Review: Dust City by Robert Paul Weston

Synopsis:
Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

His son, that's who.

Ever since his father's arrest for the murder of Little Red Riding Hood, teen wolf Henry Whelp has kept a low profile in a Home for Wayward Wolves . . . until a murder at the Home leads Henry to believe his father may have been framed.

Now, with the help of his kleptomaniac roommate, Jack, and a daring she-wolf named Fiona, Henry will have to venture deep into the heart of Dust City; a rundown, gritty metropolis where fairydust is craved by everyone and controlled by a dangerous mob of Water Nixies and their crime boss leader, Skinner.

Can Henry solve the mystery of his family's sinister past? Or, like his father before him, is he destined for life as a big bad wolf?

Review:
Dust City is different from any book I have ever read. I would classify it as a fairy tale re-imagining, but it is so much more than that. The main character, Henry Whelp, has had to live his whole life being the son of the big, bad wolf who killed Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. He has a bad reputation and is in a form of juvie because he is a wolf even though he has not done anything wrong. Dust City is a world where selling synthetic fairy dust is the main money source. Synthetic fairy dust replaced true fairy dust ever since the fairies disappeared. Fairy dust is pretty much the it drug of Dust City. Anyways, Henry escapes juvie because he believes he knows where the fairies are hiding and there is a chance he can clear his father's name.

I definitely enjoyed this book because it was so original. Robert Paul Weston took the story of the big, bad wolf and made it his own. I loved that some common fairy tale characters were in Dust City. Snow White came into the story as Detective White, a kick butt kind of character who could definitely hold her own. Cindy Rella (Cinderella) wears uncomfortable looking glass heels. Of course there is also Henry's best friend, Jack, from Jack and the Beanstalk.

Henry meets his partner in crime, Fiona, while he is at his Home for Wayward Wolves. Fiona is one smart she-wolf who cares more about her troubled brother, Roy, than she probably should. I liked Fiona because she is non-judgmental. It was nice to see her not judge Henry and actually look for the best in him. My favorite part of the book was whenever they were together.

If you like fairy tale retellings, you will definitely enjoy this book. It is amusing and fun to read! There is a fairly intense torture scene to look out for, but I think most of us can handle it. The story is interesting, and the world that Robert Paul Weston has created is intriguing.

Rating: 3.5/5

Swords are for fighting,