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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
paige_pell's review against another edition
5.0
this book was not what I'd expected... though I'm not sure what I expected.
bcgal00's review against another edition
A bit of a predictable story but still enjoyable. I am a bit biased though b/c I love books about animals. It was a fast and easy read.
wvteddy's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! I stayed up all night listening to it. I am a dog foster and volunteer with a dog rescue so this book hit close to home. I know the trouble these groups have getting funding and help so I could relate to it.
The word “just” has several meanings. As an adverb it means only or merely. As an adjective it means based on what is morally right and fair. Both are used in this book. Veterinarian Sam Lewis runs a no-kill shelter in a neighborhood that currently has a virus killing children. The CDC has found a possible link to dogs and wants to gather them all up. QCK they call it-Quarantine, Cull, Kill. To the powers that be they are just dogs after all. Sam's helpers are a group of misfits: an abused teen, a recovering addict, a former psychologist who lost her license who is as she says the token fat girl, a priest struggling with dementia and doubting, and his friend a Jewish hardware store owner. They are all, especially the priest, trying to live a just life. They are determined to save the dogs and figure out what is causing the virus. Some may say the plot was predictable and perhaps it was a little but the way it developed held me rapt. The characters developed as the book moved along. Perhaps the most important character was the dogs. Their trust, love, and devotion set the scene for the story as it does for my life.
The word “just” has several meanings. As an adverb it means only or merely. As an adjective it means based on what is morally right and fair. Both are used in this book. Veterinarian Sam Lewis runs a no-kill shelter in a neighborhood that currently has a virus killing children. The CDC has found a possible link to dogs and wants to gather them all up. QCK they call it-Quarantine, Cull, Kill. To the powers that be they are just dogs after all. Sam's helpers are a group of misfits: an abused teen, a recovering addict, a former psychologist who lost her license who is as she says the token fat girl, a priest struggling with dementia and doubting, and his friend a Jewish hardware store owner. They are all, especially the priest, trying to live a just life. They are determined to save the dogs and figure out what is causing the virus. Some may say the plot was predictable and perhaps it was a little but the way it developed held me rapt. The characters developed as the book moved along. Perhaps the most important character was the dogs. Their trust, love, and devotion set the scene for the story as it does for my life.
melaninny's review against another edition
3.0
This is what happens when you buy someone else a book you think *they* might like, and they end up actually liking it. I got this book for my mom because it seemed to have everything she looks for in a book--animals, sentimentality, and an easy to read style.
It has all those things! It's just... not really my thing.
The book isn't bad. It's fast-paced and the dialogue is fun and quippy and the characters are fun and unrealistic.
I think my main problem with this book is that you can really see the writing process behind the story. I don't encounter that very often, and it doesn't mean the writing is even bad, but it's a bit jarring.
Each character has an established Tragic Backstory™ that they need to overcome over a very small space of time. Here's a glimpse at some of the characters:
+ The troubled virtuoso violinist teenager who sleeps with the pack of dogs that live in Central Park. Oh, he also has a condition that makes him vividly relive his past miseries.
+ The fat ex-psychiatrist who was caught abusing prescription drugs and needs to volunteer at the shelter as part of her community service. Snarky, but secretly compassionate. Oh, did I mention she's fat? It comes up a lot.
+ The priest with Alzheimer's who was in love with a married Jewish woman who died. He volunteers to take dogs about to be euthanized for one last good day every week.
And that's my main problem. The book borders on the maudlin, and though I knew when I was supposed to be empathizing with the characters, I could never quite get by that feeling of supposed to.
But it's interesting. The scientific part was actually the more believable part of the novel, and it's a quick read so I don't regret it. And my mom really liked it, so there's clearly an audience for this.
It has all those things! It's just... not really my thing.
The book isn't bad. It's fast-paced and the dialogue is fun and quippy and the characters are fun and unrealistic.
I think my main problem with this book is that you can really see the writing process behind the story. I don't encounter that very often, and it doesn't mean the writing is even bad, but it's a bit jarring.
Each character has an established Tragic Backstory™ that they need to overcome over a very small space of time. Here's a glimpse at some of the characters:
+ The troubled virtuoso violinist teenager who sleeps with the pack of dogs that live in Central Park. Oh, he also has a condition that makes him vividly relive his past miseries.
