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Watchdog
Thirteen-year-old twins Vick and Tara have built an incredible machine--a loyal robotic watchdog named Daisy. But, when local crime boss Ms. Alba schemes to add Daisy to her robot army, Vick and Tara must go to great lengths to protect their prized pet. Because Daisy is more than just any robot--she's their constant protector, and together the three make a great team.
Vick and Tara are determined to stop the mob from tearing their little family apart. And they might just succeed! Sure, the evil Ms. Alba has more robot watchdogs, but none are as smart--or as faithful--as their Daisy. Plus, if things get too dangerous, Tara could always upgrade their pet. With her mechanical skills, she could make Daisy bigger, stronger, and a lot more intimidating!
Vick and Tara are determined to stop the mob from tearing their little family apart. And they might just succeed! Sure, the evil Ms. Alba has more robot watchdogs, but none are as smart--or as faithful--as their Daisy. Plus, if things get too dangerous, Tara could always upgrade their pet. With her mechanical skills, she could make Daisy bigger, stronger, and a lot more intimidating!
185 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2017
49 people are currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Will McIntosh
79 books449 followersWill McIntosh is a Hugo Award-winning science fiction author, and a winner or finalist of many other awards. His alien invasion novel Defenders, is currently optioned for a feature film, while his Middle Grades novel The Classmate has been optioned for a TV series by Disney/ABC.
Along with ten novels that have been translated into nine different languages, Will has published over sixty short stories in magazines such as Asimov's Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, and Lightspeed.
Will was a psychology professor before turning to writing full time. He lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, and is the father of twins. You can follow him on Twitter @willmcintoshSF.
Along with ten novels that have been translated into nine different languages, Will has published over sixty short stories in magazines such as Asimov's Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, and Lightspeed.
Will was a psychology professor before turning to writing full time. He lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, and is the father of twins. You can follow him on Twitter @willmcintoshSF.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
February 9, 2020
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/02/04/...
I’m a big fan of Will McIntosh and I’ve had Watchdog on my radar for quite some time, though it wasn’t until the release of the audiobook version this month that I finally got to check it out. This being a middle grade novel, it was a quick listen, and the fact that it was also packed with tons of kid-friendly action and a featured an adorable robotic watchdog certainly didn’t hurt.
Vick and Tara are our story’s protagonists, thirteen-year-old twins who were left to fend for themselves in a harsh and unforgiving world after their mom died. Tara is also autistic, and her brother is the only one who understands her struggle with emotions and knows how to help. The two of them live out of a makeshift shelter on the streets, barely surviving off what little they can make from salvaging at the local junkyard. Tara likes to build things and has a talent for figuring out how robots work, so she helps Vick figure out which useful tech parts they can sell. The pair of them are also always accompanied by their small robotic dog, Daisy, which Tara had cobbled together from the odds and ends left over from their trips to the scrapyard.
Then one day, during one of their salvaging sessions, Tara discovers a mysterious component which appears to have been discarded by mistake. Once installed into Daisy, it enabled her to do incredible things that shouldn’t be possible. Unfortunately, this soon draws the attention local crime boss Ms. Alba, who now wants Daisy for herself, sending her goons after Vick and Tara after they refuse to deal with her. Thankfully though, the siblings are very resourceful, and Daisy is far from helpless with Tara’s new upgrades, allowing the little robotic pet to rival the strength and ferocity of Ms. Alba’s own expensive, weapons-grade watchdogs.
Whenever I read Middle Grade, I always have to keep in mind a few things. First of all, the writing and the stories are geared towards children, so you can’t have themes that are too dark or violent, and second, you also can’t load the book up with exposition and too much description or else you end up boring your audience. So that’s sort of where we are with Watchdog, which is understandably less complex than McIntosh’s other work, with world-building and characters that aren’t quite as developed. Still, there’s one more thing that I try to do when I read MG, and that’s putting myself in a kid’s shoes. In this case, I ask myself would a ten-year-old be completely enthralled and entertained while reading this novel? The answer, I think, is yes.
For one thing, readers interested in technology and robotics will find the concept of watchdogs entirely fascinating. The term is really just a catch-all for any kind of robot companion, because in reality watchdogs can be any shape and size, though many owners prefer to model them after animals. They’re also fully customizable, with some folks willing to pay big bucks to fit their robotic pets with high-tech modifications which would allow them to better serve their functions, turning them into effective killing machines. Still, if there’s one thing that a watchdog can’t do, it’s to think for themselves—and that little tidbit is what leads to the crux of the novel.
I also mentioned earlier that the book’s age category keeps it from getting too dark, but at the same time, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops either. Vick and Tara have it pretty rough, orphaned and living alone on the streets of a dystopian Chicago. Their part of town is run by the mob, and at one point they even escape a sweat shop-like factory, narrowly avoiding being sold into indentured servitude. Tara’s character also has autism, and Vick is under the intense pressure to keep them both safe. There are times when his frustration with his sister makes itself known, but there’s also no doubt the two siblings are fiercely loyal to each other. McIntosh portrays Tara’s disability in a compassionate way, acknowledging that it causes her a lot of difficulty, but at the same time, autism doesn’t define her. The message of this novel is simply the importance of family, and at the core of it is a story about a brother and sister who love and protect each other.
All told, I think Watchdog would be great for all readers, though its intended audience—ages 10 to 12 or so—would probably get the most out of it. It’s an adorable story with a solid mix of adventure and sci-fi dystopian goodness, not to mention plenty of action, humor, and heart.
Audiobook Comments: I enjoyed the narration by James Fouhey, who read Watchdog in expressive and animated tones that were perfect for the audiobook. It was an enjoyable listen.
I’m a big fan of Will McIntosh and I’ve had Watchdog on my radar for quite some time, though it wasn’t until the release of the audiobook version this month that I finally got to check it out. This being a middle grade novel, it was a quick listen, and the fact that it was also packed with tons of kid-friendly action and a featured an adorable robotic watchdog certainly didn’t hurt.
Vick and Tara are our story’s protagonists, thirteen-year-old twins who were left to fend for themselves in a harsh and unforgiving world after their mom died. Tara is also autistic, and her brother is the only one who understands her struggle with emotions and knows how to help. The two of them live out of a makeshift shelter on the streets, barely surviving off what little they can make from salvaging at the local junkyard. Tara likes to build things and has a talent for figuring out how robots work, so she helps Vick figure out which useful tech parts they can sell. The pair of them are also always accompanied by their small robotic dog, Daisy, which Tara had cobbled together from the odds and ends left over from their trips to the scrapyard.
Then one day, during one of their salvaging sessions, Tara discovers a mysterious component which appears to have been discarded by mistake. Once installed into Daisy, it enabled her to do incredible things that shouldn’t be possible. Unfortunately, this soon draws the attention local crime boss Ms. Alba, who now wants Daisy for herself, sending her goons after Vick and Tara after they refuse to deal with her. Thankfully though, the siblings are very resourceful, and Daisy is far from helpless with Tara’s new upgrades, allowing the little robotic pet to rival the strength and ferocity of Ms. Alba’s own expensive, weapons-grade watchdogs.
Whenever I read Middle Grade, I always have to keep in mind a few things. First of all, the writing and the stories are geared towards children, so you can’t have themes that are too dark or violent, and second, you also can’t load the book up with exposition and too much description or else you end up boring your audience. So that’s sort of where we are with Watchdog, which is understandably less complex than McIntosh’s other work, with world-building and characters that aren’t quite as developed. Still, there’s one more thing that I try to do when I read MG, and that’s putting myself in a kid’s shoes. In this case, I ask myself would a ten-year-old be completely enthralled and entertained while reading this novel? The answer, I think, is yes.
For one thing, readers interested in technology and robotics will find the concept of watchdogs entirely fascinating. The term is really just a catch-all for any kind of robot companion, because in reality watchdogs can be any shape and size, though many owners prefer to model them after animals. They’re also fully customizable, with some folks willing to pay big bucks to fit their robotic pets with high-tech modifications which would allow them to better serve their functions, turning them into effective killing machines. Still, if there’s one thing that a watchdog can’t do, it’s to think for themselves—and that little tidbit is what leads to the crux of the novel.
I also mentioned earlier that the book’s age category keeps it from getting too dark, but at the same time, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops either. Vick and Tara have it pretty rough, orphaned and living alone on the streets of a dystopian Chicago. Their part of town is run by the mob, and at one point they even escape a sweat shop-like factory, narrowly avoiding being sold into indentured servitude. Tara’s character also has autism, and Vick is under the intense pressure to keep them both safe. There are times when his frustration with his sister makes itself known, but there’s also no doubt the two siblings are fiercely loyal to each other. McIntosh portrays Tara’s disability in a compassionate way, acknowledging that it causes her a lot of difficulty, but at the same time, autism doesn’t define her. The message of this novel is simply the importance of family, and at the core of it is a story about a brother and sister who love and protect each other.
