Jessica Hagedorn's Dogeaters is a tale of corruption and violence. Set in Manila, the lives of a couple prestigious Filipino families as well as some relatively anonymous lower class citizens are randomly intertwined through a seeming conspiracy of political consequences. The characterizing conflict is the increasing corruption of the government in response to rising anarchist power. This all comes to a climax when a recognized humanitarian Senator, Avila, is assassinated during a string of secret government-ordered violent acts against the left. Avila's daughter, Miss Philippines, is kidnapped and tortured in a government military base in the mountains.
Full of twists and turns, Hagedorn's writing is attention-grabbing. The plot structure is complex, if somewhat confusing. Beginning and concluding with narration by Rio Gonzaga, the book appears designed to be a reflection of itself. The first half is characterized by upward bounds in social status, but the second half is all violence and corruption. Hagedorn captures the intense fear which someone in Manila would experience during such a period of political instability.
