I've picked up a surprisingly large number of British books over the past two or three months, and the latest addition to this trend was highly enjoyable. A Dog Called Grk is the story of 12-year-old Timothy Malt, whose life consists of fairly normal activities like going to school and playing computer games. One day Tim stumbles upon a small black and white dog called Grk who doesn't seem to have a home to go to and is in need of something to eat. A bit of investigation shows that Grk was owned by a girl named Natascha Raffifi, the daughter of the former ambassador from the country of Stanislavia who has recently been forced to return to his home country. When his parents will not let him keep Grk, Tim sees no other choice: He must travel to Stanislavia and return Grk to Natascha himself. What Tim does not immediately realize is that Natascha and her brother Max are being held captive in a high-security prison and thought (incorrectly) to be traitors to their home country! The evil Colonel Zinfandel, who has taken over Stanislavia and rules with an iron fist, will stop at nothing to make sure that Natascha and Max remain locked away. But what chance to a boy and a rather foolish dog have against an army?
This book is a zany adventure that's a ton of fun. Most of the action is fairly unrealistic, but this only helps to add to the fun of the adventure. Fans of other quirky reads, especially Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, will definitely enjoy this book. The only flaw in this book is the ending, which was just a bit too quick and tidy for my taste. However, additional books about Grk and his human friends will surely keep readers on their toes as they have other adventures.
Overall Grade: B+
I've read a lot of good reads by British authors recently and have enjoyed the different sort of humor that they use. I also just kind of get a kick out of the different words that are sometimes used ("lift" for "elevator, or "knickers" for "panties," for instance). But I guess not everyone can be a fan, and these differences could be (but are not necessarily) challenging to some readers who have never before experienced these differences. Anyone else have any thoughts about British books? 
1 comment:
I'm currently a big fan of British books, especially for the reasons you gave. However, I do remember being quite frustrated when I was younger and had just started reading British books. I was usually able to figure out what they meant by the context though, which had the benefit of making me feel smart.
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