Dust City by Robert Paul Weston

Dust City

by Robert Paul Weston

Henry Whelp is a big bad wolf—or will be,someday. The only son of the infamous Red Riding Hood Killer, Henry is worried that he may be following in his father’s violent footsteps. He tries to distance himself from his past, and avoids the other teens at St. Remus Home for Wayward Youth, a detention centre in Dust City—a rundown, gritty metropolis known for its production of fairydust. But when Henry’s psychiatrist turns up dead, Henry finds himself on a trail of clues that may lead to proof of his father’s innocence—and the horrifying secret behind fairydust.


 

Reviewed by Joni Reads on

5 of 5 stars

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This is one of those books that are constantly on your mind, long after you have marked your page and closed it. The world created was so believable that I almost forgot that it doesn't exist. It's hard to call it is a fantasy book, because fantasy implies that a kind of dream, and in Dust City there is nothing dreamy about it. The subject of fairy dust, talking animals, and a mobster dwarf are written about so convincingly that it is hard to believe it is not real.
I loved Henry from the beginning. He was in a sort of juvenile detention center for wayward youth and his best friend was a hominid (human) named Jack, as in Jack and the Beanstalk.
I loved how so many fairytales were mentioned subtly in Dust City. Snow White is a detective, Cinderella is divorced from Prince Charming and living with the working class again, even the frog from The Princess and the Frog makes an appearance.
The book follows Henry as he tries to uncover why all of the fairies disappeared from the skyward city of Eden. Henry's father, The Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood, is in prison and contacts Henry with a theory as to what happens to the fairies. So Henry and she-wolf named Fiona set off to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance.
There is a lot of adventure in this book. But Just as a warning, though this book is based off of fairytales it is not suitable for young children. While no major swearing sticks in my head, it can be graphic, especially towards the end. Definitely a book written for teens.
I am so glad that I got a chance to review this book. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 July, 2010: Finished reading
  • 29 July, 2010: Reviewed