THE SECOND SMARTEST DOG THAT EVER LIVED
WILL PASS
****
The human who found me is fine. She feeds me. She cuddles me. She puts a roof over my head. But I do not appreciate being held captive. Because I have the intelligence of a human. And I aim to find out why.
Accompanied by Shakespeare, a Pug with the intelligence of a Pug, I run away from home, embarking on an epic quest for freedom, understanding, and, quite possibly, revenge.
Together we must survive a harsh desert of cannibalistic coyotes, stray humans, a fugitive white tiger, and one hypnotic beacon that shines from a city of sin, luring us back into so-called civilization.
My name is Rousseau. I seek the truth. Even if it means I lose my mind...
MY REVIEW
****
An epic adventure from the perspective of a dog? It sounded like a unique and intriguing premise and I was excited to request this and read more.
The last thing Leo (or Rou as he is later known), remembers is being rescued by a kind human as he was thrown out of a moving car on the highway. Leo is no ordinary dog however, he is as smart as a human and with his best friend Shakespeare the Pug (who is as smart as a Pug), he is on a quest to discover what has happened to him and where he came from.
This was a delightful book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Leo is a great narrator, not always understanding the nuances of everything that was presented, but describing it enough that as a reader, you knew what was coming. The quest takes us from the Vets office, to the wilderness with cayotes to the desert and undercity of ‘Los Velos’. There is a menagerie of characters and animals we meet on the way, but each one was well written and described, I felt like I empathised with all of them. It really did feel like you were being taken along on an epic quest with Leo and Shakespeare. Be warned that there are some darker moments in this book, and it is certainly not a light read although it has light hearted moments.
The book did struggle a little with pacing - occasionally it felt like it dragged in the middle, but then the ending felt very rushed, and I struggled to really picture what was happening with the Rajah’s show. I would have perhaps liked more pages spent on the Los Velos section, and less on the cayotes to really understand what was going on and to wrap up the story in a better way.
Overall, The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived is a delightfully epic tale with some brilliant characters. Thank you to NetGalley & Thiessen Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
LINKS TO BUY
Woah!!! What an interesting book to read. You make me want to check this out. Thank you for sharing.