Genre: YA Adventure
Setting: Alaska
How it begins: "All eight of my dogs are stretched in front of me in pairs along the gangline. they claw the ground in frustration as the loudspeaker blares. 'Here's team number five. Our hometown girl, fourteen-year-old Victoria Secord!'"
What happens next: Victoria is still grieving the death of her father who taught her everything she knows about surviving in the Alaskan wilderness. Her dogs and mushing are what she loves most...and what help her survive her overwhelming grief. So when she gets a chance to acquire a new lead dog from a neighboring musher, she heads out cross-country with her sled and her dogs without telling anyone where she's going. Only she forgets to check the forecast. When a sudden March storm threatens, she debates about turning around and heading back home. But then she runs across a crashed snowmobile. The driver, Chris, is a teenager who's new to Alaska; he's hurt, and he's lost. As the storm worsens, it's up to Vicky and her dogs to keep them both alive...and somehow find their way back home.
My thoughts: At 279 pages, Ice Dogs is a fun and fast-paced adventure. I read it in a day. Vicky's survival skills were impressive, but the Alaskan wild is unpredictable and dangerous. Finding food, staying warm, and protecting her dogs from wolves and moose takes everything Vicky's got. And Chris's lack of outdoor skills isn't exactly helping (especially when he accidentally burns up her only map). I have to admit, while I liked both these characters, Vicky's lead dog, Bean, was my favorite. I liked all the survival bits, too. Johnson's writing rings with authenticity, especially all the dog sledding parts, and her pacing never lets up.
Happy Reading!
Of course, this one interests me. Working dogs, outdoor skills (and lack thereof), and fast-paced adventure--all appeal to me!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I enjoyed most about this novel. :)
DeleteIt sounds very good, Alaska is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteKind regards,
I've always found Alaska and its vast wilderness areas fascinating. It's that whole survival thing, I think. :)
DeleteThis sounds like such a great read. I love books with dogs. :D
ReplyDeleteI love books with dogs, too. :) And this one is fast and fun.
DeleteWow this sounds fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good wintry read. :)
DeleteInteresting...about the closest thing to something like this that I've read is a Jack London novel or two. And I suspect this one would be a whole lot more fun than those.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely read faster than any of Jack London's novels ever did for me. ;D
DeleteSounds interesting, Lark. I enjoy a survival story as long as it’s not too graphic. We Die Alone & Hatchet are a couple I’ve enjoyed although they’re very different from each other.
ReplyDeleteThis one has elements similar to Hatchet, only they're not out in the wilderness as long as he was. I think you'd like this one. :)
DeleteYes please!
ReplyDelete:D I thought you'd like this one.
DeleteThat is such a gorgeous dog on the cover...beautiful!
ReplyDeleteRight?! :D
DeleteI do enjoy a good survival story especially with dogs and I like the Alaskan setting.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I liked about this book, too. :)
DeleteBrrr! Not sure about the Alaskan setting, but I love the inclusion of the dogs!
ReplyDeleteIt was a pretty cold setting. I don't know why I read cold books in winter; I should be choosing books that are set on some warm island, but there you go.
DeleteSounds like there's a lot to like about this book and I do love books with dogs. :)
ReplyDeleteI love books with dogs, too. :)
DeleteThis does sound like a lot of fun. NO doggies are hurt though, right?!
ReplyDeleteThere were a few tense moments, and I held my breath for several pages, but ALL the dogs make it back alive. (Which is a bit of a spoiler, but there you go.)
DeleteI love it that your favorite character was one of the dogs! :D
ReplyDelete:D He's such a great dog!
DeleteSounds so good! I just saw a blurb for her newest, which comes out today (I think). It's about a blind Iditarod racer and it sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds awesome. I'm going to have to look for it! :)
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