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Moondogs: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.08) - 236 listener ratings
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A singularly effervescent novel pivoting around the disappearance of an American businessman in the Philippines and the long-suffering son, jilted lover, slick police commissioner, misguided villain, and supernatural saviors who all want a piece of him. Mourning the recent loss of his mother, twentysomething Benicio—aka Benny—travels to Manila to reconnect with his estranged father, Howard. But when he arrives his father is nowhere to be found—leaving an irritated son to conclude that Howard has let him down for the umpteenth time. However, his father has actually been kidnapped by a meth-addled cabdriver, with grand plans to sell him to local terrorists as bait in the country’s never-ending power struggle between insurgents, separatists, and “democratic” muscle. Benicio’s search for Howard reveals more about his father’s womanizing ways and suspicious business deals, reopening the old hurts that he’d hoped to mend. Interspersed with the son’s inquiry and the father’s calamitous life in captivity are the high-octane interconnecting narratives of Reynato Ocampo, the local celebrity-hero policeman charged with rescuing Howard; Ocampo’s ragtag team of wizardry-infused soldiers; and Monique, a novice officer at the American embassy whose family still feels feverishly unmoored in the Philippines. With blistering forward momentum, crackling dialogue, wonderfully bizarre turns, and glimpses into both Filipino and expat culture, the novel marches toward a stunning climax, which ultimately challenges our conventional ideas of family and identity and introduces Yates as a powerful new voice in contemporary literature.
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"How shall I describe this novel to an "innocent" reader? Start with a flamboyantly colored fighting cock rooster owned by a drug addicted cab driver looking for some easy money in kidnapping a "rich, fat, old white guy"...an American, of course. See, I bet that got you interested...now add a forlorn son who's alienated from his rich, fat, old white guy daddy and grieving for his mother done wrong by daddy dearest. Yep, I ended up not likely any of these characters in the end...maybe the son a little who does seem to look for some kind of redemption. But with all this, I must say that as a first novel, Alexander Yates got my attention...and maybe that is enough."
— Jane (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Dazzling…engaging…readers will be gratified by the ambition and raw energy on the display in this particularly promising debut.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“[A] debut novel that combines magical realism, geopolitics, and comic book-style super-heroics with shoot-’em-up action, domestic drama, and daddy issues…Yates achieves an extraordinary synthesis of tenderness and brutality, making us question our own sympathies.”
— Boston Globe -
“Gritty, ambitious…The vibrant and convincing setting coupled with the well-drawn major characters make for…much to enjoy here.”
— Library Journal -
“Yates handles the multiple points of view and fragmented narrative flawlessly. An unusual and unusually involving first novel with strong characters and nifty supernatural effects.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“Like one of his own characters, Yates is a bruho, endowed with magical vision that allows him to see the invisible strands of fate and luck that bind people to each other. He is also a sharpshooter, able to survey an entire city of millions, and then, in an instant, train his sights on an individual target, focusing with great precision on delicate movements of the head and the heart.”
— Charles Yu, author of How To Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe -
“Moondogs is the thrilla’ in Manila, a rollicking mash-up of magic and mayhem that grabs you by the collar and won’t let go. Alexander Yates sizzles.”
— Keith Donohue, author of The Stolen Child and Angels of Destruction -
“Yates is the real thing: a unique literary voice and natural storyteller with indelible characters, thrill-ride geopolitics and narrative mastery.”
— Arthur Flowers, author of Another Good Loving Blues -
“An electric and fierce debut novel where strangers share a world with the estranged, and their hidden secrets and open hostilities are equally combustible. Yates writes with a sense of color and heat that crackles in the voices of his star-crossed characters and adds a vivid glow to the streets of Manila and waters of the Philippines. Moondogs beckons, drawing readers onward with a vibrant intensity that is both lyrical and thrilling.”
— Ravi Howard, author of Like Trees, Walking -
“The greatest of Yates’ many talents is his ability to make us feel like insiders in so many different worlds and minds. He has Elmore Leonard’s logistical chops and Charles Portis’ sense of humor, but the juggling act of Moondogs is entirely his own—and nothing ever touches the ground.”
