Victoria (YSB) - reviewed on 4/12/2010 + 636 more book reviews

What a wonderful book! I REALLY enjoyed this! Based loosely on the story of Ivan Mishukov, a young boy who lived with a pack of feral street dogs, this fictionalized re-vamping was both a heartbreakingly beautiful and a disturbingly realistic book. Feral children fascinate so many people, as they raise so many questions about both humanity and the creatures that replace parents. While this topic is heavily covered in literature (_The Jungle Book_ being a famous example), many modern books (like Alice Hoffman's _Second Nature_ or Kristin Hannah's _Magic Hour_) are softened into more of a romance novel, whereas this book celebrates the grimmer (and certainly disgusting) realities. At times, this is a harsh, and troubling read, not for the faint of stomach, but the moments of pure love and beauty balance out the book, making it an enjoyable read.
Painstakingly researched, this book fully addresses its topics and themes in, an at times, cold light. Brief (under 300 pages), but undeniably powerful, Hornung handled a tough subject. She is a talented writer and i am curious about her past works and any future books she may write.
I will admit that I would have liked to see the story develop even more, but I was not in any way dissatisfied by the ending.

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