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Singing the Dogstar Blues (Singing the Dogstar Blues)

by Alison Goodman (Goodreads Author)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 450 ratings · 94 reviews

Alison Goodman's first novel - in a very special new edition!

Seventeen-year-old Joss is a rebel, and a student of time travel at the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. This year, for the first time, the Centre has an alien student: Mavkel, from the planet Choria. And Mavkel has chosen Joss, of all people, as his roommate and study partner. Then Mavkel gets sic...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published April 12th 2012 by Firebird (first published August 28th 1998)

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Jul 21, 2011 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Flannery

Recommended to Tatiana by: Catie

Shelves: 2011, sci-fi, ya, ala-ya-2004, aus-nz

As seen on The Readventurer

Singing the Dogstar Blues is that rare specimen of YA fiction called science fiction. That's right, not dystopia or rather dystopian romance, not sci-fi romance, but real deal sci-fi. There are no love triangles in it, no angst, no moping around boys. Gee, no wonder nobody read it. My library book was bought 6 years and looks as if nobody ever even touched it.

Joss Aaronson is a 1st year student at a time travel school. She is about to be paired up with her permanent T...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Flannery rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: YA sci-fi fans

Recommended to Flannery by: Tatiana and Catie; Picked for TBR Challenge by Olivia (August)

Shelves: aussie-ya-is-the-cats-meow, i-want-to-go-to-there, read-in-2011, ya-space-quest-o-mine, young-adult-teen, tbr-scb-2011, wishlist-for-dtbs-to-keep

I’m always on the lookout for a fun space-related story. Singing the Dogstar Blues isn’t set in space but there is a very futuristic feel to it and ALIENS so it definitely hit my sweet spot. If you are wondering if this book reads at all like Goodman’s other book Eon, the answer, at least for me, is absolutely not. I enjoyed Eon but the pacing was off and I wasn’t especially attached to any of the characters. That’s not the case here. Joss Aaronson attends a prestigious time-jumping school and h...more I’m always on the lookout for a fun space-related story. Singing the Dogstar Blues isn’t set in space but there is a very futuristic feel to it and ALIENS so it definitely hit my sweet spot. If you are wondering if this book reads at all like Goodman’s other book Eon, the answer, at least for me, is absolutely not. I enjoyed Eon but the pacing was off and I wasn’t especially attached to any of the characters. That’s not the case here. Joss Aaronson attends a prestigious time-jumping school and holds one of 12 coveted spots in the program for her year. She is a comp, which basically means that her mother used a donor to have her and comps are looked down on as genetically manipulated because people can use up to even 5 or 6 donors to create the child of their choice. She is snarky, sassy, and unlike Eon/a, it doesn’t take her eras to figure out what is going on around her. Thank goodness for that.

Overall, the book has a bit of a campy and adventurous feel. The plot primarily revolves around Joss and her new school partner, Mavkel, the first alien to be admitted. As expected, there are enemies and allies in the school administration and amongst the students but Joss and Mavkel hold this entire story on their backs and they succeed in doing so. I couldn’t picture what Mavkel actually looked like but it didn’t hinder the character development. His personality came through even with a language barrier and extensive cultural differences. He and Joss bond over music and that is where the title of the book comes from.

There are hints that this was Goodman’s first novel—the writing definitely favors utility rather than description, for instance. Since this is what I prefer in my sci-fi, I was more than happy with the style. And Ms. Goodman actually surprised me with a plot twist near the end. (don’t click it unless you want it to be ruined) (view spoiler) I wish this book started a series so we could find out how Joss and Mavkel’s partnership continued to develop during their school years. As it is, I guess I will just have to hope that Alison Goodman writes some more sci-fi one of these days.
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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, sci-fi, 2011

For me, this book balances science fiction, humour and interesting characters in a way that grabbed me far more than any Douglas Adams book ever did. To be honest, the author had me at "flappy-eared alien".

