Doglands

August 1, 2011

After his brutal owner tries to kill him, a half-breed greyhound escapes and embarks on a series of adventures.

Furgul learns from his mother, a racing greyhound, that he's the son of Argal, a legendary wild dog who knows of Doglands, the mythical place where dogs roam free. When a brave escape ends badly for his litter mates, Furgul is adopted by a caring but controlling couple then flees just before he's to be neutered. He is imprisoned in a kill-after-five-days pound, then befriended by a human who can speak "dog" fluently. Finally, assisted by a brave old St. Bernard, a cowardly mutt named Skyver, the love of his life, Dervla, and a few others, he takes on a dangerous mission to rescue his mother and all the other greyhounds imprisoned by the abusive Dedbone and his sidekick, the Gambler. When violence erupts, it's graphically depicted: "a separate pack of hounds, driven crazy by the blood,... devoured him alive where he lay." The dogs each have distinct personalities, and the mystic lore of the Doglands adds a secondary fantasy layer to the narrative. Humans are only sketched in, which is fitting, since the tale is told from the dog point of view.

A riveting dog tale with a healthy serving of savagery, not all on the part of the four-legged characters. (Fantasy. 11 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 15, 2011
Grades 5-8 Every dog whose heart is free knows the Doglands. Such a dog is Furgal, a mixed-breed lurcher who endures abuse and attempted murder as well as near soul-destroying captivity by well-meaning pet owners, dogcatchers, and vicious burglars in succession before returning with a motley band of canine companions to the slave camp for racing greyhounds where he was born to kill its brutal owner and rescue his mother. Into his doggy debut Willocks threads both mystical elements and diatribes against filthy, selfish humans who mistreat animalsbut flashes of comedy (dogs charge into battle crying FOR THE BACON!!!) lighten the load, Furgal's courage and spirit shine throughout, and the author keeps the plot trotting along to a triumphant conclusion. Do dogs die here? Yes, but nobly (mostly), and as at least partial compensation, several evil humans get what they richly deserve. Self-contained, but the gate's left ajar for sequels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
In overly dramatic fashion, the story of Furgul unfolds from his birth in a greyhound racing farm under a cruel owner to his triumphant rescue of his mother and the end to the facility. Along the way, Furgul experiences life as a pet, stray, and even thieves' helper. At times the violence seems gratuitous, but Willocks makes his animal-rights point.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)