Dante thinks high school is an earthly version of hell. She hates her new home in the suburbs, her best friend has moved away, her homeroom teacher mocks her and her mother is making her attend a social skills group for teenage girls. When a stranger shows up at school and hands Dante a flyer that reads: Woof, woof. You are not a dog. Why are you going to obedience school?, Dante thinks she’s found a soul mate. Someone who understands. Someone else who wants to make real changes in the world. But there are all kinds of ways of bringing about change…and some are more dangerous than others.

[back cover copy, Orca Book Publishers]

This is an engaging book about a young girl (formerly named Emily) who is trying to find herself within an oppressive high school and disappointed mother. She has an interesting journey and although the content is a little mature (maybe 12+) the writing is very accessible. The book is written from Dante/Emily’s point of view which was bang-on for the voice and age of the character.

I don’t have much more to say without giving anything away; it’s really about Dante’s personal journey. I enjoyed the book and it was a quick, engaging read for me. The writing was fast-paced and the teenage voice was very real. I was also very impressed with how Robin Stevenson deal with the GLBT content and proud that a BC author and publisher put this in a YA novel.

Click here to read the first chapter (PDF link)

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