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charliebookfanatic's review
3.0
The book is somewhat futuristic. It plays out in the middle of the 21st century where organic dogs are mostly extinct. People make use of robot dogs for companionship now. An experiment caused dogs to become hyperintelligent and aggressive so people couldn't keep them anymore. The last existing dogs are being kept on a separate island called Dog Island. They're being protected there and they're stuck in a huge cage. The robot dogs are also being testing among the inhabitants of Dog Island before they're being sold to the masses. The main character, Nano, gets a new robot dog every year and this year is no different. She gets the newest model and calls him Billy after her brother. Brother Billy recently disappeared from the island and Nano has no idea what happened to him. One of Nano's friends, Wolf, is her biggest comfort and their friendship grows into something more to Jack's regret who is the other best friend in this triangle. It wouldn't be an actual story if there weren't any issues. Nano finds out about a nest of living puppies where one puppy wags its tail. At that moment, she knows that she has to protect this one.
This is maybe one of the weirdest books I've ever read. The concept is completely unique. The synopsis is precisely why I wanted to read it since I don't add that many books to my TBR anymore. After reading the summary again, I think there are a couple of plotholes that I hadn't noticed before. This is almost par for the course with such a small book of only 200 pages. I think this is way too short for a well-developed story and that is the case with this one as well. Not a whole lot happened. The first half of the story is a description of Nano's life on the island and how it all flows. The second half is what drove the plot. I don't know what to think of this book. I didn't think it was great, but it's also not like I didn't have while reading it. I thought the ending of the book was bizarrely violent and the dark turn it took shocked me. I didn't see any of that coming when I started reading, but the book has some cult happenings going on (if that gives you an indication of how dark this book is). It felt very sudden for me and the 'villain' wasn't very well-developed. She could have gotten more motivation and intention behind her actions. No one is fully good or bad and I think I would have liked to see a little more good so I could better understand why people would want to follow her.
This is maybe one of the weirdest books I've ever read. The concept is completely unique. The synopsis is precisely why I wanted to read it since I don't add that many books to my TBR anymore. After reading the summary again, I think there are a couple of plotholes that I hadn't noticed before. This is almost par for the course with such a small book of only 200 pages. I think this is way too short for a well-developed story and that is the case with this one as well. Not a whole lot happened. The first half of the story is a description of Nano's life on the island and how it all flows. The second half is what drove the plot. I don't know what to think of this book. I didn't think it was great, but it's also not like I didn't have while reading it. I thought the ending of the book was bizarrely violent and the dark turn it took shocked me. I didn't see any of that coming when I started reading, but the book has some cult happenings going on (if that gives you an indication of how dark this book is). It felt very sudden for me and the 'villain' wasn't very well-developed. She could have gotten more motivation and intention behind her actions. No one is fully good or bad and I think I would have liked to see a little more good so I could better understand why people would want to follow her.
hollowspine's review
2.0
What if scientists, given free reign to do whatever genetic manipulations they were interested in, decided to give the world dog 2.0? That's the premise here, scientists, driven (for some reason) to improve upon human's best friend, instead do the opposite, turn domesticated dogs back into wild creatures. Dogs no longer wag their tails when seeing humans, instead they attack! Generations of people grow up killing dogs on sight in fear of attack. Now the only wild dogs left are those on Dog Island, a wild dog sanctuary.
Nano has lived on Dog Island all her life. Dog Islanders are all completely vegan, they don't use animal products in anything, no milk, no leather shoes, no beeswax candles, nothing. Nano loves all animals and knows that humans need to protect animals, sometimes from other humans with less altruistic motives, but sometimes from themselves, or from the pain of suffering. And when Nano discovers a puppy that wags its tail, she finds herself questioning what she believes, which way is the right way?
Although I liked the concept of the book, and think there are some very good discussions to be had around the topics of the book (who has the right to make decisions for animals, is it ethical to keep animals as pets, is it ethical to put suffering animals 'to sleep,' or to keep them in pain in an attempt to save them, etc.), the book itself was not my personal cup of tea. I found the pacing was slow at the beginning, but then way too fast at the end. Nano's story wasn't one I was too invested in hearing (I think her older brothers story for example would have made more compelling reading). The world-building left a lot to be desired, and even if I was willing to suspend my belief that science suddenly turned domesticated dogs into rabid attacking monsters, it really didn't make much sense.
Nano has lived on Dog Island all her life. Dog Islanders are all completely vegan, they don't use animal products in anything, no milk, no leather shoes, no beeswax candles, nothing. Nano loves all animals and knows that humans need to protect animals, sometimes from other humans with less altruistic motives, but sometimes from themselves, or from the pain of suffering. And when Nano discovers a puppy that wags its tail, she finds herself questioning what she believes, which way is the right way?
Although I liked the concept of the book, and think there are some very good discussions to be had around the topics of the book (who has the right to make decisions for animals, is it ethical to keep animals as pets, is it ethical to put suffering animals 'to sleep,' or to keep them in pain in an attempt to save them, etc.), the book itself was not my personal cup of tea. I found the pacing was slow at the beginning, but then way too fast at the end. Nano's story wasn't one I was too invested in hearing (I think her older brothers story for example would have made more compelling reading). The world-building left a lot to be desired, and even if I was willing to suspend my belief that science suddenly turned domesticated dogs into rabid attacking monsters, it really didn't make much sense.
aoife26935's review
4.0
This did not turn out at all how I thought it would. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I thought it was going to be relatively fluffy, but this book has claws. This book injured me.
Poor Nano is buffeted from side to side, has everything she believes torn into shreds and flipped over, and still manages to be true to herself. There's a romance, but it's not the focus, and a disturbingly cult like operation that, like the best dystopias, doesn't reveal itself until almost the end.
I'm taking a star off, though, because I'm not sure what age this is being marketed to. It reads too young for teens, but certain scenes might be very upsetting for younger kids. However, it would be a great starting point for a discussion about treating animals ethically and kindly, and about euthanasia, and these are not subjects I think children should be shielded from. Well done, Arin.
Receiving an ARC did not alter my review in any way.
Poor Nano is buffeted from side to side, has everything she believes torn into shreds and flipped over, and still manages to be true to herself. There's a romance, but it's not the focus, and a disturbingly cult like operation that, like the best dystopias, doesn't reveal itself until almost the end.
I'm taking a star off, though, because I'm not sure what age this is being marketed to. It reads too young for teens, but certain scenes might be very upsetting for younger kids. However, it would be a great starting point for a discussion about treating animals ethically and kindly, and about euthanasia, and these are not subjects I think children should be shielded from. Well done, Arin.
Receiving an ARC did not alter my review in any way.
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