I'm not a fan of post-apocalyptic books, but I was rather drawn into this one because it was told from the point of view of 3 dogs. Most stories in this vein never mention what happens to the animals of the world besides the fact that they often go wild, but here we explore the reasoning behind animal behaviour without the influence of humans. Obviously these dogs had owners so it is a struggle for them to begin making their own choices and to learn to survive without help. Tje ending is a touch cliché with them living happily ever after, but I really liked the theme of dogs learning that they can do many things that humans prevent them from doing. ( )

If it weren't for Red, this book would have been pure crap. A ball of pure instinct and fierce loyalty with an amazing nose and an aromatic rear end, that Irish Setter was the only dog who acted and thought like a dog. The road trip, a lot of the action scenes and some of the dramatic moments just didn't seem to make a lot of sense, depending on shock value I suppose to keep the reader from thinking about things very much. ( )

Whenever the apocalypse happens in fiction there is always a plucky band of survivors trying to make it in the post-apocalyptic world. In real life post-apocalypse waits a few million years for the next species to come along and dig up the fossils and fail to learn from history. But in both these scenarios, no-one thinks about the dogs.

In Rover Red Charlie, Garth Ennis has journeyed back to his apocalyptic world of Crossed to ask the question, "What about the dogs?" How will they cope without their "feeders", will they still be able to bark "I'm a dog", and are they the ones who will inherit the planet once we're all gone?

When I read Crossed three years ago I presented a one word review: "Disturbing." It was quite possibly the most graphic depiction and the most depraved apocalypse I've ever read. Yet despite being set in the same world, Rover Red Charlie is quite light and fun; exactly what you would expect from the dog's take on the apocalypse. The usual Ennis humour and social commentary is present ("The feeders went and messed up this world, guess they had to go.") and the three friends and their journey of discovery is enjoyable.

An original take on the apocalypse and one for fans of Ennis and the genre. ( )