All told, I think Watchdog would be great for all readers, though its intended audience—ages 10 to 12 or so—would probably get the most out of it. It’s an adorable story with a solid mix of adventure and sci-fi dystopian goodness, not to mention plenty of action, humor, and heart.
Audiobook Comments: I enjoyed the narration by James Fouhey, who read Watchdog in expressive and animated tones that were perfect for the audiobook. It was an enjoyable listen.
January 24, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! This be me eighth novel by Will McIntosh and it was exactly what I wanted - fun! This story follows twins named Vick and Tara who are homeless and living on the edge. They are surviving because of their abilities with regards to technology. Tara is an engineering whiz and Vick is great at scavenging the parts she needs. But when Tara builds a small watchdog named Daisy, the twins come under the notice of a local crime boss. Can Tara and Vick keep their freedom?
This was a fantastic read for me. Normally I would want the sci-fi or plot to be a bit more realistic. With this middle-grade, I just wanted a good time. I loved the relationship between the twins. I loved Daisy. I loved watching the bad guys lose. I enjoyed the friends made and the escapades they had. I thought that Tara's autism was dealt with compassionately. And I thought the ending was a hoot even though I don't think most kids would understand the concepts used in it.
The small negatives are that the bad lady is very one-dimensional and the children make some less than moral choices. I also would have liked more robots. However, these are small issues as the book otherwise completely fit me mood.
I can't want to read more by this author. Luckily, I still have one novel and four novellas to read by the author. Arrrr!
This was a fantastic read for me. Normally I would want the sci-fi or plot to be a bit more realistic. With this middle-grade, I just wanted a good time. I loved the relationship between the twins. I loved Daisy. I loved watching the bad guys lose. I enjoyed the friends made and the escapades they had. I thought that Tara's autism was dealt with compassionately. And I thought the ending was a hoot even though I don't think most kids would understand the concepts used in it.
The small negatives are that the bad lady is very one-dimensional and the children make some less than moral choices. I also would have liked more robots. However, these are small issues as the book otherwise completely fit me mood.
I can't want to read more by this author. Luckily, I still have one novel and four novellas to read by the author. Arrrr!
July 2, 2019
Will McIntosh's "Watchdog" is dystopia, sci fi for the middle grade reader. It is definitely not as dark as Hunger Games, the Testing, Maze Runner, etc., but it clearly has the hallmarks of dystopian with its future society that is definitively divided into the haves and have nots with a cruel ruling faction seeking to control others. The sci-fi aspect comes from the plethora of robots that exist to serve serve humans, whether it be as a household "bot" to do chores, an industrial unit that performs the tasks typically handled by so the so-called blue collar worker, or protection and/or military devices. Vick and Tara, the book's parentless brother-sister main characters, have found a microchip that makes Tara's robotic creation named Daisy into a way more advanced, thinking and processing robot that allows them to see a possible way out of the homeless state that they are now in. But Ms Alba, the central villain, wants the chip and will stop at nothing to get it from Tara and Vick. The expository section of the book goes very quickly, but the rising action plodded some, which almost caused me to give the book a 3 star rating, however, the climax and resolution portions more than made up for that bit of slowness. Professional reviews seem to be unhappy with the "whiteness" of the book's characters, but I went back and searched and cannot find anywhere that Tara and Vick are described in a way that indicates Caucasian. Ms. Alba is clearly defined as Asian; East, an important supporting character, is called "dark-skinned" having a "halo of curls" around her face, and two other key characters. Rando and Torch, are specified as "a black guy" and a "white guy with dreadlocks," so McIntosh is fairly inclusive in his cast of characters. In addition to being racially diverse, Tara is a brilliant electronics designer and is also on the autism spectrum, although her manifestations of the disorder are very different from students I have known over the years. Readers in grades 5-8 who enjoy action-adventure and sci-fi are the likely targets for this book and I recommend it for libraries with fans of these genres and/or promote the Texas Bluebonnet nominees. The author keeps this work free of profanity and sexual content and the violence is almost entirely robot on robot action...and lots of it!
November 12, 2017
Cool story about robots and family love. I really like how the characters dealt with the autism.
October 19, 2017
The author is someone I follow, and has yet to have a book that has let me down. And this one is another good one. Watchdog is a fairly dark middle grade semi-post apocalyptic book. Sure there are plot holes but it's a fast read with cool ideas and interesting characters and worth it action. This book is somewhat simplified compared to the others, and the characters are a bit younger. But it doesn't make the mistake of talking down to the reader. But a book where basically all the kids are on their own because their relatives abandoned them and society doesn't care, might be a little hard for most young readers to take.
August 23, 2018
Fast, exciting, middle-grade read. No deep thoughts here, but I think my reluctant readers will like it. Will be putting it on my next library order.
September 16, 2022
Amazing book!!
September 16, 2022
My 10 year old loved this book and asked for more. He wants it to be a series. Original plot and great writing, very imaginative.
January 6, 2018
Vick and Tara's watchdog Daisy make them feel safe on the streets of a pretty grim future Chicago . . . until she's the reason they are targeted by a local crime boss.
January 26, 2018
Watchdog is a fun book I know you're going to love, Esteemed Reader, so feel free to skip this review and just go get yourself a copy if you like (it will save time). My review is as follows: This book is swell. Here's a blurb for Delacorte Books for Young Readers (feel free to put this on the jacket going forward at no charge):
"This book has robots in it. I like robots. Will McIntosh's name reminds me of a McMuffin. That sounds so good right now. I'm going to go eat one." --Middle Grade Ninja
Now that we've dispensed with that review business and progressed my booming empire of book blurbs, we can move on to our true purpose which is to discuss craft elements we can apply to our own writing (I'm assuming y'all are writing about middle grade autistic robot inventors as well). The first thing I have for you this week, Esteemed Reader, is to note the way in which McIntosh introduces genre up front in chapter one (remembering there was no way for him to guarantee there would be a robotic dog on the cover):
Tara was nowhere in sight. Huffing, Vick trudged around the base of the mound he was working on, arms spread to aid his balance as his feet sank into the trash.
She was sitting on a filthy mattress on the opposite side of the mound, waving off the flies and laughing as she watched a TV show on a decrepit handheld with a missing back panel. Vick had no clue how she’d gotten it working, but it didn’t surprise him. Wild audience laughter drifted from the handheld. Vick guessed she was watching Boffo, a reality show where people gave domestic robots tricky orders so the robots would do the wrong things and look stupid. It was one of her favorite shows.
This is the very definition of show, don't tell. The description of the trash and the broken television tells us our heroes are living in a not great situation by showing us that situation. The television program introduces a central concept of the book: this a world in which advanced robots live among people and they're so commonplace that there's a TV show about tricking them. In a decade, maybe less, this might no longer be a giveaway of the type of story we can expect as we'll all be living in such a world, but in 2018 this is still Sci-Fi territory.
Pro-tip: If a writer ever takes the time to tell us what's on a character's television/radio/internet/holocomputer/etc, it's a good bet we're about to be introduced to some vital exposition, either because present characters don't know the information and need to learn it, or because it's a faster way for the reader to learn something. In both my zombie stories, characters get vital information from the TV. If you're a reading a writer who describes what's on a fictional television and the content of the program has no bearing on the story you're reading, that writer is an amateur and you should put their book down.
McIntosh (God, I want a McMuffin) applies this same skill when it comes to introducing our characters. Witness how he describes Tara while simultaneously telling us information about Vick and setting the parameters of their relationship:
From his angle, her profile was hidden by her dirty-blond hair (with the emphasis on dirty). Every morning he tied it back with a rubber band to try to keep it clean, and within an hour she took it out. She was so small she could pass for a seven-year-old. With the difference in their sizes, and Vick’s dark hair and Tara’s light, no one could believe they were twins.
Behold how he conveys the age of our protagonists in a manner that's relevant to the situation and the story and which provides additional crucial exposition:
Thirteen was a bad age to be homeless. Not young and cute enough for pity, but not old enough to hold their ground against grown-ups.
Unlike certain books about giant robot bees you might read and not even realize the title character is on the autism spectrum until you read the sequel (or the author's blog), Watchdog puts the autism of its main character on main street. If you're looking for a book specifically dealing with autism while also being about a charming and engaging story (and the reader in question is too young for Gone), Watchdog is a great book for this purpose.
