Dark's Tale

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Overview

After being abandoned in Golden Gate Park by owners who no longer want her, Dark must quickly learn how to take care of herself. Befriended by a racoon, Rattail, and Casablanca, another feral cat, Dark quickly learns her place in the park's hierarchy, and discovers who she can trust—the Warms (nice people who feed the ferals every day)—and who's to be avoided—the Cores (homeless kids who live in the park) and the Dangers (who include clueless humans who don't always consider their impact on the park and its social structure).

But when coyotes start invading the park and the streets immediately surrounding it, the stability of San Francisco and the park ...

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More About This Book

Overview

After being abandoned in Golden Gate Park by owners who no longer want her, Dark must quickly learn how to take care of herself. Befriended by a racoon, Rattail, and Casablanca, another feral cat, Dark quickly learns her place in the park's hierarchy, and discovers who she can trust—the Warms (nice people who feed the ferals every day)—and who's to be avoided—the Cores (homeless kids who live in the park) and the Dangers (who include clueless humans who don't always consider their impact on the park and its social structure).

But when coyotes start invading the park and the streets immediately surrounding it, the stability of San Francisco and the park are threatened. Guided by the ghost stories and mysterious musings of a homeless woman and the determination of Jesse, a human sometimes-park resident, Dark must make difficult decisions about friendship, loyalty, and the meaning of survival.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
A degree of anthropomorphism is unavoidable in animal stories, but Grabien, in her first novel for young readers, is less interested in getting inside the head of Dark, a housecat abandoned in Golden Gate Park, than in pushing her agenda. Despite feeling stung about being ditched, Dark finds park life relatively idyllic, with humans feeding her twice a day and friends like Rattail the raccoon and Casablanca the cat. Then comes the rumor, and eventually the reality, of invading coyotes in the park. While Dark initially sees the coyotes as inherently evil, with eyes “empty, cold as frost,” after Department of Agriculture workers kill a group of them, she realizes that humans (or at least some of them) are the real enemy. Many of Grabien's human characters share this view (“I swear to God, people are so stupid some days, I'm ashamed to be human,” is one of several guilt-laden lines). The animals understand every word the humans say, and some homeless humans can understand the animals, too, which creates plenty of opportunities for pedantic sermons disguised as dialogue. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
From The Critics
An abandoned cat struggles to find her place within the fragile balance of nature in this fine animal fantasy. Dark, dumped by her owners in Golden Gate Park, has a hard time adjusting to the feral life. But when invading coyotes disrupt the intricate relationships among the park's denizens, Dark finds that her life may depend on learning to trust humans again. Grabien, a successful novelist for adults and longtime animal-rescue worker, creates a likable voice for Dark and sketches vivid secondary characters. But this is less a story than a lovingly detailed examination of one small ecosystem, along with a heartfelt sermon against human obliviousness to our fellow creatures. The descriptions of the park, its wildlife and Dark's mystical encounters are breathtakingly beautiful, fierce and evocative-but many plot elements are also puzzling and inconsistent, and the driving conflict with the coyotes never reaches a resolution. Still, the graceful prose, deft blending of realism with fantasy and irresistible feline protagonist make this a natural fit for fans of Erin Hunter's Warriors books and similar tales. (Animal fantasy. 10 & up)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781606840375
  • Publisher: EgmontUSA
  • Publication date: 3/23/2010
  • Pages: 300
  • Sales rank: 1,142,656
  • Age range: 10 - 14 Years
  • Product dimensions: 6.38 (w) x 8.60 (h) x 1.13 (d)

Meet the Author

Deborah Grabien is a musician and the author of many adult novels. She lives in San Francisco, California, with her husband, a fellow musician. The pair rescues stray cats and finds homes for them and is active in local feral cat rescue organizations. Dark's Tale, her first novel for young readers, was inspired by this work and the recent encroachment of coyotes on Golden Gate Park. You can visit her online at www.deborahgrabien.com.

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  • Posted November 5, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Reviewed by Kira M for Teens Read Too

    After her family's child turns out to be allergic to Dark, they dump her off in the park. Dark quickly befriends Rattail, a raccoon, and Casablanca, another stray, who teach her about the natural order in the park. This includes humans, whom the animals label as Cores (homeless park residents), Warms (friendly), Dangers (not to be trusted), and Blanks (oblivious to the animals and one another). Uneasy around humans after being abandoned, she has a hard time trusting them. When she encounters three Warms - Jack, Angie, and Jessie - she can't help but start liking them. When coyotes invade the park and threaten her new home and friends, she realizes that she and the other cats are going to have to adapt and fight the greatest fight of their life to not only save themselves, but the Warms, as well. Can they overcome their distrust of humans and each other long enough to save their park home? DARK'S TALE is a fun adventure for cat lovers. The plot is well-developed, and the characters are lovable. Readers who like fantasy, cats, adventure, and survival stories will enjoy reading this book.

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