Dingo by Charles de Lint
(Firebird - 2008)
Rating: Good
Miguel's dad owns a music and comic book shop. One day, Lainey, just moved to town from Australia, comes into the shop. Miguel feels an instant connection, and it seems to be mutual. But why, when he sees her on the beach the next day, is she cold to him? And what's the story behind her pet dog, who looks just like an Australian dingo, and the large pawprints that seem to be stalking Miguel?
A pleasant read:
This was a short, pleasant read, but nothing special. De Lint is known as one of the pioneers of urban/contemporary fantasy, and his usual mythic touches are here. I enjoyed the switch from Celtic and Native American mythology to Australian mythology, and would love to see this addressed in a longer novel sometime.
Character development isn't particularly detailed in this one, which can be excused because I think it's meant more as a fairy tale than a character study. Johnny, the school bully, was the most interesting character for me.
The ending was clever and resolved well (often De Lint's endings are somewhat disappointing for me, but I like this one a lot).
The final word:
So I'd recommend this to someone who wants a quick fairy tale read, because it is a good book, but for someone new to De Lint I'd say start with one of his longer books first, or you'll miss out on the strong characters and emotions he's so good at creating.
I'd suggest The Blue Girl if you're looking for a young adult book, and one of Memory and Dream, Trader, or Someplace to be Flying for an "adult" book. These four are some of my favourite books of all time, particularly Memory and Dream. If you're into short stories, try the collections Dreams Underfoot or The Ivory and the Horn.