Science fiction when it is told well is easily one of my favourite genres, but too much of it turns into some crappy dystopian romance or is written for a male readership... the only sci-fi I can honestly say I've enjoyed in recent years is Margaret Atwood and Ursula K. Le Guin. But I loved t...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-down-under, titles-i-love, sci-fi, young-adult-fiction, on-my-shelf, past-and-present-collide, mystery-thriller-suspense, music, read-in-2011

A very charming, light and funny little book.

YA sci-fi (real YA sci-fi, not romance disguised as sci-fi) is still a rare thing to find, and I very much enjoyed this story about time travel, aliens, a DNA mystery and an unlikely friendship. Joss is spunky and rebellious without being annoying, Mavkel a very fascinating and endearing character. I loved how their friendship developed, how the Chorians communicated and how their society worked. The overall tone of the book was light, but not withou...more

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Aug 04, 2008 Phoebe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: sciffy, kiddie-lit

It's a shame that Harry Potter has done wonders for YA fantasy, but that no book has come along to elevate science fiction aimed at the same audience. The back flap of Singing the Dogstar Blues describes it as genre-bending, as if out of obligation, I hope, because there's very little that's bendy about it. This is a story about students--including one alien exchange student--at a school for time travelers. Though the science fiction tropes it adopts seem to come from a myriad of sources that do...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Glaiza rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, to-swap

Reading this novel was a bit like watching a quirky anime - the world building was a mish mash of different things. I liked Joss' sense of humour and the concept of studying time travel at an Australian university (if it was a real-life option, I'd totally go for it.) I also found Mav to be an endearing character for an alien. I think I wanted to explore Mav and Joss' friendship a bit more because they were so likeable and intriguing with the sci-fi element thrown in.

Random asides: It was a nice...more

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Nov 01, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to oliviasbooks by: Flannery, Tatiana

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, scifi-dystopian-apocalyptic, aussie-ya-challenge-2011, author-from-down-under, time-travel, cry-a-little, high-expectations, laugh-a-little, other-creatures, read-2011, favorites-of-2011, stays-with-me, outer-space

Flappy-eared, double-nosed, telepathic aliens, music, danger, time-travel, friendship in unexpected places, searching for your roots, futuristic futures, Blade-Runner-style bars, gut-wrenching loneliness, highly-original, tongue-in-cheek twists, bluesy sadness, snarky humor. Wow. Just my kind of sci-fi. This my second five-star-read within eight days. I feel so lucky - kind of like overdosed on "Bliss-sticks". Thank you, all you Goodreaders who have been - voluntarily or involuntarily - pushing...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Jayme Blaschke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult

If prizes were awarded for the best speculative fiction titles, Singing the Dogstar Blues would surely garner its share of accolades. It's witty and clever, projecting a degree of dignity while at the same time not taking itself too seriously. On top of that, it's relevant to the story at hand. Fortunately for readers, this young adult novel by Australia's Alison Goodman is more than just a pretty title. Goodman's story is an engaging character-centered time travel adventure that--while uneven a...more If prizes were awarded for the best speculative fiction titles, Singing the Dogstar Blues would surely garner its share of accolades. It's witty and clever, projecting a degree of dignity while at the same time not taking itself too seriously. On top of that, it's relevant to the story at hand. Fortunately for readers, this young adult novel by Australia's Alison Goodman is more than just a pretty title. Goodman's story is an engaging character-centered time travel adventure that--while uneven at times--manages to overcome its shortcomings and deliver the goods.

Part of the novel's problems stem from the fact that Goodson is a wee bit too ready to rely on cliche when it suits her. The main character, a 17-year-old girl named Joss, is your typical disaffected anti-establishment type who is smarter than anyone gives her credit for. Despite getting thrown out of pretty much every school she's ever attended, she's managed to get accepted into the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. The ultra-competitive Centre is the world's first, last and only institute for the education and training of time travelers. And before long, it become apparent that it's also got the only time machine in the known universe, as aliens from the planet Choria are keen to get a handle on the technology for their own uses. Chorians know the secret of interstellar travel, humans know the secret of time travel. Both worlds want what the other has, and neither is quite willing to give up its own secrets in an even trade.

