Dark Waters

April 15, 2013
Man is not dog's best friend in this animal dystopian sequel. Max and his companions are adrift--literally--after escaping from vengeful Dolph and his wolves, as well as the megalomaniacal Chairman. Hungry and thirsty, they find refuge on a stranded steamboat with other dogs, careful not to upset the pack dynamics or challenge the gruff but brave alpha, Boss. But Max still yearns to find his young owners, or "pack leaders," Charlie and Emma, and an unfortunate encounter with a group of human arsonist-robbers propels Max and the steamboat inhabitants back into action. Following his visions and the advice of new friends, Max embarks on a journey to understand why people abandoned their pets and where the humans might have gone, following the scent through a zoo and an abandoned city and into a mad scientist's lair. With reluctance and dimwitted cheer, respectively, Rocky, the hungry, whining dachshund, and Gizmo, the overly perky Yorkie, follow. Max's prophetic dreams and the cataclysmic effects of medical experimentation on animals are both too convenient and handled more subtly in other, human-protagonist dystopian stories. Implausible but entertaining action sequences leaven clumsy exposition, while animal behavior coexists uneasily with narrative need. Dystopian training wheels for the Warriors set. (Dystopian adventure. 8-12)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 4-8-In this sci-fi/fantasy tale, almost all humans have left for an unknown place. They have abandoned their pets, suspecting that they have a virus that is deadly to people but not animals. In this sequel to The Vanishing (Little, Brown, 2012), three dogs-Max, Gizmo, and Rocky-have become friends and agree to search for their humans rather than remain in the chaos that now exists. As they struggle to find food and safety and avoid dangerous packs of canines and wolves, they slowly start to learn more about the mysterious virus and the laboratory animals that, through experimentation, can now understand human speech. Gizmo is a feisty yet thoughtful Yorkie; Rocky, a Dachshund, provides comic relief as he dreams of kibbles; and Max is a resourceful and brave Lab. The vicious villains, both human and four-legged, are relentless as they pursue the three companions and also threaten other dogs that befriend the trio on their journey. There is a lot happening in this tale and many loose ends are left dangling, perhaps too many for some readers. However, those who are invested in the saga will look forward to the next adventure. The dogs keep the story fun and interesting with their engaging personalities, and this volume can stand on its own.-Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA

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