Dogs of the Deadlands: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK AWARDS

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And it certainly didn’t disappoint.The book is pretty epic in its timespan and follows two stories; that of human girl Natasha, who is forced to flee the devastation of Chernobyl and that of her pup, Zoya, and the other dogs that are left behind. The night in Oxford was the most beautiful event I have ever done. Not just the spectacular setting (of the Sheldonian), but an unforgettable evening. Weaknesses: I'm not much for narratives told from a dog's perspective, and I somehow missed where Misha was the son of Zoya. After the whole regurgitated worm thing, I found it a little hard to concentrate. Join us for the celebration of our 300th episode and also say farewell to Steve and Ken. The Nerd Cantina Show has been a fantastic experience and we thank anyone who has listened, supported, or joined in on the conversations. Chernobyl, 1986. Natasha’s world is coming to an end. Forced to evacuate her home in the middle of the night, she must leave her puppy behind and has no idea if she’ll ever return. Some time later, growing up in the shadow of the ruined nuclear power plant, pups Misha and Bratan have to learn how to live in the wild—and fast. Creatures with sharp teeth, claws, and yellow eyes lurk in the overgrown woods. And they’re watching the brothers’ every move…

Dogs of the Deadlands by Anthony McGowan | Goodreads

Dogs of the Deadlands by Anthony McGowan is one of those books that is both savage and beautiful and I have no doubt will stay with me for a long time. The story begins on Natasha’s birthday where she gets the most amazing present of all: a little Samoyed puppy that she names Zoya. But disaster soon tears Natasha away from her puppy as the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s reactor number 4 explodes and Natasha and her family must evacuate and leave everything behind, including Zoya.This book is also beautifully illustrated by Keith Robinson, and as a dog person I went "awww" on more than one occasion! He definitely did not fail. He's weaved a tale of tragedy and hope using, quite interestingly, both human and non-human POVs, and it all comes together in a beautiful, bittersweet way. The prose is easy to get through without sacrificing any of the emotional impact; I finished the whole thing in a day yet I was moved despite the speed of which I went through with it. Will Zoya survive? If so, how will she make a life for herself in the wild? What about Natasha? How will her life be after losing everything including her beloved puppy? Will she ever be able to reunite with Zoya? McGowan's ambition to write a realistic survival story about dogs in Chernobyl paid off. Writing a story with animals as main characters, with the only dialogue coming from human characters, and having it be just as heartfelt, engaging, and anxiety-inducing as if it were humans is no easy feat. Yet McGowan pulls it off. He conveys different personalities from these animals, and I could easily distinguish them from one another, despite them not speaking any words. Undoubtedly, McGowan is an accomplished author. All the characters of the book are masterfully drawn, be they animals or humans. The bond between Misha and his brother, Bratan, is beautiful. Right from birth, their mother impressed upon Misha that he has to take care of his brother as his legs are misshapen. Misha never faltered from his duty. Surprisingly, Bratan had an unerring sense of familial loyalty as well. Time and again, he managed to surprise both his family and us. Indeed, he is one of my favorite characters. It was heartening to see the dogs braving the forests of the deadlands. In the absence of humans, the woods were filled with lynxes, bears, catfish, and wolves, along with other predators. All these animals were doing their best to survive. Hence, it was a dangerous place for everyone. Yet, friendships cropped up at the most unexpected times. It was fun to see Misha and Bratan befriend a bear, the sworn enemy of dogs and wolves. The bond among the animals on the farm was heart-touching as well. Shepherd, Terrier, Saluki, Laika, Scrag, Shorty, and Sokha were a motley bunch. Circumstances brought this crew together yet theirs was a bond not to be trifled with. The transformation of Laika was as intriguing to witness as the growing proximity between Misha and Saluki. McGowan did a wonderful job of creating a character like Natasha. The Chernobyl Disaster had left an indelible mark on her. She lost her smile and her faith in humanity. The way the author shows her character development is amazing. It was indeed a treat to see her finally rediscover her true self. I have to mention I was deeply moved by Katerina Sobal as well. The lonely yet kind recluse indeed appeared to be Baba Yaga to me.

Dogs of the Deadlands: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK Dogs of the Deadlands: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK

This is NOT a fluffy dog story full of cuteness. This is brutal, dark and dog-eat-dog... so to speak. This visceral story of heartbreak and survival...has the memorable feel of a classic.’ Guardian, Best children’s and YA books of 2022 This gripping and unusual tale imagines how life might have evolved for the domestic animals forced to become wild in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster and the repercussions for their owners. He would grumble about the decline and fall of the old Soviet Union. "Once the people were in charge. Now only oligarchs. Billionaires. Thieves," he would mutter." - This example. so much wrong in these two sentences. While I don't want to go down the road explaining the history in this review... and while some people in occupied countries might have thought (or still think), this is absolutely disgusting message to send to the kids. If the story is meant and aimed for adults, or young adults and the author feels the need to include politics (which is not bad thing per se), some knowledge of the era, country and its history would be beneficial. The second challenge this book faces is in its weaving of its characters’ stories. To be realistic, the author tells several different dog stories (since dogs don’t live as long as humans), and then weaves in one brief human story while putting the primary human mostly on hiatus. Natasha plays a much smaller role than I expected at the beginning, and by the time her adult story is really told, the main action and arcs of the dogs are mostly finished, so it feels like an afterthought, thrown in for denouement. While the end is ultimately satisfying, there are multiple ends throughout the book, which keeps you guessing exactly how the author wants this to wrap up. This is a strength for some, but could be considered disjointed or incomplete for others. The author mentions War and Peace as an inspiration, and having read that tome this year, I can say that that’s not for everyone: it’s a very difficult task to weave so many arcs together and still satisfy your (young?) readers. The dogs’ arcs are compelling, but the humans’ feel rushed, despite the difference in lifespan.It’s great to see these kids “so enthusiastic about committing high treason.” (historical note) (Historical fiction. 10-12) I'm not sure if I could believe though that loss of a puppy would have such drastic consequences and result in a person being so reclusive with no relationships whatsoever well into the adulthood. Don't get me wrong, I know how sensitive children are, but it seemed too much.