Customer Reviews

The Dust of 100 Dogs

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Dust of 100 Dogs isn't really a young adult novel. I'm not quite sure what age group it belongs to, actually. It's for the most part narrated by a teenager, sure, but said teenager is only a teenager on a technicality. She's been alive for over 300 years, first as a human named Emer, then as 100 dogs, then as Emer's second-coming, Saffron. Emer surpassed her adolescent years, but she never really grew and appreciated her adulthood. Saffron is still a teenager when the story takes place. Still, all her years as a dog gave her a keen insight on human nature. Really, there's no easy answer where this book is concerned, and hopefully--as Leila Roy said--it will be one more step in blurring the line between YA and adult.

Now, how do I begin this? I agree with both other reviews I've read. This is a peculiar book and it stands out from whatever else you were or have been reading. I'd say it takes awhile to grow on you, too. Because it's such an unorthodox approach to the YA I'm used to--which as I've said before, this is most assuredly not, but I didn't know that--I didn't know how to react to it at first. I thought it was exceptional, whatever it was, but how do I review this? So, if you plan to read it, get that notion out of your head. It only limits this book's potential. Once it dawned to me this is genre-bending, it escalated from exceptional to superb. Aside from its own literary merit, this book's got that genre-bending thing going for it. That's awesome, y'all.

This book has three recurring storylines: Emer's youth in Ireland, her travails in the name of true love, and her coming to be a pirate; Saffron's voyage to Jamaica to unearth the treasure she buried there three centuries prior; and Fred Livingstone's life in Jamaica. They're all connected, the first two in obvious manners, Fred's in a way you'll only understand reading the book. There are also nine dog facts thrown in, which depict dog psychology. An interesting bit about these Dog Facts is that you can apply many of them to humans, too. It's a unique parallel.

This is an odd mix of contemporary and historical without time-travel. (I keep telling you guys that this book breaks all the rules. It's true, see?) The historical locales are well-drawn, and since part of it takes place in Ireland, you get to see a bit of A.S. King's life experience. (She lived on an Irish self-sufficient farm for over a decade.) The wide array of settings in here--the US, Ireland, and pirate locales--are well-realized, at any rate.

And now for my favorite part in any book: characters. The dynamics here--Emer/Saffron's reincarnations, Saffron's dysfunctional family, and certain aspects of Fred's life--make for a very extensive amount of discussion questions. Like Jen Robinson said:

What would it be like to live as a child, with knowledge that you weren't supposed to have? How frustrating would it be to be the sole hope of your downtrodden family, when that hope conflicted with what you wanted from life? If you were reincarnated, and remembered everything, how would you ever separate your current self from your past selves? Or would you need to?

Moreover, I'd be interested in hearing more about Fred Livingstone and the arrangement he has with his assistant. Now that I've finally reviewed this I'll be able to talk to the author more about it; it's curious-making.

And finally, the writing and storytelling: A.S. King is incredibly talented. That's all I'm saying on that subject. (Okay, okay, and also, Saffron's wry voice = LOVE.)

I had built up my idea of this book in my mind and it did worry me it wouldn't meet my expectations. Know what? It didn't. It was something else altogether, and while incomparable to what I was expecting (I am telling you, you don't know what this book will be like), it pleased me. It's well-rounded, cultural, and depicts the world beyond. And aside from that, like I mentioned above, there are a lot of external things going for it. I expect big things from this one. Wait for it.

Recommended.

Length:: 2:24 Mins

My first book comes out August 25, 2009! Check it out: As You Wish

Emer Morrisey, named after a female hero from an Irish tale, has almost lived up to her namesake. But history and circumstance has separated her from her one true love and eventually forced her into a life of piracy. Years later, this young and independent woman is ready to renounce her pirating ways, keeping only a small portion of her stolen riches, to be with her long lost love. Tragically, they are bother killed, and Emer is cursed with "the dust of one hundred dogs," forcing her to endure one hundred lifetimes as a canine. Three hundred years later, she's an American teenager named Saffron Adams, and she remembers everything. Now all she needs is a shovel and a way to Jamaica.

