My own daughter, whose ADHD leads her to prefer graphic novels and audiobooks, sat down and read the whole thing in one day, a high compliment. It’s fast-moving, funny, and thoughtful, and comes in at just under 200 pages, great for younger or struggling readers.

Mott has had so many promises ignored that’s determined to keep her word, whatever it takes, a very tricky ethical dilemma. Things get into deeper territory, though, as Mott realizes that the signs that foretell Ragnarok are all around her- things like men forgetting the bonds of kinship, rising sea levels (climate change or the Midgard serpent?) and raging fires (again, flame-wielding Surtur or climate change?), as well as different-colored roosters crowing. They’re heavy problems, to be sure, but the tone is kept light by the frequent root beer references and Fenris’s adorable yet over-the-top antics. Because Mott made a promise to Fenris, and she’s determined to find a way to save the world and him.Īt the very beginning of the book, Mott’s problems are pretty typical for her age – her mother’s job instability, a father who’s constantly breaking his promises to her, and a friendship that’s under strain from separation and economic disparity. Luckily, among the ancient Norse people that have suddenly shown up in California is Thrudi, a Valkyrie around her own age, the two of them teaming up for fun and cross-cultural translations. Meanwhile, Fenris proves that he can eat astonishing things when provoked – like people and cars. Secondly, as the puppy and therefore she are tracked by people wearing furs with big weapons, she learns that the adorable floof ball is Fenris, son of Loki, prophesied to kick off Ragnarok. This rapidly gets much more difficult than she anticipated.įirst, she finds out that the puppy is a wolf, not suitable for home life or even the local animal shelter. So when she finds an adorable puppy in an alley recycling bin, she promises to keep it safe. She’s no longer able to do video root beer reviews with her best friend, and they had to move into an apartment that doesn’t allow dogs, after her mother had promised her a puppy with the move. Mott (short for Martha) has been having a tough time since she and her mom moved from the east coast to California. Review copy kindly provided by the publisher.

Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout