Sequel to Night Gate, in which I was fascinated by the twelve-year-old heroine's stirrings-of-first-love relationship with Billy Thunder, her dog who turns into an attractive teenage boy when they go to fantasyland together to try to wake her mother from a coma.Now back in the real world, it turns out that Rage's mom briefly rallied, but is now worse than ever. Oops. To Rage's sorrow, Billy Thunder is a dog again. For the first half of the novel, Rage has brief dreams of fantasyland, but much of the action involves her battle and then friendship with a troubled bully from her school, Logan. A human rival for Billy Thunder, I thought. But when she finally confides her magical adventures to Logan, he becomes fascinated - even a bit obsessed - with her descriptions of Elle, her dog who became a beautiful blonde girl. For the rest of the book, she and Logan have somewhat random fantasyland adventures while Rage longs for Billy Thunder and Logan longs for Elle. This is the first novel I've ever read in which the romantic quadrangle consists of two humans and two transformed dogs.
The Winter Door is the second book in the Night Gate Trilogy and some prior knowledge is assumed. Rage (Rachel Winnoway) has been left to her uncle’s care while her mother recovers from a car accident. Ignored by classmates, Rage and her dog Billy Thunder once again venture into the alternate realm of Valley. Through dream walking, Rage learns that a gate has been opened, thereby flooding Valley and her world with everlasting winter and despair. After becoming friends with the class clown and bully, Rage and Billy try to help their old friends defeat the ruler Stormlord. Themes include: loss, fear, doubt, identity, hope, courage and friendship. Rage is a likeable protagonist whose faults make her an interesting character.