Joss, being the anti-establishment type that she is, runs afoul of the Centre's acting director, Professor Camden-Stone, by page 4. Camden-Stone--cut from a long line of sour college deans whose sole mission in life seems to involve extinguishing any small flicker of joy from students' lives--is scant minutes away from booting Joss from the Center when the unexpected happens. Despite all of Camden-Stone's machination and planning, Mavkel, the first Chorian ever accepted into the Centre, chooses Joss to be his time travel training partner. And things, as they say, get interesting from there.

Goodson never really adds anything new to the genre with Dogstar Blues, but rather takes existing tropes, ideas and themes and weaves them together in fresh and interesting ways. That fresh approach only carries Dogstar Blues so far, however. The execution of Joss and Mavkel's unscheduled temporal jaunt reads almost like they're following a flow chart of events from the author's outline, and ultimately echoes Back to the Future too much for its own good. A seemingly pertinent plot point about Joss trying to hack the security system of the super-secure residential complex she's forced to share with Mavkel is abruptly dropped and never pays off for the reader.

In this case, however, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and Singing the Dogstar Blues succeeds in spite of its missteps. As a young adult novel, the narrative never talks down to the reader, which is a good thing. The best young adult works have a universal quality to them, equally accessible to adults and teens. The advantage Goodson has, of course, is that many readers of young adult books will not have yet encountered the time travel tropes and ideas she plays with here, and thus to them, everything is unique and original. For everyone else, she's given us characters to care about in a fast-paced adventure, and it's hard not to pull for Joss even when she walking a path that was well-trodden even 50 years before.
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Jul 18, 2012 Shoshana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, ya

I'm not actually sure why I'm giving this a three instead of a four, except that I'm stingy sometimes, and I have author bias (hence none of Tammy's books getting less than a four, even if they probably deserve it sometimes). Not that I'm biased against Alison Goodman - I really liked Eon and Eona, actually, more than some of my close friends did. But anyway. So it goes. I rate how I want!! Nyah nyah. Maybe it's a 3.5.

That said, I do actually recommend this book. Science fiction YA is rare, and...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Belinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure, really-liked, sci-fi, mystery, ya, reviews

Joss Aaronson is a comp-kid. She came straight from the petri-dish, she has a mum named Ingrid--who's a Thinking Man's Lust-beast and also gets rejuved a lot--,and there's a bloke named Porchi--son of a man named Lenny who she saved from a river's cleaning system--who keeps trying to snork her. And then there are Chorians as well, aliens that didn't actually come from Sirius A, who have advanced space-travelling tech and likes things in pairs.

It's a bit confusing, isn't it? Well, Singing the Dog...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Jenni Ebba rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book when I was a teen and a counselor was trying to help me find a way to calm me.... lets just say I had some problems. Well I picked this book off her shelf and never expected to actually like it. I did and it became the first book I ever read without my parents threatening to ground me (having a teacher call for unfinished school work is so not fun). So I picked it up and ended up staying up all night to finish the book. Thank you Goodman for getting me to read!
The book is about...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Kate McMurry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-science-fiction, young-adult-science-fiction

Young adult science fiction novel with wonderful characters and world building

Joss Aaronson is almost 18 and about to begin studies in time travel at the Centre for Neo-Historical Studies in Melbourne, Australia, circa 2050. She is the child of a sperm donor and a famous, newscaster mother who has had little time for her daughter, whom she sent away to boarding schools starting at age 12. Joss hides a soft heart beneath a cynical, tough, wise-cracking exterior. She tells herself that what's impo...more

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May 31, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult

I picked up Singing the Dogstar Blues, because I loved Eon and Eona. I was also intrigued by the possibility of time travel like Hourglass. More good literature by an author I enjoy. What is not to love?

