Gone to the Dogs

This book seems to follow a number of recent animal-focused books, like Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain and Spencer Quinn's Dog on It.

I wanted to like this book. The first few pages were funny and endearing. But after a while I found the story old, the characters underdeveloped and with many unanswered questions and plot lines left undone. I found the dog element to be quirky, but not the whole point of the book; the back cover blurb emphasized the dog aspect, while the actual message of the book involved personal discovery and relationships.

All in all, it was a decent enough book. It took me about two hours to read. It satisfied that “quick read” that I sometimes enjoy (a nice break from my marathon reading of The Count of Monte Cristo!), though I probably will pass this book on to a friend or family member.