July 11, 2023 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Luke lives in Painted Lake, Virginia where his parents run Sun's Deli and Grocery. He has two good friends; Max Cole, and his older brother, Ben. The three like to wander in the woods, building forts and having picnics. They always bring Luke's beloved dog, Haru Haru, whom he rescued as a puppy. Haru Haru is an excellent dog, and even saves Max from a rabid raccoon, which requires a stay at the vet, and some unpleasant shots. Around this time, there is a fire at the suspcious and harmful Sinclair Industries, which used to make vials and syringes, but has been doing secretive biotechnology research using only nonlocal staff, and has been accused of polluting the local waterways. The fire burns for a long time, and there is concern about the environmental fallout. The animals in the area are endangered, people have to stay indoors, and Luke rescues a cat that has been covered with a tarry substance after having a close up view of the fire. Penny, the cat, talks to Haru Haru about what has been going on at the site, and none of it is good. They are apparently experimenting on dogs and discarding and burning the bodies. Somehow, Sinclair always gets away with this, and the fire is blamed on a worker who died. Sinclair's cousin, Mrs. Sinclair-Greene, owns the building where the Sun's deli is, and decides to increase their rent dramatically, in part because they are "foreigners" (they aren't; they were all born in the US but of Asian descent). She hates Haru Haru and complains that he attacked her. In order to buy time to work things out legally, the Suns surrender Haru Haru to animal control, but through some snafus, he ends up at the Sinclair Industries "death dungeon". The other dogs warn him of the dangers; there's been experimenting with radiation on animals in order to develop various products. Haru Haru is experimented on and near death, but manages to get back to Luke. As the fallout from the Sinclairs' evil ways starts to infect many other animals in the region, and since they are losing their lease, the Suns try to flee and get to relatives in New Jersey. Will they be able to make it out of Virginia? And what exactly has happened to Luke's beloved dog?
Strengths: Luke and Haru Haru have such a great relationship, and it's good to see that the two are able to enjoy the wilderness in their small, rural town. This started out with a lot of information being presented from Haru Haru's point of view, and seemed like it would be a furry, feel good tale, but that changed very quickly. The boys throw themselves into an investigation of what happened with the fire, and even provide information to the Coles' mother, who is a local reporter. There are some strong themes of race relations and social justice that are timely and well thought out. One of the best characters is Penny, the cat that Luke rescues, who was a lot of insight into what is going on with the Sinclair Industries site. Penny is a wild cat, but it is endearing to watch Haru Haru bond with her.
Strengths: Luke and Haru Haru have such a great relationship, and it's good to see that the two are able to enjoy the wilderness in their small, rural town. This started out with a lot of information being presented from Haru Haru's point of view, and seemed like it would be a furry, feel good tale, but that changed very quickly. The boys throw themselves into an investigation of what happened with the fire, and even provide information to the Coles' mother, who is a local reporter. There are some strong themes of race relations and social justice that are timely and well thought out. One of the best characters is Penny, the cat that Luke rescues, who was a lot of insight into what is going on with the Sinclair Industries site. Penny is a wild cat, but it is endearing to watch Haru Haru bond with her.
Weaknesses: The ending of this was a bit abrupt, with the Suns on the run and trying to get out of Virginia, so I'm wondering if this is just the first book in the series.
What I really think: There is a lot of very clear cut evil in play in this book, and the treatment of the dogs might upset younger, sensitive readers, so just be aware of the content. This is not a humorous zombie dog romp in the vein of O'Donnell's Hamstersaurus Rex or Greenwald's A Zombie Ate My Homework. This has more in common with Lang and Bartkowski's Whispering Pines or Short's Mutant Mushroom Takeover. With the recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, (where my mother taught 5th grade) and the serious ecological fall out from that, I wish this have been a more realistic look at this sort of disaster.
What I really think: There is a lot of very clear cut evil in play in this book, and the treatment of the dogs might upset younger, sensitive readers, so just be aware of the content. This is not a humorous zombie dog romp in the vein of O'Donnell's Hamstersaurus Rex or Greenwald's A Zombie Ate My Homework. This has more in common with Lang and Bartkowski's Whispering Pines or Short's Mutant Mushroom Takeover. With the recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, (where my mother taught 5th grade) and the serious ecological fall out from that, I wish this have been a more realistic look at this sort of disaster.
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