There Is No Dog
Kids say
Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this book turns Christianity on its ear, portraying God not as a supreme, wise being but as an indolent, rude teenage boy, stuck with a job no one else wanted. His only interest: Finding hot girls to have sex with. Despite the provocative premise, the book treats faith with great respect as it grapples with mortality, compassion, and mercy. Still, the sexual content makes this more appropriate for mature teens.
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What's the Story?
God (a teenager named Bob) made the world in six days and then, smugly bored with the effort, he washed his hands of the whole mess and turned it over to his overworked, underappreciated aide, Mr. B, while he chased after girls. When Bob falls for a beautiful young virgin, the world suffers his sexual frustration: The weather shifts from intense heat to snowfall in an afternoon, floodwaters rise, and comets and rainbows streak across the sky. As he tries to win Lucy, he squabbles with his mother, who drunkenly gambled away his pet's life in a poker game, and clashes with Mr. B, who wants a transfer to a better-run planet. Life on Earth grows ever stranger as Lucy wonders whether this alluring stranger is the answer to her prayers.
Is It Any Good?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the twist on Christianity. Do you think the author treats religion respectfully, or is she mocking it?
The gods behave much like humans -- indeed, man is made in Bob's own image. Would the characters resonate the same way if they were all ordinary mortals, coping with the same issues on an earthly plane?
Book Details
- Author: Meg Rosoff
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
- Publication date: January 24, 2012
- Number of pages: 256
- Last updated: July 9, 2015
Our Editors Recommend
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Powerful, moving tale of book-loving girl in Nazi Germany.
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Quiver
Greek myth has some intense aspects; OK for older kids.
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Just in Case
Complex, intense story is OK for mature teens.
For kids who love mythology and fantasy
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