Laika - Nick Abadzis

I should know better than to read a book with a dog on the cover. Or an animal of any kind. This always means tears, lots of them. But I remembered reading Alyce's review of this graphic novel, and on a library/graphic novel spree of gluttony, I grabbed it on impulse.

Everyone in my house knows the story of Laika, being animal lovers that we are. The Russian street dog that became a hero overnight, as a result of his one-way trip to space on Sputnik 2, a rushed mission to prove to the world that Russia reigned supreme in the field of space exploration.

Nick Abadzis diligently researched Laika's story, added his own interpretations, and the result was this heart-wrenching story of a dog that will forever be remembered.

Synopsis: Korolev was once a political prisoner in a Siberian gulag, now an engineer for the Soviet Space Program. He is a "man of destiny", and was saved from frostbite and starvation by the barking of a dog. He has been charged with making history by sending Russian orbital vehicle in space before the Americans.

Yelena is a soft-hearted animal handler for the dogs that are test-subjects for the space program. She is attached to the animals, and often can even imagine their thoughts, and is deeply distressed by their ultimate fate.

Laika is a scruffy but high-spirited dog who was once an abused pet, then a stray, and finally one of the test subjects for the Sputnik program. He was identified as a resilient and good-natured animal, and was sent into space knowing he would not return to earth alive.

This graphic novel weaves the stories of these three characters into a part fiction, part non-fiction account of Laika's legacy.

My thoughts: In almost every book I read, somebody dies and I just tool along like it is expected. An innocent dog dies, for the sake of Russian glory, and I fall apart. I would dare you to read this one, even knowing the ending, and not shed a tear or two.

The illustrations are not necessarily outstanding, but what sets this graphic novel apart from the rest is the emotion that is rendered. When Abadzis provides the thoughts of Laika and her other test subjects, or repeats various phrases like "Good dog", "Don't worry" or "You can trust me", I thought my heart would break into a million pieces. Never mind that this is the poetic license that Abadzis adds to the facts of the true story, it resonates as completely believable.

Abadzis also delves into the personal histories of the main characters of Korolev, Yelena and Laika, which gives the story some depth, something most people might think is impossible for a graphic novel. Korolev wasn't just a task-master dooming a dog to death, he was a man who had nearly died in Siberia, had a strong will to survive, and had a soft spot for canines. It was hard to be angry at him. Laika's life as an abused stray, in one situation was dumped into the river by a former owner, tested my desire to finish the book. But I'm glad I did. Laika's story deserves to be told. Good dog.

4.5 out of 5 stars