Parents' Guide to

There Is No Dog

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

God re-imagined as teen prompts big questions, sharp humor.

Book Meg Rosoff Fantasy 2012
There Is No Dog Poster Image

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Is It Any Good?

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Kids say (1):
Of course THERE IS NO DOG is controversial, but readers willing to go along with it are in for a treat. Author Meg Rosoff muses on mortality, personal responsibility, free will, faith, love, and sacrifice in this wry novel. Her approach may seem impudent, but it reveals deep compassion for humankind in its search for meaning and understanding. By reimagining Christianity as more akin to the bickering, flawed gods of ancient myths, she explores these themes with both a personal and grander perspectives.
The young characters of Bob and Lucy are the least appealing: Bob is an irredeemable lout, and Lucy is thinly drawn, an idea more than a person. The supporting characters -- Mr. B, Estelle, Lucy's bitter co-worker Luke, the discouraged vicar, and the Eck, Bob's hapless pet -- are the real soul of the story, and the ones who's hopes, dreams, and disappointments will linger long after the book is done.

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