I'd happily hand a copy to anyone who's either on the spectrum or in contact with someone who is (and probably you are even if you're unaware of it). The Ninja himself hums tunelessly and possesses many other spectrum traits. Tara is a wonderfully sympathetic hero who succeeds not just despite, but perhaps because of her autism. Tara's brain works differently, which is good. Vick and Tara (and Daisy, who we'll talk about in a minute) need a brain that works differently to get them out of their present situation.
A sudden wave of homesickness mixed with sympathy for Tara nearly doubled Vick over. He squeezed his eyes shut until it passed. As much as it ever passed. Routine and sameness were so important for Tara—a classic symptom of autism. “It won’t be exactly the same as home, Tara. But it’ll be nice. You can have your own room.”
Tara just stood there, arms dangling at her sides, gazing off to Vick’s right. A cloud of flies buzzed around her head. A few landed on the corners of her mouth.
“Please help me. Dig. You’re the one who knows what we’re looking for. What we can sell.”
“Okay. I’m sorry.” She knelt where she was and picked at the trash, moving it a piece at a time. The little robot sat beside her, wagging its rat tail.
“I know it’s disgusting. I hate it, too.”
“You can go away now. You’re bothering me,” Tara said.
Vick sighed as he turned away. You never had to guess with Tara; she always gave it to you straight. He headed back to his spot. Behind him Tara began humming tunelessly.
As they settled into the trash, Tara pressed close to Vick. Mom had told him most kids with autism didn’t like to be touched or held. Not Tara. When she was scared she went overboard the other way, pretty much climbing into your lap and squeezing you until you couldn’t breathe.
So, what is a watchdog anyway? I could give you my less good definition, or I could just let McIntosh do it:
“I love watchdogs.” Tara reached up and set her hand between the thing’s shoulder blades, which rose and fell like levers as it walked. It didn’t seem to notice. People called them watchdogs, but you could build them to look like anything—a tiger, a spider, a velociraptor—or they could resemble nothing at all. This one looked like a cross between a pit bull and a four-legged T. rex. It had an oversized head, with dozens of silver fangs bristling inside massive jaws. The body was squat and powerful, the hind legs shorter than the front ones.
One look at it was enough to know it was designed to be a fighter. It was technically illegal to create a robot designed to kill, but it was a gray area. Even a domestic robot could crush someone’s windpipe, and it was hard to know what a robot could do just by looking at it. As long as you didn’t outfit one with an automatic weapon you could probably get away with anything, especially in bad areas like this one. Police rarely ventured into this neighborhood anymore, and when they did they definitely had no interest in tangling with a watchdog.
Here's another pro-tip: if you introduce any fictional thing, such as a robot dog, readers want to know about the most interesting version of that fictional thing. Viewers don't care about all the Nova robots who weren't struck by lightning. They care about the fifth one. Why? Because number five is alive.
And if you aren't old enough to catch those references, then good for you. Nothing makes me feel older than remembering that within my lifetime there was a mainstream movie that involved a white actor darkening his skin and taking on racial stereotypes for laughs (and not nearly enough people thought it was weird until later as evidenced by an equally successful sequel). But my horror in learning that some of my favorite things from childhood are marred by racism is the subject of another post.
There are many watchdogs in Watchdog, but the one we most care about is Daisy. Why? Because thanks to Tara's brilliant inventing, Daisy has become sentient. So much so that she's able to reinvent herself and other robots, which is a terrifying concept, but lucky for middle grade readers, Daisy is friendly and fiercely loyal to her humans. Daisy starts out small and relatively harmless, but she doesn't stay that way for long.
Vick couldn’t quite believe this little robot was helping design her own new body. Robots didn’t design. A high-end domestic robot couldn’t decide what brand of coffee to buy unless you told it exactly. It would stand in the coffee section of the supermarket for eternity, trapped in a decision-loop.
Eventually, Tara's talents are discovered by Ms. Alba, who wants to take the twins off the streets and provide them with a job designing robots, which is good. Unfortunately, Ms. Alba is a sinister crime lord not unlike Oliver Twist's Fagin, which is bad. In no time, the kids are involved in multiple chases and futuristic battles with robots, which is what we all came to read in the first place.
McIntosh's story is fast-past and never gets bogged down with too many details. Watchdog is less concerned with the intricacies of robotic-human integration and crime life (although there are unavoidable parallels in the story to America's current blight of extreme economic inequality), and more concerned with robot fights. This book is a lot of fun and would make a great movie. I enjoyed this story and I have no doubt you will as well.
And that's where we'll leave it except for one thing. You regular Esteemed Readers know how much I love it when writers get all writer-ly in their books. I never can resist drawing attention to it. But I mean, McIntosh, or at least, his character, isn't wrong:
Mom hadn’t graduated from high school, but she’d always pushed them to do “smart” things—visit museums, see plays instead of movies. She loved trashy romance books, but her rule for herself was she had to read one classic—Moby-Dick or Jane Eyre—for every trashy romance she read. No matter how boring the book turned out to be, she read every word.
Make sure you come back Wednesday for the interview. As always, I'll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Watchdog:
Tara rose and trudged toward him, her pet robot hopping along at her heels looking like a cross between a big rat and a rag doll, its cobbled-together parts all mismatched, its face nothing but a snout and eyes on scuffed silver metal.
It was almost dark, and the last sun rays gave the unlit lights down West Huron Street a glow, a reminder of when Vick was a little kid, before the economy crashed and everything turned bad. Bad in the poor neighborhoods, anyway. The lights were still shining in the wealthy neighborhoods on the north side.
His entire life seemed like a slow-motion fall down a flight of stairs.
They’d only been able to take what they could carry, and mostly that was stuff Tara insisted she couldn’t live without. Things like her plastic toy robot collection and the Disney Purple Girls shirt that hadn’t fit since she was four. He’d been stupid to let her load them up with so much junk when they could have been carrying food and medicine, but he’d been so sure this was temporary, that some adult was going to swoop in to save them. He hadn’t realized that when things got bad, when there weren’t enough jobs and people were hungry, adults only took care of their own kids.
“You need to talk to your sister. If she gives them grief, they’re going to make her life miserable. Yours, too.”
Talk to his sister. If things had been different, he might have laughed at that. “She’s autistic. When she gets like that, it’s like a switch was flipped in her head. She can’t help it. You might as well tell the wind not to blow.”
"This book has robots in it. I like robots. Will McIntosh's name reminds me of a McMuffin. That sounds so good right now. I'm going to go eat one." --Middle Grade Ninja
Now that we've dispensed with that review business and progressed my booming empire of book blurbs, we can move on to our true purpose which is to discuss craft elements we can apply to our own writing (I'm assuming y'all are writing about middle grade autistic robot inventors as well). The first thing I have for you this week, Esteemed Reader, is to note the way in which McIntosh introduces genre up front in chapter one (remembering there was no way for him to guarantee there would be a robotic dog on the cover):
Tara was nowhere in sight. Huffing, Vick trudged around the base of the mound he was working on, arms spread to aid his balance as his feet sank into the trash.
She was sitting on a filthy mattress on the opposite side of the mound, waving off the flies and laughing as she watched a TV show on a decrepit handheld with a missing back panel. Vick had no clue how she’d gotten it working, but it didn’t surprise him. Wild audience laughter drifted from the handheld. Vick guessed she was watching Boffo, a reality show where people gave domestic robots tricky orders so the robots would do the wrong things and look stupid. It was one of her favorite shows.
This is the very definition of show, don't tell. The description of the trash and the broken television tells us our heroes are living in a not great situation by showing us that situation. The television program introduces a central concept of the book: this a world in which advanced robots live among people and they're so commonplace that there's a TV show about tricking them. In a decade, maybe less, this might no longer be a giveaway of the type of story we can expect as we'll all be living in such a world, but in 2018 this is still Sci-Fi territory.
Pro-tip: If a writer ever takes the time to tell us what's on a character's television/radio/internet/holocomputer/etc, it's a good bet we're about to be introduced to some vital exposition, either because present characters don't know the information and need to learn it, or because it's a faster way for the reader to learn something. In both my zombie stories, characters get vital information from the TV. If you're a reading a writer who describes what's on a fictional television and the content of the program has no bearing on the story you're reading, that writer is an amateur and you should put their book down.