I won’t say I was disappointed, because I wasn’t. I just wasn’t enthralled as I had hoped to be. With that being said, I enjoyed Goodman’s character development of Joss and Mavkel. They were real, believable characters whom I wanted to see more of.

Joss, a petri-dish kid (comp), and Mavkel, a Chor...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Daniela807 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

First and foremost, THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE!!!! Thus, refreshing.

Goodman's version of Mavkel, the Chorian alien, is just wonderful. "He" is not an alien in a human body, nor anything close to our human selves. It is like two beings within one, which is essential in this novel. Mavkel was not meant to be a romantic interest, and for that I applaud Goodman.

Now, overall, this was a good book. Technically read it all in a day, and felt completely satified at the conclusion. Was this as good as "Eon"...more

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Aug 28, 2010 C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm about halfway through.

The nifty stuff:
Scifi/futeristic young adult novel. Aliens and overtones of cyberpunk. That's a fun blend.

-The main character has a bit of a "Salander's cleverness meets Y.T's ingenuity/pith" flavor to her.
Salander being the neurotic, abused hacker from The Girl w/The Dragon Tattoo, Y.T. being Neil Stephenson's smartalecky lone wolf courier from Snow Crash.

Overall this book feels like a mashup of different styles, characters and overtones. There's a little "Fifth Elem...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aliens, young-adult, time-travel, gender, school, science-fiction, awesome

Another awesome book by Alison Goodman in which she steals some of my ideas! She even uses a name I used in an online game -- Jorel. (Which people kept thinking meant Superman's dad, though it totally isn't! Do you see a hyphen in there?!)

This is like.. a YA time travel school/first contact story. And like, more awesome than the title would lead me to believe. I don't like music in my fiction, as a general rule, and blues and jazz is about the worst.

The main character's name is Joss, which I onl...more

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May 20, 2011 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, sci-fi, ya

3 ½ stars

There are a definitely a few parts of this book that I would give a five star rating to. This book is exciting, irreverent, and fun and I practically inhaled it. Unfortunately it’s one of those cases of “okay…yes…yes…YES!…oh. Eh.” The ending leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. It feels really sheared off and over-simplified. In general, I am (especially lately) very weary of every single book being stretched and stretched as far as possible into long series. However, this is one...more 3 ½ stars

There are a definitely a few parts of this book that I would give a five star rating to. This book is exciting, irreverent, and fun and I practically inhaled it. Unfortunately it’s one of those cases of “okay…yes…yes…YES!…oh. Eh.” The ending leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. It feels really sheared off and over-simplified. In general, I am (especially lately) very weary of every single book being stretched and stretched as far as possible into long series. However, this is one case where I was left wanting much much more.

I love the main character. Joss is subversive and independent and smart (and she plays a mean harmonica). She has been kicked out of twelve boarding schools, but thanks to her mother’s generous “donations” she has been accepted into a prestigious training program for time-travelers (this is the kind of Connie Willis type time travel that’s operated by universities and used for historical research). Earth has a delicate relationship with the Chorians, an alien race that has the ability to communicate telepathically and consists entirely of twin pairs. The Chorians are interested in obtaining the technology for time travel, so they send Mavkel, an outcast singleton alien, to attend the training program. When Mavkel and Joss are paired for training, self-reliant Joss must cope with a partner that is used to constant closeness and sharing, and is grieving for his lost twin.

I really was starting to fall in love with Mavkel too, but I would have liked to see more of him. I am intrigued by the pairing of a misanthropic girl with a vulnerably open alien who comes from a place where the word “secret” has no meaning. I would love to see more Joss/Mavkel adventures…they could travel through history solving crimes and hitting the hippest blues clubs (time travel to the future is never addressed). I would definitely read that!