In all honesty, The Dust of 100 Dogs can be summed up on one word: spectacular. I am not kidding when I say this novel blew my mind. There are several other tales of female pirates, such as To Catch a Pirate, but The Dust of 100 Dogs outshines them by far, and for several reasons. The plot is a unique and compelling fusion of seventeenth-century swashbuckling danger and romance, contemporary teen issues, and dog humor. All parts were written exceptionally well, and it's difficult to say which I preferred because they were all so interesting. Emer/Saffron was such an original character; in all her lives, no matter how young, she always seemed so determined and mature. I really liked how she could keep her head amidst all the circumstances she encountered. I also enjoyed trying to equate the characters from the contemporary portion of this story with their seventeenth-century counterparts, if any. King's writing is so powerful that at times, I felt I was in the story alongside Emer or Saffron; she succeeded in creating a romantic and unforgettable tale of everlasting love with magic and mystery. The Dust of 100 Dogs is sure to be a favorite as soon as it hits shelves among all readers, because this is a story that spans age and time.

I don't think it would be fair to compare The Dust of 100 Dogs to books like To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker and Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn, even though it was a sort of combination of those two, because this story is nearly infinitely better. The Dust of 100 Dogs has earned a high spot on my favorites list and King is an author to watch.

I just finished reading this book about five minutes ago, and I have to tell somebody: IT'S INCREDIBLE! So imaginative, so clever and exciting and fun and absorbing--I had to put aside my own work for the past two days so I could just keep reading and reading. And then by the end I wished it weren't over!

This is a masterfully-told tale of a modern girl too smart for herself and everyone around her, and of the brave, resourceful young woman she once was in a past life. If that alone doesn't grab you, the fact that we learn proper dog care and training throughout the book--from the dogs' point of view--should be the clincher.

Hate to say more because it might give away too much, but rest assured that this is a fantastic read, and one that you'll be recommending to everyone you can think of. Ahh, such a satisfying book!

Pirates -- scurvy foul creatures with a greed for gold and a thirst for blood. An innocent girl born into war-torn Ireland, who views the world with caution, who finally finds love, and who then has everything violently ripped away. A teen in Pennsylvania, biding her time, and hiding her secret. And a curse. Oh, and some dog care tips. If this all sounds like an unusual combination, you are dead on, and this is what makes the young adult novel The Dust of 100 Dogs (Flux) by A.S. King a fresh and original hit.

King's main character Saffron, is a brilliant teen born into a needy family that see's Saffron's brilliance as the ticket to a bright future. But what they don't know is that Saffron is actually the soul of Emer, an Irish girl who had turned to pirating many centuries ago, and who was cursed to embody the souls of 100 dogs before she finally found herself human again. Along with teen angst, Saffron must tamp down the savage instincts of her pirating past, and wait just a bit longer until she is 18 and has the money and the freedom to pursue the treasure buried on a Caribbean isle long ago.

The author does an amazing job of grabbing the reader by the throat, and pulling you through this epic adventure. As we travel with Emer's soul through her past lives, there is heartbreak and triumph, blood and gore, history and humor. Because of some disturbing scenes, I would restrict this read to older teens and adults. It's a fantastic novel, but there is a rape and one seriously disturbed villain, so be advised.

That said, I now say grab this book and read it. Share it with others. Channel your inner pirate. Yo-ho!

I was hooked from the book's description: "In the late 17th century, famed pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with the dust of 100 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."

Generally I'm leery of books that switch back and forth between viewpoints, let alone centuries - because usually I like one of the stories much more than the other, and am impatient to get back to the other POV. But A.S. King has pulled it off. This book is mesmerizing whether you're reading about young Saffron in the present day, or Emer as a 6-year-old in Ireland (an exceptionally vivid chapter you won't soon forget), or later when she falls into the pirate life.

And sprinkled throughout are "Dog Facts," moving little vignettes of the lives of some of the 100 dogs. (Painlessly imparting some history lessons along the way.)

If I were nitpicking, I would have preferred a little less of the eccentric, mind-apparently-melting Fred Livingston, and perhaps a compassionate resolution to Saffron's mother's life, especially after the moving tale she told of her life as a young child. But those are minor points.

This book is classified Young Adult(14+), an age I haven't seen for quite a while. Loved it. Can't tell you the last time I've found a book this satisfying. Didn't put it down until I finished, reading long into the night.

How to review this book? I've been puzzling over my thoughts for a while now. While reading THE DUST OF 100 DOGS, I periodically shouted to my roommate and visiting friends, "This book is cracked out! You've got to read it!" (While of course keeping the book all to myself so I could finish it first.) To clarify, my friends and I usually use "cracked out" to describe something amazingly creative or surprisingly funny. (Yes, not really the urbandictionary.com definition.) And I think my definition definitely applies to this book. I really didn't know what to expect, but I was whipped along through a story that kept me guessing until the end. And most of my guesses were wrong, until, say, the last 20 pages or so, when I started to say, "Oh. Oh!" and realized just how cleverly A. S. King tied everything together.

