Tamora Pierce. Beka Cooper: Terrier
Random House Books  $24.95  ISBN 978-0-375-81468-6  580 pg.
Reviewed by Melissa, Age 14

Speak when you’re spoken to. Keep out of the way. Obey all orders. Get killed on your own time.

Beka is one of few candidates for the position known as a Puppy. Along with her Dogs, she serves her district with justice. Puppies and Dogs are simply names for the people that enforce the law. It is a dangerous job, but someone has to do it. The plot thickens when Beka is faced with two serious crimes that she is bound and determined to solve. A murderous, mysterious and magical journey awaits her.

Beka Cooper: Terrier is interesting, with a very inventive plot. The word choice and the amazing complexity of the plot are mind-boggling. The characters and the animals all seemed to have interesting ways of acting and thinking. I loved the time setting for this novel as well. The only thing that I found perplexing about the book was the complexity itself; sometimes hard to grasp the idea that the author was trying to get across. I would recommend this book for people thirteen years and older, with the caution that it might be confusing!

This reviewer gives Beka Cooper: Terrier four imaginative stars.