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Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
Bella: Beyond the Bark is part of Lana Stasek's Voices Within series. The audiobook tells the story of Bella, a dog who spent eight years bouncing between crates, streets, and shelters before she finally found a real home. She becomes a bit of a local legend at the Illinois shelter, Orphans of the Storm, before someone finally takes her in on January 5, 2018, giving her 1,861 days that were truly hers. Bella doesn't speak, but she notices everything. She knows the hand that pets her and the same hand that can turn cruel, and the people who look away instead of helping. The book isn't really about the happy ending of getting rescued. It's about everything that came before it and what came after, including a loss that takes the story into something more than just a typical rescue tale.
Author Lana Stasek ensured this feels different from your typical dog story, maybe because this is her own dog’s story. Bella's voice comes through honestly. It is not sappy or sentimental. It is just a quiet yet clear way of Bella noticing the world around her, which makes her observations hit even harder. The book is set in the real Orphans of the Storm shelter, and this gives the whole story an authentic feel. The idea of being overlooked and then finally being seen, only to lose it, is such a powerful theme, and it applies to so much more than just shelter dogs. Bella: Beyond the Bark is a moving and powerful audiobook for anyone who loves stories about being noticed and being loved for all our flaws.
Narrator Megan Tusing made sure she had the attention of the audience from the very beginning. Her voice is soft, yet it has the power to make the audience understand the implication of every word. I felt bad for Bella, but it felt nice to hear the story from the perspective of a dog who understands what is happening and isn’t really trusting of the people around her. Tusing brought Bella to life and conveyed her emotions perfectly. I loved that.