I do have a few little forewarnings about this book though. For one, it has made up slang, which I know can annoy some readers. But, every word that she has crafted seems very intuitive (like “screte” = shit). It also has some grade A- sci-fi nerdery (A- because the time travel is never really explained). There’s aliens, futuristic gizmos, a science experiment gone horribly right...you get the picture. But there are also elements that I am more familiar with in a contemporary YA novel, like a girl coming to terms with her parents’ abandonment, and a nice little side reference to the AIDS epidemic. And for my friends that prefer their YA’s with more adventure and less romance – this one is for you. There’s absolutely no romance in this book.

Perfect Musical Pairing

Spoon – All I Got is Me

Spoon’s rough, playful sound really reminds me of Joss. I really wanted to have some sort of harmonica reference, but I kept being drawn back to Spoon. I think that this is the kind of music that Joss would like going when she just hangs out. This song is my ode to her loneliness transformed into suspicious self-reliance.
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Sep 01, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-riffic, ya, 2011-reads

This book was really interesting. It's from the perspective of a girl named Joss, who is 17/18 during the course of the book. Though authorities would view her as a touble maker, she's more of an independant spirit, who seems to get caught...a lot. Enough to get kicked out of 12 schools.

She manages to get into an exclusive program involving time jumping, and gets paired with a Chlorian, in a historical first for the world. It seems Chlorians are born in a...we'll call it twinship, and if one die...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Jana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

I particularly enjoyed that Singing the Dogstar Blues is almost romance-free! Although the primary relationship is between a teenage girl and her (sorta) male roommate, theirs is an entirely platonic relationship! When was the last time you got that out of a YA book?

Joss (the protagonist) is a spunky heroine who hangs out with mobsters and has a famous journalist mother and yet isn’t a perfect Mary Sue or even an adorably flawed character or an annoying nitwit. She’s just a realistic and interes...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-and-ya, speculative-fiction, lgbt

(Fifth book/sixth text for the readathon.)

I first came across Alison Goodman in the Firebirds Rising anthology, which included a short story by her set in the world of this novel. So, when I wanted some books to cheer me up, this is one of the ones I ordered -- and when I wanted something lighter once it got to god knows what AM during the readathon, this is what I picked up. It was exactly what I wanted: light but still absorbing, a nice change of pace.

I enjoyed the characters and the world, wh...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: sci-fi/time travel/alien lovers, YA readers

I must say, I didn't have very high expectations for this book (due to a late trend in generally suckish choices in reading) but this one rather sat well with me. It made sense, followed an intriguing plotline, had no real romantic interest at all (YAY!!) and had TIME TRAVEL WITH SINGING ALIENS! Honestly, I don't see how this book couldn't have been interesting!
My only problem would probably be that I struggled to get a grip on the universe throughout the novel. While the characters were well-mo...more

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May 21, 2012 Tricia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-have

I'm sitting here, so surprised that I liked this book that you wouldn't believe it. I picked it up, truly expecting a middle-grade novel about finding a true friend in the form of an alien. Its not.
Instead, Singing the Dogstar Blues is about a young miscreant named Joss, who's attending the time-jumping academy at the expense of her well-to-do and conveniently out-of-the-picture mother. She's also a "comp" or a composite child, made up of cells from her mother and an unknown donor father. She's...more I'm sitting here, so surprised that I liked this book that you wouldn't believe it. I picked it up, truly expecting a middle-grade novel about finding a true friend in the form of an alien. Its not.
Instead, Singing the Dogstar Blues is about a young miscreant named Joss, who's attending the time-jumping academy at the expense of her well-to-do and conveniently out-of-the-picture mother. She's also a "comp" or a composite child, made up of cells from her mother and an unknown donor father. She's chosen as roommate by Mavkel, a young Chorian who was separated from his "pair" or twin. She reluctantly agrees, but it turns out to be a much more challenging assignment than she'd thought. It turns out that Mavkel believes her to be his pair, because of her "resonance." However, she finds herself unable to pair with him, even though she wants to. Mavkel decides that the only way for Joss to pair with him is if she discovers the name of her true father.

