Book Review: the Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with the dust of one hundred dogs, dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body -- with her memories intact.

Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

What i thought: When i first came across this book, i was a bit unsure. I mean, a teenage pirate cursed to live the lives of 100 dogs? Sounds very . . . interesting, don't you think? But, i was constantly hearing about how amazing this novel was, how fabulous the writing was, etc. Hence, i was determined to give it a try--and that i did.

Emer is a bit . . . gruesome. Yet, it was her that made this story so phenomenal. Her voice itself was very captivating, and i couldn't resist being sucked into the story. I found it hard to separate her from Saffron, and vice versa. They were both very interesting characters, and the voice most definitely made the story it's own.

I thoroughly enjoyed the "Dog Facts" and found them incredibly hilarious. King incorporated Emer's time as a dog, as well as her becoming of Saffron, very well into the plot, and it all flowed fantastically.

The ending, while a major cliffie, was one i enjoyed immensely and i cannot imagine better way to conclude this fabulous novel. Although it leaves you hanging, it makes you crave more, which is a major goal that King succeeds at achieving.

In all honesty, The Dust of 100 Dogs can be summed up on one word: spectacular. I was completely blown away, and very much regret my uncertainty and doubt while contemplating whether or not it was worth a try. King is a fabulous story teller, and she most definitely is wonderful at breathing the life into the standard cardboard dolls, creating life-like and entirely realistic characters. I highly recommend picking up this fantastic tale--you won't regret it.

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Book Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

What i thought: Right from the moment i started this book, i knew it was going to be an uncomfortable journey, following Lia through her troublesome anorexia--and, believe me, i was right! This story is about a very difficult topic, and traveling through these pages scared me thoroughly--the whole idea bothered me very much, and i truly was horrified by some of Lia's thoughts as well as many of her choices and the needs she carelessly ignored--and crossed out.

Despite this, i found Wintergirls to be an amazing and thoroughly touching story about a girl struggling with a very common issue among teenage girls. The plot was extremely realistic--despite the fact there were ghosts--and most of the characters had traits that made me grow to care about them. And, having a little sister myself, i very much enjoyed reading about Lia's emotions regarding her sister Emma, and how she believed her anorexia was disturbing--and worrying--her. While i did not really feel much of a connection with said sister, i found myself fretting right along with Lia's stepmother about how much the anorexia was scaring Emma, and what a large affect it was having.

I enjoyed Anderson's unique writing style, and found the way she described Lia's emotions interesting. I really liked how she crossed out Lia's needs, and let the disorder speak. It really gave a clearer personality, and let you see just how terrifying it could be.

The ending seemed very rushed, as if Anderson couldn't finish it soon enough. So, while it did close the story fairly well, it seemed as if Anderson wanted it to be done and over-with, and ran out of ideas. It wasn't very concluding--but every fantastic novel has it's fair share of flaws.

Told in an eerily haunting voice, Wintergirls is an unforgettable novel about a young girl's painful journey to finding herself and a way back home from the dangerous depths of anorexia. An amazing novel!

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