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A Reader of Fictions: Review: The Dust of 100 Dogs

A Reader of Fictions

Book Reviews for Just About Every Kind of Book

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Review: The Dust of 100 Dogs

The Dust of 100 Dogs

Author: A.S. King
Pages: 336
Publisher: Flux
Source: Gifted by Kara of Great Imaginations

Description from Goodreads:
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.


First Sentence: "With one last, almighty roar, the Frenchman fell to his knees and died."

Review:
What can I say about this book? I really do not know how I feel about the book I've just completed, and might not know until I reread it a couple of times in years to come. All I know entirely for sure is that my author-crush on A.S. King has gotten larger, and that I have never in my life encountered a book remotely like The Dust of 100 Dogs.

I've read two other novels by A.S. King, Everybody Sees the Ants and Ask the Passengers. As much as they differed from one another, The Dust of 100 Dogs is even further removed. Her other novels are contemporaries, but this one takes place in the seventeenth century and the 1990s. Her storytelling methods, the mature subject matter, and the settings highlight King's daring as an author.

Her love of history can also be felt in Everybody Sees the Ants, in which the main character's grandfather was a World War II veteran. Here, King goes all the way back to seventeeth century Ireland, in the era of Oliver Cromwell and English subjugation (well, one of many eras of that anyway). She unflinchingly depicts the brutality of the English through the eyes of eight-year-old Emer, who witnesses her mother's brave battle and her brother's death firsthand. Where she was once a weak, whiny creature with dreams of being admired for her beauty, Emer learns from this hard lessons about power and how to live.

Taken in by her abusive Uncle and his family, she loses herself in her grief for a while, retreating into herself and going mute by choice, since there is nothing worth talking about in her new life. This changes when she meets the love of her life, a boy similarly mute, Seanie Carroll. When she takes a stand against her cruel Uncle Martin, he ships her off to France to marry a wealthy, disgusting old man. Emer escapes and begins her wanderings around the world, eventually becoming the captain of a pirate vessel.

That's right! Thar be pirates here! These are the kinds of pirates one cannot help but root for, coming across almost as Robin Hoods, when compared to the slavers and the plundering Spanish. Emer, an honest, upright girl at heart, justifies her actions, her violence, with the knowledge that these colonizers do horrible things to the people whose land they are stealing. The comparisons drawn between the English in Ireland, the Spanish on the Atlantic Isles, and the manifest destiny of the Americans are brilliant.

King focuses on power and on colonization. Her tale is not a happy one. Lovers die, heroines are raped and stalked by the worst of men, and many people are held subjective to the whims of assholes with more will and more power. Even in Emer's modern life (as Saffron), this plays out through the abuses of her brother, a druggie, who steals and destroys everything her parents have, but whom they cannot begin to resist; they are willing victims. Emer, after her childhood experience, never allows anyone to make her into an easy victim; her suffering makes her strong.

The concept and execution completely awe me. King tells the story through shifting perspectives: Emer in third person, Saffron in first person, Fred Livingstone in third person, and notes about dogs. Emer's third person narration, with the exception of the prologue, follows her life chronologically. Saffron, blessed or cursed with Emer's memories still has her own distinct personality. She is a fascinating figure, a child with hundreds of years of memories, both human and hound. Fred may be one of the most creepy characters I have ever encountered, and I do not think I'll be forgetting him any time soon; he's like a rapist stalker combined with Gollum, which is just nightmarish. The notes about life as a dog and how best to raise them are typically King in their oddness. These include sharp insights into human nature, but do occasionally come across as a message from the humane society.

Much as I love the plot of this book and am wowed by King's bravery as an author to venture into such untrespassed lands of YA fiction, I do wish there had been more focus on characterization. My first priority for a book is characters I really connect with, and I did not really find that in Emer or Saffron. I like both of them, worry about both of them, and wish the best for both of them, but they did not capture my heart. With all that King had to accomplish narratively, this is not surprising, because the book would have had to be a good bit longer. If you do not read for character foremost, as I do, then this will likely not be a huge drawback.