McIntosh (God, I want a McMuffin) applies this same skill when it comes to introducing our characters. Witness how he describes Tara while simultaneously telling us information about Vick and setting the parameters of their relationship:
From his angle, her profile was hidden by her dirty-blond hair (with the emphasis on dirty). Every morning he tied it back with a rubber band to try to keep it clean, and within an hour she took it out. She was so small she could pass for a seven-year-old. With the difference in their sizes, and Vick’s dark hair and Tara’s light, no one could believe they were twins.
Behold how he conveys the age of our protagonists in a manner that's relevant to the situation and the story and which provides additional crucial exposition:
Thirteen was a bad age to be homeless. Not young and cute enough for pity, but not old enough to hold their ground against grown-ups.
Unlike certain books about giant robot bees you might read and not even realize the title character is on the autism spectrum until you read the sequel (or the author's blog), Watchdog puts the autism of its main character on main street. If you're looking for a book specifically dealing with autism while also being about a charming and engaging story (and the reader in question is too young for Gone), Watchdog is a great book for this purpose.
I'd happily hand a copy to anyone who's either on the spectrum or in contact with someone who is (and probably you are even if you're unaware of it). The Ninja himself hums tunelessly and possesses many other spectrum traits. Tara is a wonderfully sympathetic hero who succeeds not just despite, but perhaps because of her autism. Tara's brain works differently, which is good. Vick and Tara (and Daisy, who we'll talk about in a minute) need a brain that works differently to get them out of their present situation.
A sudden wave of homesickness mixed with sympathy for Tara nearly doubled Vick over. He squeezed his eyes shut until it passed. As much as it ever passed. Routine and sameness were so important for Tara—a classic symptom of autism. “It won’t be exactly the same as home, Tara. But it’ll be nice. You can have your own room.”
Tara just stood there, arms dangling at her sides, gazing off to Vick’s right. A cloud of flies buzzed around her head. A few landed on the corners of her mouth.
“Please help me. Dig. You’re the one who knows what we’re looking for. What we can sell.”
“Okay. I’m sorry.” She knelt where she was and picked at the trash, moving it a piece at a time. The little robot sat beside her, wagging its rat tail.
“I know it’s disgusting. I hate it, too.”
“You can go away now. You’re bothering me,” Tara said.
Vick sighed as he turned away. You never had to guess with Tara; she always gave it to you straight. He headed back to his spot. Behind him Tara began humming tunelessly.
As they settled into the trash, Tara pressed close to Vick. Mom had told him most kids with autism didn’t like to be touched or held. Not Tara. When she was scared she went overboard the other way, pretty much climbing into your lap and squeezing you until you couldn’t breathe.
So, what is a watchdog anyway? I could give you my less good definition, or I could just let McIntosh do it:
“I love watchdogs.” Tara reached up and set her hand between the thing’s shoulder blades, which rose and fell like levers as it walked. It didn’t seem to notice. People called them watchdogs, but you could build them to look like anything—a tiger, a spider, a velociraptor—or they could resemble nothing at all. This one looked like a cross between a pit bull and a four-legged T. rex. It had an oversized head, with dozens of silver fangs bristling inside massive jaws. The body was squat and powerful, the hind legs shorter than the front ones.
One look at it was enough to know it was designed to be a fighter. It was technically illegal to create a robot designed to kill, but it was a gray area. Even a domestic robot could crush someone’s windpipe, and it was hard to know what a robot could do just by looking at it. As long as you didn’t outfit one with an automatic weapon you could probably get away with anything, especially in bad areas like this one. Police rarely ventured into this neighborhood anymore, and when they did they definitely had no interest in tangling with a watchdog.
Here's another pro-tip: if you introduce any fictional thing, such as a robot dog, readers want to know about the most interesting version of that fictional thing. Viewers don't care about all the Nova robots who weren't struck by lightning. They care about the fifth one. Why? Because number five is alive.
And if you aren't old enough to catch those references, then good for you. Nothing makes me feel older than remembering that within my lifetime there was a mainstream movie that involved a white actor darkening his skin and taking on racial stereotypes for laughs (and not nearly enough people thought it was weird until later as evidenced by an equally successful sequel). But my horror in learning that some of my favorite things from childhood are marred by racism is the subject of another post.
There are many watchdogs in Watchdog, but the one we most care about is Daisy. Why? Because thanks to Tara's brilliant inventing, Daisy has become sentient. So much so that she's able to reinvent herself and other robots, which is a terrifying concept, but lucky for middle grade readers, Daisy is friendly and fiercely loyal to her humans. Daisy starts out small and relatively harmless, but she doesn't stay that way for long.
Vick couldn’t quite believe this little robot was helping design her own new body. Robots didn’t design. A high-end domestic robot couldn’t decide what brand of coffee to buy unless you told it exactly. It would stand in the coffee section of the supermarket for eternity, trapped in a decision-loop.
Eventually, Tara's talents are discovered by Ms. Alba, who wants to take the twins off the streets and provide them with a job designing robots, which is good. Unfortunately, Ms. Alba is a sinister crime lord not unlike Oliver Twist's Fagin, which is bad. In no time, the kids are involved in multiple chases and futuristic battles with robots, which is what we all came to read in the first place.
McIntosh's story is fast-past and never gets bogged down with too many details. Watchdog is less concerned with the intricacies of robotic-human integration and crime life (although there are unavoidable parallels in the story to America's current blight of extreme economic inequality), and more concerned with robot fights. This book is a lot of fun and would make a great movie. I enjoyed this story and I have no doubt you will as well.
And that's where we'll leave it except for one thing. You regular Esteemed Readers know how much I love it when writers get all writer-ly in their books. I never can resist drawing attention to it. But I mean, McIntosh, or at least, his character, isn't wrong:
Mom hadn’t graduated from high school, but she’d always pushed them to do “smart” things—visit museums, see plays instead of movies. She loved trashy romance books, but her rule for herself was she had to read one classic—Moby-Dick or Jane Eyre—for every trashy romance she read. No matter how boring the book turned out to be, she read every word.
Make sure you come back Wednesday for the interview. As always, I'll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Watchdog:
Tara rose and trudged toward him, her pet robot hopping along at her heels looking like a cross between a big rat and a rag doll, its cobbled-together parts all mismatched, its face nothing but a snout and eyes on scuffed silver metal.
It was almost dark, and the last sun rays gave the unlit lights down West Huron Street a glow, a reminder of when Vick was a little kid, before the economy crashed and everything turned bad. Bad in the poor neighborhoods, anyway. The lights were still shining in the wealthy neighborhoods on the north side.
His entire life seemed like a slow-motion fall down a flight of stairs.
They’d only been able to take what they could carry, and mostly that was stuff Tara insisted she couldn’t live without. Things like her plastic toy robot collection and the Disney Purple Girls shirt that hadn’t fit since she was four. He’d been stupid to let her load them up with so much junk when they could have been carrying food and medicine, but he’d been so sure this was temporary, that some adult was going to swoop in to save them. He hadn’t realized that when things got bad, when there weren’t enough jobs and people were hungry, adults only took care of their own kids.
“You need to talk to your sister. If she gives them grief, they’re going to make her life miserable. Yours, too.”
Talk to his sister. If things had been different, he might have laughed at that. “She’s autistic. When she gets like that, it’s like a switch was flipped in her head. She can’t help it. You might as well tell the wind not to blow.”
November 10, 2019
4 1/2 stars. I really liked this book for middle grade. It was exciting enough for an adult to enjoy, even with the kid elements. The human parts - autism, homelessness, caring for a sibling, food scarcity are all relevant to today’s issues.
January 15, 2020
My 11 year old read this as part of his AR reading goal this year and he really enjoyed it.
November 23, 2025
Enjoyable middle grade sci-fi read, more a 3.5. This one got my attention at the library checkout line on a display highlighting books about those facing homelessness. I couldn’t resist the dystopian setting where homeless orphan twins, one of whom has a diagnosis of autism, survive by building robots from parts they find in garbage.
October 23, 2017
Watchdog, by Will McIntosh - A fun, action-packed, read!
Will McIntosh’s Watchdog is set in the slums of Chicago, where hungry children scramble over heaps of rotting garbage for something to pawn. It serves up an ugly near-futuristic view from the perspective of orphaned thirteen-year-old Vick, saddled too young with the responsibility for his autistic twin sister. Interest in the disorder is at an all-time high, and his struggle to keep Tara safe while dealing with the complexities of her autism was both entertaining and thought-provoking. Vick’s fierce, unforgiving anger toward the bullies who scared his crying sister rang true, as did his grudging acceptance when he discovered some assumptions were wrong.
