A riveting dog tale with a healthy serving of savagery, not all on the part of the four-legged characters.
After his brutal owner tries to kill him, a half-breed greyhound escapes and embarks on a series of adventures.
Furgul learns from his mother, a racing greyhound, that he’s the son of Argal, a legendary wild dog who knows of Doglands, the mythical place where dogs roam free. When a brave escape ends badly for his litter mates, Furgul is adopted by a caring but controlling couple then flees just before he’s to be neutered. He is imprisoned in a kill-after-five-days pound, then befriended by a human who can speak “dog” fluently. Finally, assisted by a brave old St. Bernard, a cowardly mutt named Skyver, the love of his life, Dervla, and a few others, he takes on a dangerous mission to rescue his mother and all the other greyhounds imprisoned by the abusive Dedbone and his sidekick, the Gambler. When violence erupts, it’s graphically depicted: “a separate pack of hounds, driven crazy by the blood,… devoured him alive where he lay.” The dogs each have distinct personalities, and the mystic lore of the Doglands adds a secondary fantasy layer to the narrative. Humans are only sketched in, which is fitting, since the tale is told from the dog point of view.
A riveting dog tale with a healthy serving of savagery, not all on the part of the four-legged characters. (Fantasy. 11 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-86571-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
A rambling tale about grief that will appeal to patient, sentimental readers.
Technology prevails over death, giving a teenage couple a second chance at goodbye.
High school senior Julie is paralyzed with grief over her boyfriend Sam’s death in a car accident. She avoids his funeral and throws away every reminder of him. They had planned to leave their small Pacific Northwest town together, and she now faces an uncertain and empty future. But one night she impulsively dials his cell, and, inexplicably, Sam answers. This is the first of many long conversations they have, neither understanding how or why this is happening but relishing the chance to say goodbye as they could not in life. However, Julie faces a difficult choice: whether or not to alleviate the pain of Sam’s loved ones by allowing them to talk to him, though it could put their own connection at risk. Yet, letting go and moving on might be just what she needs. The emotional tenor of the book is even throughout, making the characters feel remote at times and flattening the impact of momentous events—such as Julie and Sam’s first conversation—that are often buried in minor, day-in-the-life details. The time skips can also be difficult to follow. But the concept is a smart one and is sure to intrigue readers, especially those grappling with separation, loss, and mortality. Sam is cued as Japanese American; Julie defaults to White.
A rambling tale about grief that will appeal to patient, sentimental readers. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-76203-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Ali, 15 going on 16, lives in Bed-Stuy with his mom, a social worker, and his little sister, Jazz, who has a knack for...
A literary story of growing up in Brooklyn.
Ali, 15 going on 16, lives in Bed-Stuy with his mom, a social worker, and his little sister, Jazz, who has a knack for markers. He hangs out on the stoop with his two BFFs, brothers nicknamed by his sister: Noodles and Needles. Needles, the older, suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, and Noodles and Ali look out for him. In the lead plotline, the three boys crash an illegal party in the basement of a nearby brownstone and then deal with the fallout. Action notwithstanding, the story actually reads more like a character study of Ali and his sister and friends and a tender homage to this seemingly dangerous neighborhood. Even though Reynolds thoughtfully (and most likely truthfully) depicts the neighborhood as one where guns and drug transactions are seen regularly, readers don’t necessarily feel the danger due to the tender and deeply protective relationships of the characters, who are realistically if not exquisitely drawn. The plot, though compelling, takes back seat to them, and what unfolds is a moving and thought-provoking study of the connectivity among a family and friends that plays upon and defies readers’ expectations. An author worth watching. (Fiction. 12 & up) .Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-5947-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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