2.5/5 Stars
I wanted to love this book. I really did. I was actually hoping it would be as good as Where the Red Fern Grows, meaning it would bring me to tears. But unfortunately and ultimately Pax was a bit of a let down.
Peter and Pax have been inseparable since Peter found Pax (a fox) injured on the side of the road. When Peter's father has gone to war he is sent to live with his Grandfather. His Grandfather dislikes Pax and makes Peter ditch him. So Peter decides to go off on his own to find Pax, hopefully in time before the wilderness eats him alive.
So I initially loved the set up of this story. Children's books are known for having some awesome animal characters, think Stuart Little. But this one didn't do it quite justice. It was very repetitive, yes I get it, humans destroy the world. And it ended very abruptly. I, personally felt no deep connection to the ending.
Maybe I read it too quickly, but I had trouble trying to figure out where exactly Peter lived that was in the middle of a war zone in walking distance?
A good effort that felt a bit disconnected on my part. One that I am definitely willing to recommend to children looking for a beloved animal character.