The Pet Nanny 2
Libby Goes to a New School
A determined girl works hard at school and through her pet-sitting business in the busy novel The Pet Nanny 2.
In Leisa Braband’s endearing novel The Pet Nanny 2, a cheerful girl tries to balance her rigorous schoolwork with her busy pet-sitting business.
Libby moved to Chicago with her parents at the start of the summer. She quickly established herself as the “pet nanny” at her apartment complex, where she cares for her neighbors’ cats and dogs. Now that it’s autumn, Libby is starting eighth grade at a new school. Right away, she learns that making time for both work and school will be a struggle. Her parents warn her to keep on top of her homework if she wants to continue her pet-sitting business. As her schoolwork grows more challenging and she adds more animals to her schedule, hopeful Libby remains determined to do it all. She does not connect the dots on changes in her parents’ behavior, though, and her blind spot fuels suspense for an eventual, unsurprising revelation.
Libby is an amicable narrator, confiding her fears about losing her friendships with the animals she’s grown to love alongside her appreciation for learning about history at school. She often breaks the fourth wall, using phrases like “I know what you’re thinking” and “You guessed it!” She also behaves as if she is younger than thirteen, though, receiving a Hello Kitty blanket for her birthday and not knowing words like “conundrum.” Still, her bright personality and single-mindedness about having a pet of her own steer her through her struggles to prove herself.
The animals’ personalities are indistinguishable from each other; while Libby hates to tear herself away from the pets, it’s rare to see her interact with them beyond giving them snuggles or taking them for walks. The people around her are better distinguished. The building manager, George, is a patient listener; Steve, a bird-watching friend at school, models kindness and authenticity. Still, some people’s behavior is implausible, as when the vice principal asks Libby to sneak out of class to take care of his cat in secret. Further, the heaviness of Libby’s schoolwork, which includes biweekly ten-minute presentations and a ten-page paper, is not explained.
The book’s pacing is uneven, and built-up scenes are rushed through, such as when Libby converses with multiple people about her Joan of Arc presentation while the event itself is covered in one rushed paragraph. Stretches of exposition detailing Libby’s thoughts and actions are jarring, as if the story is hastening to skip to the next plot point. The conclusion includes a payoff but also a cliffhanger with hints at unexplained grief, neutralizing its gratification factor.
In the charming novel The Pet Nanny 2, a girl experiences the charms and challenges of pet-sitting while attending a new school.
Reviewed by
Aimee Jodoin
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
