Cassandra: Animal Psychic #2by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 Cassandra helps an old woman find a new owner for her dog when she has to go into a retirement home. Cassandra also deals with boyfriend issues for herself and her stepsister.This second issue has all the same positives that I mention in my review of the first one. I like how Cassandra is dealing with real-world problems -- things that preteen or teenager could actually be dealing with. And I like that it's not all about the animals or her psychic abilities; this means it's a well-rounded character and story. I especially still like the visuals for Cassandra's psychic powers -- very pretty and dream-like, full of swirls and ethereal butterflies. Cassandra makes a list of reasons people have to give up their animals. I disagree with one in particular: a child is born. Your pet is your family. Health reasons may arise for mom or baby, but the act of having a baby is not a reason to disown another family member. Later in the book Cassandra says, "don't make the mistake of thinking of the dog as a baby or another human." This is important. They are family, but they are not human, and, as such, they have different needs and a limited ability to understand things like change. I was glad to see this book does give animal shelters the credit they deserve. The book also contains some great rules for training your dog around human food (and training yourself what to do or not do!). I was glad to see the retirement home put a visiting-pet program in place and show the positive benefits of animals on people. I love that this book takes a lot of time to show that changing to a new owner can be hard for a dog. Cassandra uses her powers to speed up the process, which is to be expected. I just wish this book mentioned that it can take weeks or months for a dog to get used to a new routine. Cassandra's dog, Dolly, actually steals much of the show. Dolly is the one to figure out who the dog's new owner should be, and she's the one to instigate the change at the retirement home. Cassandra's just there to interpret. It makes for a fun dynamic that also highlights the bond between human and dog. Cassandra's struggle with her potential boyfriend is handled very well. I like the advice from her mom, and that the "romance" side of things is reigned in to a more realistic level. Cassandra's plan to "help" her stepsister works out well in the end, but could have backfired terribly, so I'm a bit surprised it was a thing this comic wanted to address at all (other than maybe as a way to bridge the gap between Cassandra and her stepsister). All in all, it's a solid, fun read. If you enjoyed the first one, definitely get this one. If you're new to it, this series has excellent art, characters, and story and is well-rounded, entertaining, and informative. Written: March 24, 2020
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