— Roy Kesey, author of All Over
Moondogs Listener Reviews
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" I've never read anything quite like this fast-paced, excellent read. I loved it the first time, and it was even better the second. Highly recommended- Yates is a serious talent! "
— Jack, 2/9/2014 -
" None of the characters in the book had any passion,not the son when his father died or the main set of lovers. What an odd book, it's simply a written story ,with some depthless characters.Inconsistencies in the investigations and some not brilliant 'bruhas'..Disappointing read "
— Stella, 2/2/2014 -
" This was an interesting one - I wanted to like it a little more than I actually ended up liking it, but that's not to say that it's a bad read at all. The multi-thread plot isn't at all hard to follow if you've grown up watching films from directors such as Tarantino (as the author clearly has, a little Reservoir Dogs homage in there too). My only real gripe was that some of the dialogue seems like it's written by someone for whom english is not their first language - a little too stilted and proper. Overall, an engaging and quick holiday type read. "
— Rebecca, 1/31/2014 -
" It's interesting, but I'm having difficulty getting into it. I may have to put it down for a while and come back to it. "
— MaryElla, 1/18/2014 -
" Loved it. I don't read much fiction but this is just great fun and a great story. If you know Santa Monica, Venice and the environs you will have fun with the topical references. Recommended. "
— Raymonds009, 12/29/2013 -
" I like superheros. And traveling. "
— Dread, 9/27/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. The story revolves around American businessman and his son and takes place in the Philippines. There is really cool cast of charecters and they all are very interesting. The book was very discriptive and I felt like I had been to the Philippines after reading it. "
— Bob, 8/10/2013 -
" I made to page 160 and bailed out. This book just doesn't work for me. DNF "
— Kevin, 3/26/2013 -
" A very quarky book that is quite entertaining. Once you figure out that all is not what is seems, the book begins to speed up cullminating with a great "bang" in the end. Very enjoyable. "
— Chris, 11/21/2012 -
" *review to be posted after our reading group's discussion concludes. :D * "
— Meann, 8/15/2012 -
" A lot of characters behaving badly again, almost like a Tournament of Books book. They do so in interesting ways, however, and for motives that are obscure. Moondogs is nicely paced and exotic. Yates' Philippines would be worth a longer visit. "
— Jamie, 3/14/2012 -
" mythical, magical, and mysterious. a very interesting read. "
— Terryann, 2/15/2012 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I'm glad I won it because I'm not sure if I would have picked it out at the store!! I def would have missed out. "
— Platinumgi, 1/22/2012 -
" Wild. Loved reading this. Yates conveys the just right atmosphere for an urban fantasy set in the Philippines. "
— Mari-Anne, 8/13/2011 -
" Moondogs is a truly original literary adventure. The story explores outsiders finding their place in the world and characters struggling to do the right thing even when no one's watching. And it has superheroes, with a wicked twist! The book is fantastic and I loved it. "
— LitChck, 6/3/2011 -
" I was intrigued by the mystery and the characters in this book and the plot kept me interested. "
— Christine, 4/27/2011 -
" A lot of characters behaving badly again, almost like a Tournament of Books book. They do so in interesting ways, however, and for motives that are obscure. Moondogs is nicely paced and exotic. Yates' Philippines would be worth a longer visit. "
— Jamie, 4/5/2011 -
" An excellent fast-paced novel that reads like a modern pulp fiction piece. Incredible characters and narrative --I couldn't put it down. "
— Richard, 4/4/2011 -
" Listened to this as audiobook from the library but couldn't find the audio format to add. It was good. The characters felt real and loved the descriptions of the Philliphines. "
— Covingtoncat73, 4/2/2011 -
" Moondogs is a truly original literary adventure. The story explores outsiders finding their place in the world and characters struggling to do the right thing even when no one's watching. And it has superheroes, with a wicked twist! The book is fantastic and I loved it. "
— LitChck, 3/16/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I'm glad I won it because I'm not sure if I would have picked it out at the store!! I def would have missed out. "
— Platinumgi, 3/14/2011
About Alexander Yates
Alexander Yates grew up in Haiti, Mexico, Bolivia, and the Philippines. He holds an MFA from Syracuse University, and his short story “Everything, Clearly” appeared American Fiction: Best Short Stories by Emerging Writers.
About Paul Michael
Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.