If you are looking for a book unlike anything else in YA fiction, you cannot go wrong with A.S. King's The Dust of 100 Dogs. King writes beautifully and does not romanticize anything. Her books are honest and thought-provoking.

Rating: 4/5

Favorite Quote: "If dogs ran the world, there would be endless food, water, walks, and humping, but not much conquering. Humans want to conquer everyone they can, and buy everything they see. I think this is because humans have forgotten how to be happy."

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19 Comments:

Blogger Lilian said...

I have Ask The Passengers in my TBR pile right now. I was going to pick up Everybody Sees the Ants or Please Ignore Vera Dietz, but the hipster I-must-read-NEW-books won. I think it will be my recovery read if I can get to it before school starts. I haven't read anything by her before, I hope I'll like her writing as much as you do!

Lilian @ A Novel Toybox

December 30, 2012 at 2:35 AM  
Blogger Leanne Yang said...

I really want to read a few of her books, but I still haven't gotten to it. This one looks... interesting.. in a weird way. Thanks for the great review! :)

December 30, 2012 at 2:20 PM  
Blogger Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

This is one that I've looked at several times but just haven't pulled the trigger on yet.

December 30, 2012 at 2:28 PM  
Blogger Heather said...

I just read my first A.S. King book a few months ago, and I am totally with you on the author-crush thing. I can't wait to read this book!

December 30, 2012 at 7:00 PM  
Blogger Jenni said...

Definitely agree about the author crush. She officially gives me a lady boner.

I still can't fully wrap my head around my feelings for this one, and my review is utter shit. But I had fun reading it! Awesome review, for how we both felt upon finishing I think you put your thoughts together really well!

December 30, 2012 at 11:40 PM  
Blogger Sarah(Sarahandherbookshelves) said...

Great Review Christina. I have heard so many great things about this author! I also bought this book recently so I will have to pick it up, and it has to do with history which I usually love!

Also Pirates!!

December 31, 2012 at 5:06 PM  
Blogger Jaime Lester said...

Yeah, this sounds like a weird one. Definitely not a bad thing. And I do like pirates. I don't think that I could pass this book up if I ran across it at the library. It is just too odd.

January 1, 2013 at 2:38 AM  
Blogger Lynn K. said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

January 4, 2013 at 9:29 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

YES! I love Ask the Passengers! I hope you like it too. Or I will come by your blog and make a frowny face! Don't make me frowny!

January 4, 2013 at 9:30 AM  
Blogger Lynn K. said...

Pirates, dogs and historical fiction? This sounds incredible. I've always seen this book around, but thought it was paranormal vampire book. I've never read anything by this author before so I dunno if I'll be joining her fan harem but Please Ignore Vera Dietz on my TBR and now this too.

January 4, 2013 at 9:31 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

You definitely should. Her others are a bit more normal. Ask the Passengers would probably be a good place to start.

January 4, 2013 at 9:43 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

Pull that trigger!

January 4, 2013 at 9:43 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

Which one did you read?

January 4, 2013 at 9:43 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

Bahaha, right? Her books are all so unique that it's insanity! Thanks!

January 4, 2013 at 9:44 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

This is definitely her most shocking and unique book. I recommend it, but not for people who are easily offended. :-p

PIRATES!

January 4, 2013 at 9:44 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

If you like odd, this is the perfect book.

January 4, 2013 at 9:45 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

Yup, all of those things. Not a single vampire in sight, I promise! Yay! I hope you love her books!

January 4, 2013 at 9:45 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This is definitely interesting. I never heard anything like this before. Thanks for the review. I will actively seek out a copy for myself. :)

January 8, 2013 at 12:14 PM  
Blogger Christina said...

Ooh, always happy to get more people to read A.S. King!

January 8, 2013 at 12:16 PM  

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