Dogeaters

This novel, set in the politically volatile Philippines of the recent past, offers the diverse impressions of a well-to-do Manilan schoolgirl, a DJ/male prostitute and the Philippines's candid First Lady, among others. ``Although in many respects a thinly disguised roman a clef, the book succeeds on the strength of its characterization,'' said PW. ``Hagedorn's unflinching view of Manila . . . is leavened by ironic, often humorous observations.'' (July)