Sonya Hartnett has really struck the psychological nail on the head in this dark and twisted narrative. Twins Ravel and Indigo live in a haunted mansion overrun by rats, with only each other as company. Hartnett develops the characters with such precision, that it is undoubtedly a book that can't be put down. I hung on every word from the shocking start to the shocking end. It is an educated look at the psychology of isolation, the extremities of love, and the power one can hold over another. Don't be put off, however, in thinking that this book is a hard read. Hartnett's ability to flow with her words makes it understandable, but intriguing and exciting at the same time. For those who like a bit of the macabre, it is definitely a 'different' and unique story, which I loved and will always be one of my favourites of all times.

What a fantastic book! It really pushes the boundaries of teenage fiction, its so crafted and mature. I loved the sense of futility that overshadowed the whole novel, and the atmosphere of impending doom. You could really feel the frustration of the characters as they buckled helplessly against the pointlessness of their existence. I felt completely shattered after finishing it. I'm so glad that some American readers have discovered this wonderful Australian author - she deserves so much more recognition than she gets.

Sleeping Dogs is a masterpiece, delving deep into human mind and morals. Hartnett takes young adult literature to its boundaries. She crafts the Willow family so well, with the proud, haughty Michelle, the dreamy Jordan, and the powerful, dominant father, Griffin Willow. The Willows came to the small town suddenly, almost fifteen years ago. But for the fifteen years they have been there, no one outside the family knows anything about them. They have lived on their small farm, completely alone, isolated from the rest of the town. At first glance, the family is merely old fashioned. The father is the master of the house. The wife is obedient. And their five children, Edward, Michelle, Jordan, Oliver, and Jennifer, or 'Speck' all have their unique traits; Edward is the worker in the family, Michelle daddy's girl, Jordan the artist, Oliver the brain, and Speck has the most spunk of them all. But even this close, traditional family has its secrets. Grace, Griffin's wife, has been cowed into obedience and eventually silence. Michelle is vain and haughty, and controlling of Jordan. She is the only one who truly accepts Jordan, as the rest of the family seems to reject him. His pale skin and fair hair are a striking contrast to the dark complexions of the rest of the family, a genetic trait which seems to have missed Jordan. Michelle's fierce protectiveness of Jordan and the isolation of the farm form a bond between them that is dangerously close. However, their secret seems to be safe until a man comes to their farm seeking refuge from a storm. He seems bent on destroying the family. When naive Oliver lets Michelle and Jordan's dark secret slip, a secret that not even their parents seem to know about, the children realize that there is only one solution. To keep Michelle and Jordan from exposure, they decide that there is only one way to deal with the newcomer: eliminate the threat. The tale unfolds, and as it builds up to the climax, all the blocks come crashing down in a finale that will haunt the reader long after the book is put down.

When I was starkly reminded on Friday at school that I still hadn't read and reviewed my journal novel which we had, had the past 2 months to do. I had some work to do over the weekend! So, I sat down on Saturday morning with Sleeping Dogs and two hours later realised that I had finished this enthralling story. I was so encaptured by the book, I didn't even think of putting it down and now because of my English assignment and one amazing book I can say I read a book in two hours! Wow!

A long song, really... All the things that broke your heart in childhood, brought back sharply in your mind, all the disappointment of adulthood on display... Dark, yet so poignant, yearning, beautiful, sad and dark and lonely, and... Brilliant.
I have to sit quietly after reading anything by Ms. Hartnett. she makes my soul shiver.
Read it. You be the judge.

This is a beautifully written novel that will clutch at your heart. Adrien is an emotionally abused child with no sense of self-worth: he has been shuttled around, unwanted and friendless, and is now living with his grandmother and uncle. They worry about uprooting the boy, not realizing that he has no roots, no emotional connections.

I tend to see it as being for older teens and adults-- though it is sometimes difficult to get them to read a book about a nine year old. Reading a few paragraphs will convince anyone that this is not a child's perspective, but an omnicient somewhat dispassionate narrator with an adult's perspective. Some may be perturbed that the missing children mentioned so prominently are never found in the course of the book: we tend to want things tied up in neat packages. In fact, the children's disappearance does drive the book in that it sets Adrien's course, but they are not the focus. The language and imagery are exquisite.

I would recommend this to someone wanting a "think about" book-- it's not a quick casual read.

I would also like to chastise the professional reviewer who gave away the ending. Not very professional, in my opinion.

This author can WRITE. There are writers who just put words down on paper, and then there are artists, creating entire worlds, interior and exterior. Sonya Hartnett is an artist.

The story is haunting, a mystery of sorts, nearly lyrical in places. Many places. I'd not want to give anything away. The perceptive reader will pick up on clues as it is.

As it is, we have the tale of a nine year old boy who does not ...well, how do you say it...just doesn't come prepared to handle the tasks and toils of living. He is etherial, more spirit than flesh, and doesn't fit into the world as do the flesh-bound. This is his life, this short novel is (which, by the way, is far more geared for adults than for teens, who haven't yet lived enough to grasp it).

The bird imagery is right on target, a constant metaphor that connects the entire story like a flock of separate, yet united, birds in flight. It is not a matter of whether or not the story is a happy one, for everything in life needn't be Disney. It is, moreover, a story that will land in the inside of the reader, a bird flown from the pages and into the heart.

It will stay there for a very long time.

I cannot fully express how worthy a read this is, and yet how unnerving.

I am in awe. It is a flawless novel.