A review by waywardskyril
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
2.0
The Dust of 100 Dogs was not what I expected.
I suppose that is partially my fault, with the help of the synopsis.
I'm not really sure how exactly to explain my feelings about this book.
Without giving any spoilers away, the story is half about what happened leading up to Emer being cursed, starting when she was six and continuing her life's story. The other half of the book is about Saffron [who is Emer after living her 100 lives as a dog], as she impatiently waits to turn eighteen in order to go find some treasure she buried just before she was cursed.
Reading the synopsis, I... Well, I guess I'm not entirely sure what I expected. I suppose I thought there to be a little back story, more from her memories than anything, but I figured most of the story would be about her after she turns into a girl again and adjusts to having a pirate's mind in a modern world. However, Saffron had no problem "adjusting." There was no adjusting period whatsover. In fact, when she is born, the book explains that Saffron tries her hardest to begin getting stronger and growing up as quickly as possible, and nothing at all is unusual to her.
Saffron's story is actually a little boring.
Emer's story was much more interesting, but you know that all it is is back story so that you understand how Saffron herself came to be.
Then when you finally got to the ending of both stories, you expect a little more and you get a lot less. I was very much disappointed that what I had been waiting for, [without explaining what that was and spoiling it,] for most of the book was just a tiny page or two at the very end. Most of it was left to your own imagination, which completely let me down. I was more or less just finishing the book so I could see how this situation eventually played out, but it was a little nothing at the end of the story, and Saffron's future is left... unknown. I repeat, it was very much disappointing.
Also there was strong language and some minor explicit material that, though not described in detail, could easily be imagined by the reader.
Overall, The Dust of 100 Dogs left me disliking the main character, totally bored with the "story," and rather altogether melancholy and listless.
I'm very much happy to have the chance to put it behind me and sell it to a used bookstore in order to get a much more interesting book.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone.
I suppose that is partially my fault, with the help of the synopsis.
I'm not really sure how exactly to explain my feelings about this book.
Without giving any spoilers away, the story is half about what happened leading up to Emer being cursed, starting when she was six and continuing her life's story. The other half of the book is about Saffron [who is Emer after living her 100 lives as a dog], as she impatiently waits to turn eighteen in order to go find some treasure she buried just before she was cursed.
Reading the synopsis, I... Well, I guess I'm not entirely sure what I expected. I suppose I thought there to be a little back story, more from her memories than anything, but I figured most of the story would be about her after she turns into a girl again and adjusts to having a pirate's mind in a modern world. However, Saffron had no problem "adjusting." There was no adjusting period whatsover. In fact, when she is born, the book explains that Saffron tries her hardest to begin getting stronger and growing up as quickly as possible, and nothing at all is unusual to her.
Saffron's story is actually a little boring.
Emer's story was much more interesting, but you know that all it is is back story so that you understand how Saffron herself came to be.
Then when you finally got to the ending of both stories, you expect a little more and you get a lot less. I was very much disappointed that what I had been waiting for, [without explaining what that was and spoiling it,] for most of the book was just a tiny page or two at the very end. Most of it was left to your own imagination, which completely let me down. I was more or less just finishing the book so I could see how this situation eventually played out, but it was a little nothing at the end of the story, and Saffron's future is left... unknown. I repeat, it was very much disappointing.
Also there was strong language and some minor explicit material that, though not described in detail, could easily be imagined by the reader.
Overall, The Dust of 100 Dogs left me disliking the main character, totally bored with the "story," and rather altogether melancholy and listless.
I'm very much happy to have the chance to put it behind me and sell it to a used bookstore in order to get a much more interesting book.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone.