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Michael Jung
, September 01, 2011
(view all comments by Michael Jung)
What if all the stars, moons, and suns in the heavens were inhabited by gods? Diana Wynne Jones answers that question in Dogsbody when she introduces reader to Sirius, the temperamental god of the Dog Star, who is framed for a murder he did not commit. As punishment, his powers are removed and he is sentenced to live as an actual dog on Earth where he is raised by Kathleen, a kind Irish girl who he tries to protect from not only her cruel foster family but also some evil gods who are set on recovering a powerful weapon called the Zoi. Although the plot sounds outlandish, Wynne Jones makes it work by making the story more of a poignant girl-and-her-dog story as Sirius learns to appreciate Earth life through his friendship with Kathleen. Even so, the novel has some great fantasy elements as Sirius learns he can still communicate with his god friends, including Sol (the sun), the moon, and even the Earth itself.
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