Dogsong

Russel Susskit can’t bear living in the horrid conditions that surround him, and while drowning himself in misery; he travels on a journey that will change his life forever. He is disgusted about almost everything in his little Eskimo village. He hates his father’s awful coughing, and the snowmobiles the Eskimo’s use for hunting. Russel feels that the snowmobiles violate the villages old traditions of hunting on dogsleds. Russel visits a man who owns the last dogsled team in the village, who was alive when the village was prosperous and full of energy. The man’s name is Oogruk and he teaches Russel about the old traditions such as singing and dancing. These traditions were banned because of a white man, who the Eskimo’s feared because of the his great knowledge said, “You will go to hell if you don’t give up singing and dancing.” Oogruk teaches Russel the old ways of hunting. After Russel masters it, he ventures out into the endless sea of ice, with Oogruk next to him, and Russel will discover secrets about himself that he never knew. In Dogsong, by Gary Paulsen, Russel meets new companions, and develops a passion that will never leave his heart.

This book is perfect for action story lovers, and realistic fiction lovers will adore this book. Fans of journeys, friendships, and tragedies would also enjoy this book. Gary Paulsen leaves cliffhangers that makes the reader have to read on, and incapable of putting the book down. The author writes very smoothly, everything he writes about is fluent, and the way he ties everything together in my opinion is masterful. The characters make the readers feel like they are doing everything with each other. While Russel is on his adventure of a lifetime, and as he flies along the ice on his dogsled; I felt as if I was riding on the sled with him, and I know you will feel it to. This story of friendship, travel, and grief will never leave the readers heart.