‘This book! It broke my heart and then splintered it back together again. Full of hope and love and wildness. Can’t even describe the plot but it has dogs and wolves and it’s set in the aftermath of Chernobyl. It’s just MAGNIFICENT. Imagine Watership Down meets The Animals of Farthing Wood but fiercer.’
Dogs of the Deadlands
Anthony McGowan‘This book! It broke my heart and then splintered it back together again. Full of hope and love and wildness… Imagine Watership Down meets The Animals of Farthing Wood but fiercer.’
Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
Chernobyl 1986. Those left behind must fight to survive.
The world is coming to an end. Dragged from her bed in the middle of the night and forced to leave her beloved puppy behind, Natasha has no idea if she’ll ever return home.
Growing up in the shadow of the ruined nuclear power plant, pups Misha and Bratan need to learn how to live wild – and fast. Creatures with sharp teeth, scythe-like claws and yellow eyes lurk in the overgrown woods. And they’re watching the brothers…
But will the dogs survive without humans? And can humans live without them?
A devastating tale of courage, companionship and hope from the Carnegie award-winning author of Lark.
Reviews
Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
‘Steeped in Richard Adams’ Plague Dogs and Watership Down, yet wearing all the hallmarks of Barry Hines at his finest, Dogs of the Deadlands is a wonderful thing. It moved me and stayed with me for an awfully long time.’
Phil Earle, author of When the Sky Falls
‘I was completely blown away by this brilliant, beautiful story. I am rarely lost for words to say how much I love a book but perhaps it's a tribute to how much of an impression this made on me that I am struggling on this occasion! I was propelled back to reading Watership Down as an eight year old - this gave me that same feeling of having been indelibly changed by a story. It's a rare and special thing for a book to do. Tony writes like Jack London mixed with Robert C O'Brien - there are echoes of Mrs Frisby, White Fang, Call of The Wild and yet there's also something prescient in the historical echoes in this story as events unfold in the Ukraine. I was left with tears pouring down my face, broken but curiously uplifted and knowing that the story had made its mark on me!’
Catherine Bruton, author of No Ballet Shoes in Syria
‘Raw, unflinching, and blisteringly well written, Dogs of the Deadlands is already certain to be one of my books of the year! Just WOW.’
A. M. Howell, author of The Garden of Lost Secrets
‘A truly unforgettable tale of hope in the wilderness. This story feels classic, timeless. It will be read and read and read and loved by so many readers for a long time to come.’
Keith Gray, author of Ostrich Boys
‘Beautifully written and emotionally devastating.’
Bookseller, Most Anticipated Children’s & YA titles 2022
Praise for Anthony McGowan:
‘The Carnegie medal winner McGowan is superb at stories about children who do not have all the advantages.’ Sunday Times
‘McGowan's prose is beautiful in its brevity and devastating in its emotional impact.’ Bookseller
Anthony McGowan
Anthony McGowan is one of the most widely acclaimed young adult and children’s authors in the UK. His books have won numerous major awards. In 2020, he was awarded the CILIP Carnegie Medal for Lark. He was also shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal with Rook and won the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the Catalyst Award for Henry Tumour. His YA novel The Knife that Killed Me was made into a critically-lauded film in 2014. Anthony lives in London, with his wife, two children and dog.
Author page
More books by Anthony McGowan
Related news & events
Rock the Boat imprint signs new Anthony McGowan Middle Grade Novel
17th August, 2021
Rock the Boat has landed a “thrilling and heart-wrenching” new middle-grade novel, Dogs of the Deadlands, from 2020 Carnegie award-wi…
