This story captivated me from the opening line. Having been a part of animal rescue and mom to several rescue dogs like Noelle, I was sucked in and ready for a tear-filled ride through emotions I'd rather not have. This author, however, is a master of emotion. And at no point did I regret venturing into this potentially heartbreaking story.
To answer question one...I found nothing predictable about this story. Quite the opposite. No spoilers here, but the ending blew my mind. I was stunned. Looking back over the story, yes, there was gentle foreshadowing, but nothing painfully obvious and certainly nothing cliche.
Question two can be answered with a resounding YES! I could hear very clearly Noelle's inner voice - the good vs. evil, if you will - pulling her in two different directions. The hoping for the best, but navigating without a clue. I've felt it and this struggle was extremely well written and accurate.
Diane Ryan is something special, and this story only served to make my holiday reading even better!