Duh duh dah DAHHH! *suspense theme*

Ok, well, it doesn't sound like a cliff-hanger, and it's not. It's a light read for me, but it has the benefit of maintaining good world-building and excitement while not throwing my mind into a muddled world of insaneness.
I liked both the characters of Joss and Mavkel, and their relationship with each other. I think they were very interesting in the way they were... Paired... Yet not romantically entangled.
The length of the book was just right. It was long enough to gain my respect (as any book below 200 pages kind of loses my respect as a story) yet not long enough to overstay its welcome.
What I didn't like.
There was a lot of slang talk that was never explained. It was easy enough to figure out, but I like it better when a writer actually cares enough to tell us what the heck all these things are! Lol.
And, if my translation of the slang was correct, Joss is a verrry naughty girl when it comes to language. This didn't bother me much but its something to keep in mind before reccommending it to family and friends.
Four out of five stars(less)

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Feb 14, 2012 Caitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: time-travel, aliens, aussie, sci-fi, humor, psychics, my-book-reviews

Quick, easy read. The secrets don't take too much guesswork, but the most charming part was the loveable, if overly touchy-feely/sneezy (emotionally) alien. I enjoyed Joss, her sass and drinking habits, but I would have liked faster pacing where the end was actually the middle of the story and we could have seen Mav and Joss develop a bit more independently, and then as a team, or more appropriately, a pair.

My biggest issue was that I couldn't visualize Mav at all. I was told what specific body...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an occasionally cute, quirky book, but the author develops her various themes only half-heartedly. She wants to tie in a musical theme of the blues, but there’s not much there beyond a few references to harmonica brands. She wants to have some fun with the anomalies of time travel, but doesn’t evince the sophistication or skill of Connie Willis in this regard (and to be honest, few writers do!). But perhaps the weakest portion of all is the mystery. The author constructs a caricatured ev...more

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May 06, 2012 Splash Of Our Worlds *Yiota* rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.5 stars

After reading Eon and Eona, i just wanted to read every book by Goodman. So i got Singing the Dogstar Blues even though sci-fi is not my favorite genre to read about. Surprisingly i liked it. The writing was simple and the plot was fast, excited with mystery and action. The idea of minds connecting and the characters were likeable. I only had problem to imagine the aliens. They had 2 of everything which was pretty weird to create the image in my mind, but mostly the fact that they weren...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Rochelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-author, must-read, ya-at-its-best

Actually 4.5/5 stars.

The blurb:
Joss Aaronson has two loves in her life: Playing the blues and training to jump through time.
Then Mavkel, the first alien student on Earth, selects her to be his time-travel partner and Joss’s life gets a lot more complicated. There’s an assassin on campus, an anti-alien lobby group chanting slogans, and Joss is constantly being tracked by the tight security around her friend.

Life with Mavkel is not all that bad, though. Music loving Joss is fascinated by him and...more

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Jan 18, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-scifi-pics

Don't be put off that this book is a little "old" now (published in the - gasp! - '90's, which in YA makes it practically a dinosaur). This sci fi story for young adults is pure brilliance, and a little time hasn't diminished its relevance.

Joss is a university student studying time travel sometime in the future, when her college roommate is a Chorian (alien) named Mavkel. Mav and Joss are a sort of experiment in human/alien living relations for the university. In Mav's culture, everyone has a tw...more Don't be put off that this book is a little "old" now (published in the - gasp! - '90's, which in YA makes it practically a dinosaur). This sci fi story for young adults is pure brilliance, and a little time hasn't diminished its relevance.

