A review by kblincoln
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
5.0
Saffron Adams has problems. She's the first in her family to have the possibility of winning a scholarship to college on merit, her brother's a stealing druggie, her mother is obsessed with Saffron's intelligence in order to pull the whole family out of poverty, and Saffron has day dreams of mutilating people who bore or cross her.
Oh yeah, and she's got the memories of a 300 year old Irish female pirate who spent the last 300 years cursed to be a dog while searching for her one, true love and a giant emerald.
It sucks to be a teen sometimes.
This book is full of awesome. But it's definitely not your usual awesome. You can't approach this book thinking it's going to be jam on toast, the very structure of this book; Saffron's story chapter switching with the irish pirate's somewhat more graphically disturbing story (rape and violence enough I'd probably be careful of recommending this for anyone below about 11 years old) interspersed with insights about dog's behavior.
I read this compulsively, loving Saffron's voice, wanting to find out what happened to the Irish pirate, intrigued by the themes of reincarnation woven throughout all the perspectives.
Terrific.
This book's Food Designation rating: Green Tea Tiramisu, for having different compelling layers and yet that hint of exoticness all wrapped up in a delicious package.
Oh yeah, and she's got the memories of a 300 year old Irish female pirate who spent the last 300 years cursed to be a dog while searching for her one, true love and a giant emerald.
It sucks to be a teen sometimes.
This book is full of awesome. But it's definitely not your usual awesome. You can't approach this book thinking it's going to be jam on toast, the very structure of this book; Saffron's story chapter switching with the irish pirate's somewhat more graphically disturbing story (rape and violence enough I'd probably be careful of recommending this for anyone below about 11 years old) interspersed with insights about dog's behavior.
I read this compulsively, loving Saffron's voice, wanting to find out what happened to the Irish pirate, intrigued by the themes of reincarnation woven throughout all the perspectives.
Terrific.
This book's Food Designation rating: Green Tea Tiramisu, for having different compelling layers and yet that hint of exoticness all wrapped up in a delicious package.