Review: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a huge fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, I was eager to read this one as soon as I heard about it! I found this to be somewhat more hopeful than some of the classics of the genre (The Road comes to mind) which was refreshing. It took me a little while to get used to the way the story is written (no quotation and LOTS of fragmented passages, for example) but I became accustomed to it eventually. In fact, I think the language quirks added to the realism of the novel. And some of the writing literally made me stop and think WOW. The beauty of the writing, simple and quirky, really spoke to me and made this a special gem!

I really loved the characters - especially Hig and Jasper who stole my heart! I think the interplay of the characters and how they are all dealing with the aftermath of disaster was really interesting. This did seem to be a new way of approaching the end of the world subject in some wasy but didn't quite offer me all that i hoped it would. Perhaps it was just that my expectations were high and I didn't quite get them met? That is why I've given it 4 stars. It was a hard decision. However, it is definitely worth a read, particularly for those who love the post-apocalyptic genre!

The story and its themes have stuck with me over the last few weeks so its impact isn't necessarily fleeting. I'm pleased to say that Hig and his world have stayed in my mind - making me think and being a much more thoughtful book than it seems at first glance. Peter Heller is obviously a gifted fiction writer and I'm looking forward to more of his fiction in the future!

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