The author gives us two unlikely heroes, fraternal twins both physically weak but with unseen strengths. Tara is small and looks half her age but is a genius with electronics. Her twin brother suffers from severe asthma attacks, but Vick is a natural leader with his own genius for survival. McIntosh pits their very existence against the mindless violence of underground robotic watchdogs, horrific mechanical creations being designed as specific weaponry by a crime lord.
Described as a nightmarish version of robotic animals, the watchdogs are only mechanical…until Tara finds a stolen military microchip. She modifies her own small robot pet, Daisy, who springs to life, literally, as a fully realized soldier capable of collecting and analyzing data, constructing and modifying her own mechanical body, and updates strategies based upon new intel. So far, she hasn’t spoken but as a reader I feel hopeful that ability will be forthcoming.
I enjoyed the book very much, but I rather reluctantly agree with another reviewer who remarked that the villain resembled a Disney cartoon. Mrs. Alba, a rather-neatly realized black-marketeer who rules with the expected fear, lies, and intimidation, is utterly dependable, showing up at the right time with the right tricks to make her a clear villain with no redeeming qualities.
However, Vick, Tara, and the crew they gather seeking to escape the clutches of Mrs. Alba’s evil henchlings, each enjoys human quirks and failings and the charming stumbles of young adults seeking to define themselves. Vick and his friends share the undeniable determination to right wrongs, to protect the vulnerable, and adherence to a code of ethics so essential to young people in their early teens.
All in all, my disappointment in a somewhat two-dimensional villain is thoroughly outweighed by my delight that all violence is contained between mechanical watchdogs. The battle scenes are skillfully drawn, action packed and very exciting, without becoming mired in gore. And, I must say, Mr. McIntosh’s refreshingly frank portrayal of adults as uncaring and threatening reminded me of Roald Dahl’s most fascinating works, where unlikely children must defend themselves and rise above the dark designs of adults to shine through as their authentic selves.
I give the book five stars, feeling free to recommend it to anyone who enjoys character-driven YA literature. I hope there will be a sequel or series following Vick, Tara, and their gang into this new dystopian future.
Genta Sebastian – award-winning author of Riding the Rainbow
Will McIntosh’s Watchdog is set in the slums of Chicago, where hungry children scramble over heaps of rotting garbage for something to pawn. It serves up an ugly near-futuristic view from the perspective of orphaned thirteen-year-old Vick, saddled too young with the responsibility for his autistic twin sister. Interest in the disorder is at an all-time high, and his struggle to keep Tara safe while dealing with the complexities of her autism was both entertaining and thought-provoking. Vick’s fierce, unforgiving anger toward the bullies who scared his crying sister rang true, as did his grudging acceptance when he discovered some assumptions were wrong.
The author gives us two unlikely heroes, fraternal twins both physically weak but with unseen strengths. Tara is small and looks half her age but is a genius with electronics. Her twin brother suffers from severe asthma attacks, but Vick is a natural leader with his own genius for survival. McIntosh pits their very existence against the mindless violence of underground robotic watchdogs, horrific mechanical creations being designed as specific weaponry by a crime lord.
Described as a nightmarish version of robotic animals, the watchdogs are only mechanical…until Tara finds a stolen military microchip. She modifies her own small robot pet, Daisy, who springs to life, literally, as a fully realized soldier capable of collecting and analyzing data, constructing and modifying her own mechanical body, and updates strategies based upon new intel. So far, she hasn’t spoken but as a reader I feel hopeful that ability will be forthcoming.
I enjoyed the book very much, but I rather reluctantly agree with another reviewer who remarked that the villain resembled a Disney cartoon. Mrs. Alba, a rather-neatly realized black-marketeer who rules with the expected fear, lies, and intimidation, is utterly dependable, showing up at the right time with the right tricks to make her a clear villain with no redeeming qualities.
However, Vick, Tara, and the crew they gather seeking to escape the clutches of Mrs. Alba’s evil henchlings, each enjoys human quirks and failings and the charming stumbles of young adults seeking to define themselves. Vick and his friends share the undeniable determination to right wrongs, to protect the vulnerable, and adherence to a code of ethics so essential to young people in their early teens.
All in all, my disappointment in a somewhat two-dimensional villain is thoroughly outweighed by my delight that all violence is contained between mechanical watchdogs. The battle scenes are skillfully drawn, action packed and very exciting, without becoming mired in gore. And, I must say, Mr. McIntosh’s refreshingly frank portrayal of adults as uncaring and threatening reminded me of Roald Dahl’s most fascinating works, where unlikely children must defend themselves and rise above the dark designs of adults to shine through as their authentic selves.
I give the book five stars, feeling free to recommend it to anyone who enjoys character-driven YA literature. I hope there will be a sequel or series following Vick, Tara, and their gang into this new dystopian future.
Genta Sebastian – award-winning author of Riding the Rainbow
November 6, 2017
I'm always interested in an imagining of a futuristic Chicago, in this case, one that is covered in trash and has a lot of robotic watchdogs or watch-animals roaming the streets. This is a dystopian place, where children are left to fend for themselves. This book follows Vick and Tara, siblings on the streets after their mother died. Tara is autistic, but high functioning and really good at robots, which definitely helps the plot here. There is a lot of action here, which I appreciated, but I think that Vick's asthma attacks and Tara's meltdowns attributed to her autism/other issues are treated as if they are elements that can be controlled when needed. Vick makes himself breathe, Tara holds off her meltdown in order to beat the bad guys. While I am sure both of those things can happen, I really disliked what this said about these kinds of issues--that if we all just try hard enough, we'll get over it.
September 9, 2019
Brother and sister main characters had many trials and never gave up. They were smart and thought through their actions. Both of them had skills and gifts for survival that complimented one another. Lots of action and suspense till the end! If you like dystopian genre, you need to add this to your list of books to read!
May 14, 2020
This was a fun book, and a good first dystopian for kids. But it didn’t blow me away.
The dystopia was really cool and super realistic. Basically, with the advancing robotic technologies everyone’s jobs get taken by robots, rendering an entire class of people unemployed and homeless. In addition, robots being used for “self-protection” get taken way too far, so homeless slums are run largely by gangs using illegal fighting robots to keep them in power. Completely believable, if not inevitable. My critique of this concept would be that I didn’t feel it was adequately made clear. I figured a lot of this out using my super-inferencing skills, but I don’t know that all middle-graders will know enough about the potential economics of robotics to make that leap. In addition, it wasn’t super obvious to me that this takes place in the future. For an MG novel I could have used a bit more exposition.
The robots themselves are pretty cool, though I wish we could have seen some more that aren’t used for fighting. We really only see two, and they’re not described in great detail. But this book is sure to capture the imagination of kids who are into fighting robots, like in Big Hero 6.
I loved the main characters, Vick and Tara. Tara has pretty severe autism spectrum disorder, and Vick is now her care-taker since their parents are gone. I love Vick’s persepctive on autism as someone who doesn’t have it themselves, but is very close to someone who does. How that person is still a person, but sometimes are impossible to understand. How you love them, but the reality is that their autism can make them difficult to be around sometimes. How living on the streets probably makes it worse. They’re a fun duo, Vick being practical but emotional, while Tara is matter-of-fact but idealistic. I love seeing a great sibling relationship that isn’t always perfect.
What I could have used a bit more of in this book is nuance regarding right and wrong. McIntosh introduces it, with characters who early on in the book get a laugh out of scaring Vick and Tara but later stick out their necks for them. But he never fleshed that concept out fully, and for Vick it remains pretty much black and white. He goes from “stealing is bad, we don’t steal” to “whatever, we do what we want know” at lightning speed. In particular, when a robot says “my owner couldn’t get on without me” it would have been nice to see Vick doubting his actions, instead of just laughing at how stupid robots are. What if he stole a robot from a bed-ridden elderly woman who lived by herself? I definitely think there was room for the book to explore this a little deeper.
I also found the villain to be a little over-the-top evil. She was a bit of a mix of Mrs. Havisham and Sikes, but with no problem sending a robotic buzz-saw after a twelve-year-old. I’ve seen over-the-top villains done with a wink, but this seemed not that way, just sort of one-dimensional. There was so much room for “the situation has made me what I am” or “someone has to keep this slum safe” or “my choices were slumlord or starving.” But we never learn more about the villain than her name.
If you’ve got a middle-grader obsessed with robots or who you think would enjoy a dystopian page-turner, I can recommend this as a book they would likely enjoy. But I wouldn’t make a blanket recommendation for all kiddos.
