Dogwolf (Point Signature) [Paperback]

Alden R. Carter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Point Signature | Publication Date: July 1996

Unable to find a sense of belonging within either of the cultures that make up his heritage, half-Native American Pete LaSavage studies the legend of the dogwolf and is forced to make a life-changing decision. Reprint. AB. SLJ.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9-12?In a summer when everyone is on edge because of threatening forest fires, Pete LaSavage, 15, feels the tension even more. The lingering fires stir up memories of his father who went into those same northern Wisconsin woods to die after being crippled in a logging accident. Pete struggles with questions about his identity, and his mixed Chippewa, Metis, and Swedish heritage. He feels uncomfortable in both the Indian and white worlds. His friend Jim seems as uncomfortable as Pete is with his Indian background, and both engage in self-denigrating comments about themselves and tribal life. Even sex with his ex-girlfriend is unsatisfactory. Despite his sarcasm, however, Jim seems to believe in the possibility of visions and mysticism, especially when danger arises after a neighbor's mongrel wolf/dog is set loose by Pete, who finds the animal's howls both annoying and somehow taunting. Strong on images and emotions, this is a haunting book with some unanswered questions. From his shift in the lookout tower, Pete conveys the landscape, the unpredictability of fire, and the courage of the people who fight it, and reflects on the intensity of the dissatisfaction burning within him. But it is difficult at times to follow the threads that hold those scenes to the other elements of the story. The death of the neighbor, shocking and graphic, is unexplained other than to serve as a reminder of Pete's own father's death. Jim's death when confronting the dogwolf leads to Pete's ultimate confrontation with the animal, but it holds no satisfying resolution other than the demise of a creature that should never have been released. Complex and very slow moving.?Susan Knorr, Milwaukee Public Library, WI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. The smoke, dryness, and heat of a summer of western forest fires provide the backdrop for this intense novel about a young man's search for his past and his future, which depends on his getting a handle on his present. Pete LaSavage spends many of his days scanning the countryside for new blazes and his evenings listening to the haunted howls of the neighbor's dog, an animal allegedly part dog, part wolf. A combination of Chippewa, M{‚}etis, and Swede, Pete longs to find out who he really is. Is he part of the Native American society he moves within so freely, or is he white like those few ancestors who have given him the distinctive good looks that allow him to meld with the majority? Is his genetic mixture as potentially volatile as the dog-wolf's? Carter has crafted a novel of incessant foreboding. The fires are omnipresent; the dog-wolf's attack imminent. Although this is an excellent book, it doesn't quite work because the resolution is so slow in coming that we don't know enough about the dog-wolf to make the violent ending believable; the "big one," the devastating fire awaited throughout the entire book, is fought in only 13 pages. Yet Carter's skill in developing characters is evident. Pete is a credible package of frustration and longing, with an undercurrent of anger: a really good kid trying to find himself. And his paternal grandfather, an elderly M{‚}etis who appears out of nowhere, is the kind of wise father figure all teens crave. Frances Bradburn --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: Point (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590467425
• ISBN-13: 978-0590467421
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,027,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alden Carter's thirty-year career includes publication of novels for young adults and adults, nonfiction books on a wide range of topics, and picture books for and about special needs children. Among numerous awards, his novels have been named six times to the American Library Association's list of Best Books of the Year. His adult novel of the Civil War, Bright Starry Banner, was awarded the prestigious John Esten Cooke Fiction Award. A popular speaker, he has given over 600 presentations in schools and at conferences for writers and educators. A former teacher and naval officer, he lives in Marshfield, Wisconsin, with his wife, Carol. They have two adult children: Brian, an architect, and Siri, a college student.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Aweful, August 17, 2003

By 

"metallictwist" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogwolf (Point Signature) (Paperback)

I read this years ago. The book description sounded really good and very interesting so I picked it up. The entire time I was just hoping it'd get better. It was very depressing and the ending was very, very frusterating... I think it was a good idea but it could have been written a lot better. This is the very first book I ever actually disliked, and I read a lot.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare diamond amongst the ruff of fiction., February 20, 2004

By 

"cherokeewolf" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogwolf (Library Binding)

I want to make it clear that I rarely find a book that compels me to review it. I have no reason, other than pure gratitude, in writing here. This is a book that will leave its mark on you. I am proof. I first discovered this book when I was eleven years old. It's almost a decade and a half later, at this point in time. I have consumed the words in this novel over and over again. . .each time waiting, preciously, for my memory to fade the details enough to pick it back up--once more.

If you want a book that will feed you all the answers to every question it poses. . .This is, likely, not the book for you. It takes the soul and the strength of open eyes to endure the profound observations in this book. You must have a fragment in your body that derives pleasure from thinking for yourself. [I cannot imagine anyone who doesn't like to decode a little mystery.] So, if you be that kind of person--whom doesn't wish to ponder, you may feel confused and dumbfounded at the end. You might even miss the beautiful and subtle metaphors. When you are done, you will probably want the author to spell it out for you in big, bold letters--what will transpire henceforth from the last word on the page. Though, it is merely my speculation. . .Perhaps you have a dreamer inside of yourself that can connect the dots.

However--If you're still reading, you are likely to possess enough curiousity to embark upon this adventure with the main character, Pete. You can identify with him. I promise some piece of you can empathize. No matter what your heritage or what your home life was growing up. . .If you've ever felt out of place, if you've ever wondered who you are or whom you shall become. .You will see your reflection in Pete's eyes. This character goes beyond the simple trials of being a teenager. The things you can learn from Pete are incredibly emotional and astounding. Falling into the valleys of identity and the directions your future can go. . .Learning from whence you came and those that tread the same ground before you.

I won't waste time regurgitating the editorial reviews. If you want specifics about the context of the novel, they are right on this page. I thought a reaction would be more helpful. The characters [there are a plethora to delight any kind of personality] are well developed, credible, and just as vulnerable as any of us. The atmosphere and the setting are just as vividly portrayed. You will be fascinated by the Native American references. . .the reservation. .the forest and the wild dogwolf. This book has plenty of action with the forest fires going on. It has depth for the intellectual in us. It has a touch of love for the romantic in us. It also addresses some very dark topics like death and illness. So--what more could you ask for?

Yes, it has some gritty and depressing moments. Thus is life. If you want rainbows, cotton candy, and bunnies hopping around with no impending doom nor any respect for the truth of living. . .You would not likely withstand the realism. This is raw and doesn't shy away from the truth. However, it is appropriate and tastefully presented. I highly recommend this book. I read it again this week. I enjoyed it just as much as I did a decade ago. That really says something.

I only wish it were longer. . .as the detail is incredible. It's the kind of book that makes you sad when it's done. You almost want to cry because it grasped you so thoroughly. It is a shame this book is out of print. Get a good used copy. It is worth every penny. . .and more.