Dogs of the deadlands by Anthony McGowan

What an amazing book! Filled with heart and emotion, and with power and ferocity, this is an amazing story involving a young child’s passion for her Samoyed-cross puppy, and then its survival struggle when left behind at the time of the Chernobyl disaster. Travelling with the child through her struggles, but more particularly with the female dog and her wolf-cross puppies as they live wild in an environment that is harsh and filled with threats, we are left wide-eyed for all. There are many bleak and cruel realities for the dogs as they strive to feed themselves and save themselves from attack from a variety of wild threats. The ‘personalities’ of the dogs and their canine and lupine abilities come to the fore to enable them to grow and develop as a family unit in a harsh environment. With occasional interactions with humans, there is also an unusual ‘circle of life’ story in this life and death tale set within the dark aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster.

This is a tale that does not gloss over the violence of a wild dog's life. There is aggression and bloodshed in order to maintain hierarchies and to find food. McGowan does not hold back in his descriptions of the attacks and the wildness exhibited in the dogs’ lives. For those who are squeamish about animal attacks, this may cause distress. The story is excellent, but it is not for very young readers because of the violence. However there were many times when tears would well as we were led to ‘watch’ as loved dog-troop members faced death. This is a book written with incredible skill and it is a compelling insight into the animal world. It will resonate on many levels and will be hard to forget. Highly recommended for readers aged 12 – 15.

Themes: Dogs, Post-Chernobyl disaster, Wolves, Survival.

Carolyn Hull