The dystopia was really cool and super realistic. Basically, with the advancing robotic technologies everyone’s jobs get taken by robots, rendering an entire class of people unemployed and homeless. In addition, robots being used for “self-protection” get taken way too far, so homeless slums are run largely by gangs using illegal fighting robots to keep them in power. Completely believable, if not inevitable. My critique of this concept would be that I didn’t feel it was adequately made clear. I figured a lot of this out using my super-inferencing skills, but I don’t know that all middle-graders will know enough about the potential economics of robotics to make that leap. In addition, it wasn’t super obvious to me that this takes place in the future. For an MG novel I could have used a bit more exposition.
The robots themselves are pretty cool, though I wish we could have seen some more that aren’t used for fighting. We really only see two, and they’re not described in great detail. But this book is sure to capture the imagination of kids who are into fighting robots, like in Big Hero 6.
I loved the main characters, Vick and Tara. Tara has pretty severe autism spectrum disorder, and Vick is now her care-taker since their parents are gone. I love Vick’s persepctive on autism as someone who doesn’t have it themselves, but is very close to someone who does. How that person is still a person, but sometimes are impossible to understand. How you love them, but the reality is that their autism can make them difficult to be around sometimes. How living on the streets probably makes it worse. They’re a fun duo, Vick being practical but emotional, while Tara is matter-of-fact but idealistic. I love seeing a great sibling relationship that isn’t always perfect.
What I could have used a bit more of in this book is nuance regarding right and wrong. McIntosh introduces it, with characters who early on in the book get a laugh out of scaring Vick and Tara but later stick out their necks for them. But he never fleshed that concept out fully, and for Vick it remains pretty much black and white. He goes from “stealing is bad, we don’t steal” to “whatever, we do what we want know” at lightning speed. In particular, when a robot says “my owner couldn’t get on without me” it would have been nice to see Vick doubting his actions, instead of just laughing at how stupid robots are. What if he stole a robot from a bed-ridden elderly woman who lived by herself? I definitely think there was room for the book to explore this a little deeper.
I also found the villain to be a little over-the-top evil. She was a bit of a mix of Mrs. Havisham and Sikes, but with no problem sending a robotic buzz-saw after a twelve-year-old. I’ve seen over-the-top villains done with a wink, but this seemed not that way, just sort of one-dimensional. There was so much room for “the situation has made me what I am” or “someone has to keep this slum safe” or “my choices were slumlord or starving.” But we never learn more about the villain than her name.
If you’ve got a middle-grader obsessed with robots or who you think would enjoy a dystopian page-turner, I can recommend this as a book they would likely enjoy. But I wouldn’t make a blanket recommendation for all kiddos.
October 12, 2020
Since their mother's death, Vick and Tara have had to survive on the streets. Future Chicago has dissolved into areas of extreme wealth and extreme poverty, with many areas being just turned into piles of rubble. Vick and Tara make their living by scavenging from the junk piles. One day Tara finds a computer chip that transforms her little pet robot dog into a super smart watch dog. The local mob boss really wants to get her hands on that chip and Vick and Tara must run for their lives.
This is a near future dystopia setting in a still fairly recognizable Chicago. Poor Vick is trying to keep them safe in a world that really doesn't care about homeless kids. It is repeatedly stated that Tara has autism, but she is very high functioning. Tara is a genius when it comes to programming and designing robots, which gets them in trouble. At one point they are caught and put in a slave labor situation. I do have to say that the book brings to light very heavy topics in a lighter way. If I told you the book was dealing with death of a parent, homelessness, child slavery, and mob bosses that sounds very heavy. But the brevity of the book and the fast pace of the plot means they don't stay in any dangerous situation for a super long time at all. It is a high action read with barely a moment to breathe, but that may be just the thing that will keep some readers turning pages. If you're looking for a thriller for middle graders, a book that could open conversations about homelessness or modern slavery or autism, or a light dystopia featuring robots then give this book a try.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There are numerous perilous situations but it is mostly just robot on robot violence.
This is a near future dystopia setting in a still fairly recognizable Chicago. Poor Vick is trying to keep them safe in a world that really doesn't care about homeless kids. It is repeatedly stated that Tara has autism, but she is very high functioning. Tara is a genius when it comes to programming and designing robots, which gets them in trouble. At one point they are caught and put in a slave labor situation. I do have to say that the book brings to light very heavy topics in a lighter way. If I told you the book was dealing with death of a parent, homelessness, child slavery, and mob bosses that sounds very heavy. But the brevity of the book and the fast pace of the plot means they don't stay in any dangerous situation for a super long time at all. It is a high action read with barely a moment to breathe, but that may be just the thing that will keep some readers turning pages. If you're looking for a thriller for middle graders, a book that could open conversations about homelessness or modern slavery or autism, or a light dystopia featuring robots then give this book a try.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There are numerous perilous situations but it is mostly just robot on robot violence.
May 31, 2018
The plot was pretty standard fair, which is why it’s 3 stars. But as an autistic person, when I read books with autistic characters I like to talk about the accuracy of the representation.
So, Tara is our autistic character, and my biggest issue is that she falls into the specialized super genius trope. She’s a robotics genius, specifically of the titular Watchdogs.
But there’s a lot of good, accurate stuff too.
•Tara has a couple of meltdowns over the course of the book, because she’s dealing with some very stressful situations. She is able to delay them to get to safety first, and the first time that happens, she’s able to stave it off basically overnight, which seems unlikely, but once she’s safe, it all pours out.
•In one scene, Tara stays up all night because she hyperfocused on a robotics project.
•Tara has some routines, and a lot of them were interrupted not too long before the book starts, and she expresses a desire to get back to them.
•Tara has hyperempathy for some inanimate objects, like her robots, some paintings in a museum, and some other familiar objects from her life before the story starts.
Tara’s brother Vick is our POV character, and he’s a pretty good brother. Sometimes he gets a little frustrated by Tara, but on the whole he accepts that this is who she is. I get the sense though, that he views her more like a younger sister than a twin. Maybe it’s because Vick’s more worried about their day to day survival, and Tara doesn’t really think about that, she focus on robotics, which is where their income comes from.
So, Tara is our autistic character, and my biggest issue is that she falls into the specialized super genius trope. She’s a robotics genius, specifically of the titular Watchdogs.
But there’s a lot of good, accurate stuff too.
•Tara has a couple of meltdowns over the course of the book, because she’s dealing with some very stressful situations. She is able to delay them to get to safety first, and the first time that happens, she’s able to stave it off basically overnight, which seems unlikely, but once she’s safe, it all pours out.
•In one scene, Tara stays up all night because she hyperfocused on a robotics project.
•Tara has some routines, and a lot of them were interrupted not too long before the book starts, and she expresses a desire to get back to them.
•Tara has hyperempathy for some inanimate objects, like her robots, some paintings in a museum, and some other familiar objects from her life before the story starts.
Tara’s brother Vick is our POV character, and he’s a pretty good brother. Sometimes he gets a little frustrated by Tara, but on the whole he accepts that this is who she is. I get the sense though, that he views her more like a younger sister than a twin. Maybe it’s because Vick’s more worried about their day to day survival, and Tara doesn’t really think about that, she focus on robotics, which is where their income comes from.
December 23, 2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this science fiction MG book by Will McIntosh. Thanks to the MA youth services blog for this review copy; all opinions are my own.
_*_*_*_*_*
Vick and Tara, thirteen year old twins, are homeless orphans living in a post-apocalyptic world. Tara is autistic and Vick must help her manage her emotions. They scour the dump for salvageable treasure daily and Tara uses her considerable skills to try to repair electronics to make money. Tara improves their electric watchdog, Daisy, but now Daisy is smart, loyal and learns in a way that no watchdog has ever been before. When local crime boss Ms. Alba sees Daisy's skills she wants her for herself, along with Tara. Now the kids are on the run with their watchdog; who can they trust?
_*_*_*_*_*
This book is action-packed and a short, quick read. This fills a hole in my collection for post-apocalyptic books for struggling readers. Most dystopian science fiction books are over 300 pages, but this book is under 200 pages total. Kids will love the tight, suspenseful plot line and the fascinating, grim world that McIntosh creates.
Reluctant readers interested in post-apocalyptic stories will be drawn to this one.
_*_*_*_*_*
#bookstagram #book #reading #bibliophile #bookworm #bookaholic #booknerd #bookgram #librarian #librariansfollowlibrarians #librariansofinstagram #booklove #booktography #bookstagramfeature #bookish #bookaddict #booknerdigans #booknerd #ilovereading #instabook #futurereadylibs #ISTElibs #TLChat
_*_*_*_*_*
Vick and Tara, thirteen year old twins, are homeless orphans living in a post-apocalyptic world. Tara is autistic and Vick must help her manage her emotions. They scour the dump for salvageable treasure daily and Tara uses her considerable skills to try to repair electronics to make money. Tara improves their electric watchdog, Daisy, but now Daisy is smart, loyal and learns in a way that no watchdog has ever been before. When local crime boss Ms. Alba sees Daisy's skills she wants her for herself, along with Tara. Now the kids are on the run with their watchdog; who can they trust?
