Oh's latest has all the trappings of a thriller blended with horror (page-turning action, sickening reveals) but is grounded with the simple, touching, and at times heartrending story of the love between Haru the dog and his human, Luke. After Haru heroically protects Luke and his friends from a rabid raccoon, he spends the night at the vet, where he meets a neglected dog named Bruno. This encounter, and a later one with abandoned cat Penny, introduces Haru to a harsh truth for many animals: you can't trust humans. Interwoven into this intimate character story is a plotline dealing with the Sinclair corporation, headed by a billionaire that controls most of the town. After an accident at a secret research facility unleashes a horror upon the town, it's Haru's love for and belief in Luke that saves them both from monsters, both internal and external. On-the-page racism and animal cruelty might make this a tough read for some, but the power of the story is in its tender relationships and well-drawn characters, both animal and human.

Oh (the Spirit Hunters series) centers the relationship between a dog and his human in this spellbinding tale with Frankenweenie vibes. In third-person chapters that follow canine Haru Haru, the pooch recounts how he saves his 11-year-old Korean American–cued human Luke from a rabid raccoon while traipsing through the woods. The event is quickly eclipsed by a chemical fire at Sinclair, a local research laboratory that has been polluting a nearby lake. Stray cat Penelope informs Haru that Sinclair is a “bad place” where “animals go in, but they never come back out.” When Luke and Haru return to Luke’s family deli, racist remarks from their white landlady prompt a physical altercation, and after Haru lunges in Luke’s defense, he’s seized by animal control, which takes him to Sinclair. But even in his dire situation, he remains determined to return to Luke, no matter what. This riveting adventure is not without its melancholy moments, but Oh skillfully balances inexplicit descriptions of animal abuse with adrenaline-fueled action. Tender character relationships between both pup and human, and the myriad fully realized animals Haru meets along his journey, combine for a multilayered and thoroughly heartfelt must-read. Ages 8–12. Agent: Nancy Gallt, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (July)