Joss is a university student studying time travel sometime in the future, when her college roommate is a Chorian (alien) named Mavkel. Mav and Joss are a sort of experiment in human/alien living relations for the university. In Mav's culture, everyone has a twin whose existence completes their own; Mav's twin has died, and he is left trying to find a way to communicate, since for the Chorians, everything is done through music, a sort of harmonizing speech with their twin. Without a twin, Mav is lost, set adrift in an enormous university with unfamiliar living habits and a lot of unwanted publicity. Meanwhile, sharp-tongued Joss is trying to work on her own identity, not helped by her famous newscaster mother, who used a gene donor to conceive. Joss is caught up with university activists questioning the social value and rank of "naturally" born humans, versus those pre-selected for specific traits via gene donors, and the new addition of aliens in their midst. The question of humanity and conception is especially pertinent as university students consider who is naturally, and artificially, most "gifted" intellectually, and how those strengths are weighted as they compete for opportunities. But when Mav's health begins to decline, Joss has to decide how much she will offer her Chorian roommate to save him.

Goodman has a wicked sense of humor, and the book is full of witty speak (in part via the futuristic cultural slang she develops) and comical situations, mostly centered around Joss and Mav trying to overcome their enormous culture differences to understand each other better. The pacing and action are good, and Mav is absolutely endearing, as is Joss, whose blunt commentary lends a nice twist to otherwise painful and bittersweet scenes. But most notably, the questions of identity and cross-cultural relations are handled deftly and thoughtfully.

My only complaint is why Goodman has never, to my knowledge, written any follow-up books about this world or these characters. The text is ripe with all kinds of possibilities to tell more of the story. Meanwhile, seek out her short story about Joss and Mav in the sci fi anthology Firebirds Rising, for a sweet, funny tale about the two roommates coping with Joss' dating life. Then find Goodman's website and beg her to write more.(less)

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Feb 27, 2009 Hallie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf, ya

Well, I really enjoyed this. I wouldn't say it was a hugely life-enhancing read, nor would I push it on everyone I know (especially not the big SF fans), but the characters were fun, the set-up was quite interesting, and the touch was light. (Scene with the errant 'snot' was a crack-up.) I'd like to see more of Joss and Mav, and definitely want to reread the story in the Firebirds anthology. This is already a bit dated, but in a way that's good, or I'd worry a bit about its reading so much like...more

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Mar 26, 2013 MB rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like YA that doesn't read like YA. This was a very moving book. The main character isn't so sassy and jaded that she's lost her ability to experience real emotions. If the bravado isn't properly balanced, you've just got a ball of snark with no heart. Joss has a tremendous amount of heart.

This books' appeal isn't limited to YA readers, although I'd love for my daughters to read it. Proper character-driven, alien-populated scifi is what it is. With a touch of time travel, just a pinch, for fla...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Tressa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction

I really liked Singing the Dogstar Blues. The story was imaginative. I liked the characters and the society created within the book.

I also enjoyed the inclusion of The Real Thing, which was a short story about Joss and Mav. I admit that I was just settling into the short story and was prepared for further adventures when it ended. I had forgotten it was a short story! Anyway, I hope that there will be more adventures for Joss and Mav in the near future. I look forward to reading more of Alison...more

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Young Adult

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Science Fiction

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Science Fiction > Time Travel

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Young Adult > Teen

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Science Fiction > Aliens

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Fantasy

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Science Fiction Fantasy

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Science Fiction > Dystopia

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Young Adult > Young Adult Science Fiction

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Music

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About Alison Goodman

Alison is the author of EON and EONA, a New York Times Bestselling fantasy duology which has sold into seventeen countries and been translated into ten languages. EON was short-listed for Victorian, NSW, and WA Premier’s Literary awards, and won the 2008 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. It was also listed as an American Library Association Best Young Adult Book (2010), a James Tiptree Jr. Ho...more

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Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)

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Quotes from Singing the Dogstar Blues

“Don't ask any questions and you won't hear any lies.” — 11 people liked it

“Don't say anything. Just act cool," I whispered.
Mavkel started to shiver.
"Like this?" it asked.
"No, I mean act calm."
Mavkel stopped shivering.” — 5 people liked it

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Singing the Dogstar Blues (Singing the Dogstar Blues)

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