_*_*_*_*_*
This book is action-packed and a short, quick read. This fills a hole in my collection for post-apocalyptic books for struggling readers. Most dystopian science fiction books are over 300 pages, but this book is under 200 pages total. Kids will love the tight, suspenseful plot line and the fascinating, grim world that McIntosh creates.
Reluctant readers interested in post-apocalyptic stories will be drawn to this one.
_*_*_*_*_*
#bookstagram #book #reading #bibliophile #bookworm #bookaholic #booknerd #bookgram #librarian #librariansfollowlibrarians #librariansofinstagram #booklove #booktography #bookstagramfeature #bookish #bookaddict #booknerdigans #booknerd #ilovereading #instabook #futurereadylibs #ISTElibs #TLChat
August 12, 2022
Near-future story of a pair of fraternal twins, Vick and Tara. Their father left the family some years ago, their mother lost her job as a hairstylist to a robot and subsequently, died (lack of health insurance?). The kids at thirteen were kicked out onto the streets as their aunt and uncle said they had no room for them.
The streets as you can imagine, aren't friendly to a pair of kids on their own. Vick and Tara go daily to the dump to try to scavenge anything that might be worth a little bit of money. They live on the roof of a deserted apartment building, surrounded by the junk they've picked. Tara is autistic and also an engineering genius - she created a watchdog she named Daisy that looks, according to the story, like a cross between a possum and a ragdoll.
While the kids (and Daisy) are out at the dump, Tara comes across something she thinks is weird - a chip. As soon as she gets home (the roof), she starts revising Daisy, turning the robot into something larger - a wolf-like watchdog that soon gets the attention of Miss Alba - a woman who soon decides the kids, particularly Tara, will make her a fortune. But when Daisy comes to rescue them, she sets into motion something that could change not only Vick and Tara's fortunes, but also some of the other street kids they've met.
A fun read though I would've liked to read more of what happens with Miss Alba but it might've been a bit too much for younger kids.
The streets as you can imagine, aren't friendly to a pair of kids on their own. Vick and Tara go daily to the dump to try to scavenge anything that might be worth a little bit of money. They live on the roof of a deserted apartment building, surrounded by the junk they've picked. Tara is autistic and also an engineering genius - she created a watchdog she named Daisy that looks, according to the story, like a cross between a possum and a ragdoll.
While the kids (and Daisy) are out at the dump, Tara comes across something she thinks is weird - a chip. As soon as she gets home (the roof), she starts revising Daisy, turning the robot into something larger - a wolf-like watchdog that soon gets the attention of Miss Alba - a woman who soon decides the kids, particularly Tara, will make her a fortune. But when Daisy comes to rescue them, she sets into motion something that could change not only Vick and Tara's fortunes, but also some of the other street kids they've met.
A fun read though I would've liked to read more of what happens with Miss Alba but it might've been a bit too much for younger kids.
January 8, 2018
Even though I'm twenty-four years old I still love to read a good Middle Grade book.
Watchdogs is definitely one of them. I enjoyed this book so much I hope there's more to come to this Watchdog world. Will McIntosh's writing was so enjoyable. He gave all the characters such great personalities and it was so smooth. I couldn't put this book down, and read it in one sitting.
Action packed with heartfelt moments that had you cheering for all the right reasons. Pre-Teens and a little younger will definitely love this story, but if you like fun little adventures full of action, I recommend this to you! There's also a lot of serious aspects in the story, I think it really shows that autism doesn't hold people back and can make you stronger than most people. The children in this story are homeless and have gone through some tragedy, but they are all strong and I think can really inspire young minds. It even taught me a few things.
I heard this could be made into a movie or a tv-show and I think that would be awesome! The story is perfect for both. I'd personally love to see a live action movie of these Watchdogs, but I heard it could be picked up by the makers of How To Train A Dragon and you can't go wrong with that animation!
I will definitely be checking out other books by Will McIntosh. I am already extremely excited to read his YA novel Burning Midnight!
Watchdogs is definitely one of them. I enjoyed this book so much I hope there's more to come to this Watchdog world. Will McIntosh's writing was so enjoyable. He gave all the characters such great personalities and it was so smooth. I couldn't put this book down, and read it in one sitting.
Action packed with heartfelt moments that had you cheering for all the right reasons. Pre-Teens and a little younger will definitely love this story, but if you like fun little adventures full of action, I recommend this to you! There's also a lot of serious aspects in the story, I think it really shows that autism doesn't hold people back and can make you stronger than most people. The children in this story are homeless and have gone through some tragedy, but they are all strong and I think can really inspire young minds. It even taught me a few things.
I heard this could be made into a movie or a tv-show and I think that would be awesome! The story is perfect for both. I'd personally love to see a live action movie of these Watchdogs, but I heard it could be picked up by the makers of How To Train A Dragon and you can't go wrong with that animation!
I will definitely be checking out other books by Will McIntosh. I am already extremely excited to read his YA novel Burning Midnight!
March 31, 2018
3.5
I have been enjoying Will McIntosh's writing for a while, ever since I read the book Soft Apocalypse. Lately I've been interested in his foray into teen and now children's writings and so far I have not been disappointed.
Watchdog is the start of what could be a very interesting series set in a futuristic world where stability is scarce and jobs are more and more being handed over to robots, including the two main characters mom, whose job was taken over by a haircutting robot.
I liked the diversity of the characters and I liked that McIntosh made a point to let his audience know that not all the characters here were white. I liked that McIntosh included a main character with autism. He showed her strengths and weaknesses as someone with autism, though she seemed to be very high functioning, being able to control her emotions and needs for structured environments and sensory processing difficulties when she needed to. However, I still applaud him for fleshing out a character with autism and how she was affected by the events of the story and was able to use her talents to help her family and friends.
Overall, I would definitely read more from this series and recommend this book to readers who enjoy action and science fiction stories, such as M.E. Castle's Popular Clone series, or Masterminds by Gordon Korman.
I have been enjoying Will McIntosh's writing for a while, ever since I read the book Soft Apocalypse. Lately I've been interested in his foray into teen and now children's writings and so far I have not been disappointed.
Watchdog is the start of what could be a very interesting series set in a futuristic world where stability is scarce and jobs are more and more being handed over to robots, including the two main characters mom, whose job was taken over by a haircutting robot.
I liked the diversity of the characters and I liked that McIntosh made a point to let his audience know that not all the characters here were white. I liked that McIntosh included a main character with autism. He showed her strengths and weaknesses as someone with autism, though she seemed to be very high functioning, being able to control her emotions and needs for structured environments and sensory processing difficulties when she needed to. However, I still applaud him for fleshing out a character with autism and how she was affected by the events of the story and was able to use her talents to help her family and friends.
Overall, I would definitely read more from this series and recommend this book to readers who enjoy action and science fiction stories, such as M.E. Castle's Popular Clone series, or Masterminds by Gordon Korman.
January 19, 2018
I received a review copy. What follows is an honest review.
A few years ago there was a show called Max Headroom. It took place 30 seconds into the future. Anytime I read futuristic stories like these, I think about that 30 seconds into the future.
This book takes place 30 seconds into our future. People have watchdogs, robotic dogs (though some are not dogs) that they can get to do things for them. Vick and Tara, twin brother and sister, are orphaned when their mom dies. They live on the streets. Tara, who is autistic, is a mechanical whiz and can build watchdogs of good designs. Trouble is, they have to scour the dumps to get the parts she needs to make dogs to sell so they can survive.
When Tara finds a chip one day that she puts into her watchdog Daisy, the dog becomes almost human. And they become a target of a syndicate out to get the chip back.
The story focuses on what a family is. While they start out only having each other they gather some others along the way and each provides something to the team as they take on the bad guys.
This is a middle school age book but I did enjoy it and would recommend it for all ages. It has some intense fight scenes between the watchdog armies. All in all, good book.
A few years ago there was a show called Max Headroom. It took place 30 seconds into the future. Anytime I read futuristic stories like these, I think about that 30 seconds into the future.
This book takes place 30 seconds into our future. People have watchdogs, robotic dogs (though some are not dogs) that they can get to do things for them. Vick and Tara, twin brother and sister, are orphaned when their mom dies. They live on the streets. Tara, who is autistic, is a mechanical whiz and can build watchdogs of good designs. Trouble is, they have to scour the dumps to get the parts she needs to make dogs to sell so they can survive.
