness. Each has impressed me, and this latest adds to a catalogue of sophisticated stories for KS2/KS3-aged young people.

Multiple issues mesh nicely in this story of a girl and her adopted dog, as a canine-carried virus begins to take hold of the world, just as Georgie and her best friend meet a scientist who needs them to test a virtual reality experiment that can take them into the projected future.

This kind of dystopic vision is common in teenage literature, to place it into a juvenile novel is brave and daring, but Welford has shown excellent judgment with similarly grown-up issues previously.

The world of Mr Mash, the adopted dog who inadvertently becomes key to the global pandemic that could kill both dogs and humans, is our own, and scarily so, as we watch the start of a virus. Our King has a Jack Russell - it is our world but not quite. Georgie narrates the story from her future ("Right, I think you're nearly caught up, in terms of the things you need to know."), giving us hope that all will end well, allowing us to feel a connection with the story and characters.

She's a smart one, Georgie. Realistically unhappy about her dad's girlfriend Jessica, unashamedly adoring of Mr Mash, appreciative of her best friend and his own issues, she's a very normal-sounding girl. Readers will empathise with her mistakes, and what she has to go through, how brave she has to be. Ramzy too, her best friend, is a well-rounded boy who jumps off the page - and as an immigrant with a protective family, is good to see in a book as a positive role model.

Quite an exciting story, one you need to concentrate on as well, with adult characters that aren't just there as wallpaper. I can picture this as a film, it will be refreshing to see this type of genre aimed at a family market.

All Welford's standalones are excellent thoughtful stories for capable readers. 'The Dog' will be enjoyed by readers who like science themes, end-of-the-world scenarios, friendship and adventurous plots. For ages 9-14.

With thanks to Netgalley for the advance e-copy.

it was not at all what I expected. I thought it would be more focused on time travel and technology, but there were lots more important elements in the story like relationships and love. I really liked the friendship between Georgie and Ramzy, and I think Dr Pretorius was a really unique character.

Well written, fascinating story!

Another excellent Welford novel, featuring time travel, pets and flawed yet loving families - Welford seems to have a theme, and it works. If you've ever been 10 and madly in love with a pet, you will sympathise with the protag, who makes some poor yet completely understandable life choices. I loved her and the book.