Saying this book is about pirates, dogs, and a former terror of the seas reincarnated as a teenage girl looking for her treasure would flatten the rich depth of this book. So much story happens throughout the book, with many plot threads interwoven in both past and present times. During the first third of the book, I did squint at the pages a little suspiciously, wondering if it was such a good idea to have so many things going on at the same time, but King pulls it off, and pulls it off well. She has a real knack for getting into the heads of characters ranging from a brave little girl in Ireland to a long-suffering Doberman with a nasty owner.

Also, King has a knack for making the more extraordinary scenes feel really real, sometimes in squeamish detail. I winced at some of the bloodiest descriptions. But hey, it is a pirate book. I will warn those who think younger readers shouldn't read about sex and gore, since both appear in this book. I found these scenes tastefully handled, though sometimes rather adult. Definitely upper YA, with crossover appeal.

Overall, a breathtakingly creative book. I've never read anything like it before. I will probably be reading it again soon, now that I know how it ends, just to see how it all fit together.

Disclaimer: My debut novel will be coming out from the same publisher next year, but rest assured, my honesty (or at least a healthy dose of sarcasm) should remain intact throughout this review.

My blurb for this awesome book is already above in the Product Review, and there's probably no need to say more. But I can't help it.

You know how you come across a book every few years that really blows you away, and you can't stop thinking about it? You finish reading and you close it and you sit and ponder for a while. You go to sleep thinking about it and when you wake up in the morning, your mind goes back to it. You find yourself in front of the mirror, blow-drying your hair, and you start talking it through because it's so clever, and before you know it, there you are having a little book chat with yourself as you process the story.

And then you know how you want to tell all your friends (strangers, too) to go out and buy this book?

That's how I feel about Emer and Saffron and The Dust of 100 Dogs. It's so freaking strong and moving. Seriously. Give it a try.

If you want to know a little more, check out the book video trailer. It's awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l7pgmcC1rI

Now. Go buy this book.

Emer Morrisey was a fierce pirate of the 17th century, feared by the Spanish ships she regularly plundered. But when she finally finds her true love, her life is cut short and she's cursed to live one hundred lifetimes as a dog. And so the centuries pass by, until she is born Saffron Adams, a human at last with all of her memories intact. She grows up incredibly smart, but always driven to take off the minute she turns eighteen and graduates so she can head to Jamaica and claim the loot she buried there before her death. But her family is maddeningly dependent on her, relying on Saffron's brains to lift them to a higher social and economic status. And when she does finally escape them, her memories and feelings blend with Emer's, and question is raised: is history fated to repeat itself?

The Dust of 100 Dogs is one of the most innovative and unexpected books in the YA genre. King realistically portrays the good and ugly sides of life for both Emer and Saffron, jumping back and forth between the two time periods. Emer's life was rough, and King doesn't withhold the gritty details of life for the Irish in the seventeenth century or the dangers a young woman alone in the world faced. Saffron's life isn't always pleasant either, despite living in the relative comfort of the twentieth century. Her family has high hopes for her and expects her to go to college, become a doctor, and support them financially. Saffron copes with her general frustration with life and people who irritate her by imagining torturing them in brutal ways. It's a bit of a morbid mannerism, but it is believable in her, and solidifies her character. The book is especially gripping towards the end as Saffron faces long-time enemies and grapples with her identity and her memories, and what they mean for her now, in the present. The ending, like the entire book, may be a tad bit unexpected, but it really is perfect. King is a talented, impeccable writer who manages to make the most unlikely of connections between her characters and reader--don't miss The Dust of 100 Dogs!

Dust of 100 Dogs was one of the most original, funny, and entertaining reads I've read in awhile. Emer, a swashbuckling female pirate from the 1700's, is cursed and killed and has to live the life of 100 dogs before being returned to a human body. When finally being born back to a human family, she has the memories of the last 300+ years while being a baby and a child. Forced to wait until she can make the trip to Jamaica on her own before she can find her buried treasure, Emer must live the life as a teenager named Saffron, with a family that is broke and dysfunctional.

The story would flip between present day Saffron and past life Emer. I enjoyed Emer's story the most. She was a strong willed woman who took what she had to survive. She ends up on a pirate ship and it doesn't take long until she becomes the captain of her own ship so she never has to answer to anyone again. I loved how the past and present intertwined and the past lives of people Emer knew come to play in the present day.

I laughed out loud and screamed in rage in the span of only a few pages. There was some moments that were a little ris-kay, so parents may want to crack the spine on this one before giving it to your kid. Overall this book was a great escape (which is what I look for when reading) and I look forward to reading more by A.S. King.