When Tara finds a chip one day that she puts into her watchdog Daisy, the dog becomes almost human. And they become a target of a syndicate out to get the chip back.
The story focuses on what a family is. While they start out only having each other they gather some others along the way and each provides something to the team as they take on the bad guys.
This is a middle school age book but I did enjoy it and would recommend it for all ages. It has some intense fight scenes between the watchdog armies. All in all, good book.
March 18, 2019
The good:
I loooove that book cover, it's very well made, and is very well drawn. I especially love the mechanical dog looming over the background, and the detail of the characters running from the watch dogs chasing them.
I like how the characters were made, and how interesting they are. Tara is one of the few autistic characters I have seen in kids books, and honestly the first autistic character I seen in kids books so far. Her condition was treated respectfully, and realistically unlike a ton of adult books I heard. The two main characters backstory was even interesting to me, and I liked reading about them.
The story had an interesting plot, and interesting setting, stories with interesting settings or plots is what hooks me into reading or liking them honestly.
The bad:
I didn't like how tara was the stereotypical ' super genius savant ' trope, but at least the book pulled it off in an non obnoxious way.
The climax at the ending was hard to read, and understand. I couldn't understand what was going on, or what was attacking who or what.
The ending or last half of the book kinda felt rushed honestly, I felt like it ended way to quickly honestly, and didn't give itself some time slow down at all.
Overall:
I like this story, it was interesting to read with it's interesting plot/setting despite it's flaws, and I would recommend people to read it.
I loooove that book cover, it's very well made, and is very well drawn. I especially love the mechanical dog looming over the background, and the detail of the characters running from the watch dogs chasing them.
I like how the characters were made, and how interesting they are. Tara is one of the few autistic characters I have seen in kids books, and honestly the first autistic character I seen in kids books so far. Her condition was treated respectfully, and realistically unlike a ton of adult books I heard. The two main characters backstory was even interesting to me, and I liked reading about them.
The story had an interesting plot, and interesting setting, stories with interesting settings or plots is what hooks me into reading or liking them honestly.
The bad:
I didn't like how tara was the stereotypical ' super genius savant ' trope, but at least the book pulled it off in an non obnoxious way.
The climax at the ending was hard to read, and understand. I couldn't understand what was going on, or what was attacking who or what.
The ending or last half of the book kinda felt rushed honestly, I felt like it ended way to quickly honestly, and didn't give itself some time slow down at all.
Overall:
I like this story, it was interesting to read with it's interesting plot/setting despite it's flaws, and I would recommend people to read it.
October 14, 2019
This story lacks context and cohesion. We’re in Chicago, and orphaned twins Vick and Tara are essentially on the streets trying to survive. Robots have started replacing humans in various jobs, and for some reason the police and crime bosses have these terrifying and ruthless robotic watchdogs. Tara is an engineering phenom, apparently due to her autism. (Mind you, Tara’s only real trait one could attribute to her autism is the occasional meltdown, but then again, she only acts this way when put in threatening situations.) Anyways, one thing leads to another, and these two siblings with their ragtag team of street kids are pursued by the new crime boss in town, who wants to steal the sentient watchdog young Tara built.
The story touches upon a lot of interesting topics - classism, automation, poverty - but it’s really just a mess. Will I recommend this middle grade novel to students? Maybe to those reading a bit below 8th grade level. I mean, I guess in the end there’s not much wrong with having children read a story that shows them that they have the power to stand up to and even thwart abuses of power and injustice.
The story touches upon a lot of interesting topics - classism, automation, poverty - but it’s really just a mess. Will I recommend this middle grade novel to students? Maybe to those reading a bit below 8th grade level. I mean, I guess in the end there’s not much wrong with having children read a story that shows them that they have the power to stand up to and even thwart abuses of power and injustice.
January 23, 2018
Receiving books like this from the authors in truth can stress reviewers out a little, but these are my honest opinions not affected by how I received this.
I love YA books, even if I am 61. They mostly expect little out of a reader except to settle in and enjoy the ride. And this dystopian book is no different. Set in Chicago in the possibly not too distant future,these kids are left to fend for themselves. Twins Vick and Tara are kids like this after their mother dies. While scouring through the dump looking for things Tara uses to re/build Watchdogs, they find a computer chip that literally turns their world around as it makes the Dog almost human, and forces them to stay one step ahead of the people who lost it.
I really liked this book, in part because Tara’s autism is simply part of who she is, not a “gift” or a “handicap”. This is a fantastic jumping off place for an animated show or series. I want to see these kids again Will McIntosh! Recommended 4/5
I love YA books, even if I am 61. They mostly expect little out of a reader except to settle in and enjoy the ride. And this dystopian book is no different. Set in Chicago in the possibly not too distant future,these kids are left to fend for themselves. Twins Vick and Tara are kids like this after their mother dies. While scouring through the dump looking for things Tara uses to re/build Watchdogs, they find a computer chip that literally turns their world around as it makes the Dog almost human, and forces them to stay one step ahead of the people who lost it.
I really liked this book, in part because Tara’s autism is simply part of who she is, not a “gift” or a “handicap”. This is a fantastic jumping off place for an animated show or series. I want to see these kids again Will McIntosh! Recommended 4/5
January 24, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
I love a good middle grade book where the kids are the heroes. This one was good, but fell short of what I was hoping for in a middle grade sci-fi novel.
I did love the pace of the book. It flowed very well, and was quite the page turner at times. I liked that Vick and Tara make such a great team despite everything that happens to them. I also liked how Daisy was written like she was a part of the family. The ending was perfect. It couldn't have been better.
I think if the book was written for an older audience, I would have liked it better. Some of the lingo seemed like it was more suited to a young adult novel. I didn't think it was necessary to point out if someone was white, black, or African American in here. It didn't seem like it was important to the story, and was distracting to me.
Even though it wasn't my favorite book, I would still recommend it to others. Young and old.
I love a good middle grade book where the kids are the heroes. This one was good, but fell short of what I was hoping for in a middle grade sci-fi novel.
I did love the pace of the book. It flowed very well, and was quite the page turner at times. I liked that Vick and Tara make such a great team despite everything that happens to them. I also liked how Daisy was written like she was a part of the family. The ending was perfect. It couldn't have been better.
I think if the book was written for an older audience, I would have liked it better. Some of the lingo seemed like it was more suited to a young adult novel. I didn't think it was necessary to point out if someone was white, black, or African American in here. It didn't seem like it was important to the story, and was distracting to me.
Even though it wasn't my favorite book, I would still recommend it to others. Young and old.
March 2, 2018
McIntosh, Will Watchdog, 182 pages Delacorte (Random), 2017. 182 pages. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (lots of robot fighting action).
Vick and his sister Tara keep their heads low and are barely keeping life together since their father ran away and then their mother died. Tara has autism and Vick can’t always cope with her tantrums, but he tries his best. Tara is brilliant at designing robots, however. When someone big and evil gets a whiff of her genius, the situation goes downhill fast. Now Vick and Tara are on the run from the biggest baddest gang in the city.
Reading this book was kind of like watching a battlebot competition with really cool back stories. It did quite violent, but most of it involved the robots battling each other, not humans getting hurt.
EL, MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018/...
Vick and his sister Tara keep their heads low and are barely keeping life together since their father ran away and then their mother died. Tara has autism and Vick can’t always cope with her tantrums, but he tries his best. Tara is brilliant at designing robots, however. When someone big and evil gets a whiff of her genius, the situation goes downhill fast. Now Vick and Tara are on the run from the biggest baddest gang in the city.
Reading this book was kind of like watching a battlebot competition with really cool back stories. It did quite violent, but most of it involved the robots battling each other, not humans getting hurt.
EL, MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018/...
August 6, 2019
Although this book was well written, I give it four stars because it's not my type of book. However, for those who love action, adventure, and sci-fi genres, you definitely want to check it out. Vick and Tara are 12-year-old orphan twins living in Chicago trying to just survive. They hunt for treasures in the city dump each day in an effort to fix and sell items to buy food to eat. Tara has autism and is extremely talented with technology and engineering. Vick is protective of his sister and has enough street smarts to keep them safe. That is, until they stumble upon a computer chip that is in high demand by a high-tech villain, who has been harboring and exploiting orphan children. Told in a futuristic setting, this fast-paced story leads readers into the fascinating world of robot watch dogs. Tara and Vick do some quick thinking, team up with other like-minded orphans, and discover that friends can become family.
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