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Overview
Logan Moore hates everyone. The father who abandoned him. The stepfather who wants to control him. Kids who get in his face. Everyone. Except Jack. A mangy mutt that nobody wants. Except Logan. He doesn’t care that Jack has already bitten three workers at the animal shelter or that she’s ugly. She’s the only one who doesn’t want anything from him and that’s enough for Logan.
But Jack is in terrible danger. A mysterious disease is sweeping across the country, turning dogs into vicious, raging predators. Jack isn’t infected, but that won’t keep her safe. People are shooting dogs on sight, and asking questions later. Logan’s own parents want to hand Jack over to the authorities. Now Logan and Jack are on the run. There’s nowhere they can turn and no one they can trust.
Except each other.
Synopsis
Logan Moore hates everyone. The father who abandoned him. The stepfather who wants to control him. Kids who get in his face. Everyone. Except Jack. A mangy mutt that nobody wants. Except Logan. He doesn’t care that Jack has already bitten three workers at the animal shelter or that she’s ugly. She’s the only one who doesn’t want anything from him and that’s enough for Logan.
But Jack is in terrible danger. A mysterious disease is sweeping across the country, turning dogs into vicious, raging predators. Jack isn’t infected, but that won’t keep her safe. People are shooting dogs on sight, and asking questions later. Logan’s own parents want to hand Jack over to the authorities. Now Logan and Jack are on the run. There’s nowhere they can turn and no one they
can trust.
Except each other.
Publishers Weekly
This fast-paced thriller set in Oregon blends elements of science fiction and a Gary Paulsen-like survival story with a coming-of-age tale about a rebellious teenager and his dog. Logan, at 14, has not seen his father since he was seven. His stepfather, Robert ("the All-Knowing Dictator of Everything"), wants to send him to Blue Mountain Camp for Boys, a kind of boot camp run by an ex-marine, but opts for a dog instead, to teach Logan "the value of discipline and responsibility." Choosing Jack, a feral stray, rather than the purebred Robert prefers, gives Logan the upper hand-but not for long. The author makes clear that Logan is not a bad kid; his small acts of rebellion simply tend to escalate. For instance, when Logan takes Jack into a local deli, the deli owner's dog menaces the two and things reel out of control. So it's off to Blue Mountain for the teen. Meanwhile, a mysterious virus begins spreading from dogs to humans, its progress tracked in a series of increasingly ominous e-mail messages, newspaper clippings, faxes, etc., interspersed throughout the narrative. The story's third plot line involves a reclusive scientist, the only one who can create an antidote to the deadly disease-but he requires an immune dog. Ehrenhaft (the Techies series) keeps things moving at a rapid clip, with tension and violence mounting incrementally as the story lines converge. If the bittersweet ending stretches credibility, this is still a smartly written, thoroughly engrossing tale. Ages 9-12. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
This fast-paced thriller set in Oregon blends elements of science fiction and a Gary Paulsen-like survival story with a coming-of-age tale about a rebellious teenager and his dog. Logan, at 14, has not seen his father since he was seven. His stepfather, Robert ("the All-Knowing Dictator of Everything"), wants to send him to Blue Mountain Camp for Boys, a kind of boot camp run by an ex-marine, but opts for a dog instead, to teach Logan "the value of discipline and responsibility." Choosing Jack, a feral stray, rather than the purebred Robert prefers, gives Logan the upper hand-but not for long. The author makes clear that Logan is not a bad kid; his small acts of rebellion simply tend to escalate. For instance, when Logan takes Jack into a local deli, the deli owner's dog menaces the two and things reel out of control. So it's off to Blue Mountain for the teen. Meanwhile, a mysterious virus begins spreading from dogs to humans, its progress tracked in a series of increasingly ominous e-mail messages, newspaper clippings, faxes, etc., interspersed throughout the narrative. The story's third plot line involves a reclusive scientist, the only one who can create an antidote to the deadly disease-but he requires an immune dog. Ehrenhaft (the Techies series) keeps things moving at a rapid clip, with tension and violence mounting incrementally as the story lines converge. If the bittersweet ending stretches credibility, this is still a smartly written, thoroughly engrossing tale. Ages 9-12. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.VOYA
Seventeen-year-old misfit Logan adopts a stray dog named Jack, but she is not the purebred animal that his stepfather, Robert, had in mind to teach Logan responsibility. Nevertheless, Logan and Jack form an immediate bond. After Logan is sent to boot camp for exploding a mini-mart microwave, he and Jack escape their respective "captors" and miraculously find each other in nearby woods. Logan, cut off from civilization, is not aware of the spreading disease turning family dogs into vicious animals, nor of the fear that has taken over. When the two are nearly starving and Jack is beaten by a vigilante group, Logan is forced to seek help from his estranged scientist father, who eventually discovers that Jack is the key to creating an antidote. This book is nicely written with a sprinkling of humor amid the pages of action and adventure. The reader might disagree with Logan's decisions, however, making it difficult to connect with his character. The plot is almost too coincidental-Logan happens to pass out near a car that happens to belong to his estranged father, who happens to be the one scientist to have studied this type of disease. As with many dog novels, this story ends with Jack's death. Still, Logan learns a thing or two about holding his temper, and he comes to better understand why both his father and stepfather behave the way they do. This novel would be a good recommendation for younger males looking for an adventurous story without a science fiction base. VOYA Codes: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, Delacorte, 236p,— Joyce Doyle