+ The fat ex-psychiatrist who was caught abusing prescription drugs and needs to volunteer at the shelter as part of her community service. Snarky, but secretly compassionate. Oh, did I mention she's fat? It comes up a lot.
+ The priest with Alzheimer's who was in love with a married Jewish woman who died. He volunteers to take dogs about to be euthanized for one last good day every week.
And that's my main problem. The book borders on the maudlin, and though I knew when I was supposed to be empathizing with the characters, I could never quite get by that feeling of supposed to.
But it's interesting. The scientific part was actually the more believable part of the novel, and it's a quick read so I don't regret it. And my mom really liked it, so there's clearly an audience for this.
tiaowuma1's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gimmethatbook's review against another edition
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing this review copy.
Imagine a neighborhood in Manhattan in the grips of panic over a virus – one that is killing children and could possibly be spread by dogs. Imagine a shelter vet pushed to her breaking point by lack of money and no lack of politics. Add in a priest who may be losing his faith, an orphaned teen, and a few stray dogs who need homes.
Put yourself in the shoes of the veterinarian, who deeply loves her faltering shelter and all the dogs who call it home. Feel the only emotions that seem to be present in the first half of the book: incredible sadness, defeat, and frustration. Think about the sources of help available to you: none. At least none you can trust.
Welcome to JUST LIFE.
Not a happy, comfortable read, for sure. It is, however, a thought provoking and emotional story about making choices, standing up for what you believe in, letting go of your personal demons, and learning to trust.
Each character is deeply flawed but holds a spark inside them: the priest who throws a rock through his own church window because he is feeling distant from his Savior; the teen who was abused in foster homes and who is determined to save all the dogs at risk, no matter what; the assistant deputy mayor who is practicing good politics by shutting down the shelter. The sun in their world is Sam, the veterinarian who gives everything she has to the stray dogs, her only family.
As the virus swirls around the neighborhood the tension ratchets up, and Sam is forced to make hard choices to save the dogs. Who will back her up?
My attention was held during the entire reading of this book. The veterinary medicine is correct, and the possibility of a bird flu – like virus (but with deadlier complications) was plausible. Each character’s story is revealed bit by bit, and sometimes they are sympathetic, sometimes not.
The character of Beth Cohen provides much needed comic relief during many dark times. She is a disgraced psychologist forced to either submit to a jail sentence or “volunteer” at the shelter. She asks probing questions, making Sam confront her fears and doubts. As I mentioned, she is also sarcastic and self effacing, adding a lighter touch here and there.
Gabriel, the priest, provides one of the most human touches in JUST LIFE. He is suffering from dementia, and his portrayal is poignant and heartbreaking. His backstory is the platonic love he held for his best friend and confidant Channa, who died recently. He wonders if he will be able to remember her, and the emotions she stirred in him. He questions his God, in a crisis of faith that pervades the entire book until the end. The scene with him in chapter 35 made my heart well up, and brought tears to my eyes. Well done, Mr Abramson.
JUST LIFE is a tightly woven story that will not leave you easily. It is not a story with a bright shiny ending, nor is it a depressing tale of failure. It is a tour de force of the human condition and the bond we share with our animal friends; and the lengths we will go to in order to protect them.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing this review copy.
Imagine a neighborhood in Manhattan in the grips of panic over a virus – one that is killing children and could possibly be spread by dogs. Imagine a shelter vet pushed to her breaking point by lack of money and no lack of politics. Add in a priest who may be losing his faith, an orphaned teen, and a few stray dogs who need homes.
Put yourself in the shoes of the veterinarian, who deeply loves her faltering shelter and all the dogs who call it home. Feel the only emotions that seem to be present in the first half of the book: incredible sadness, defeat, and frustration. Think about the sources of help available to you: none. At least none you can trust.
Welcome to JUST LIFE.
Not a happy, comfortable read, for sure. It is, however, a thought provoking and emotional story about making choices, standing up for what you believe in, letting go of your personal demons, and learning to trust.
Each character is deeply flawed but holds a spark inside them: the priest who throws a rock through his own church window because he is feeling distant from his Savior; the teen who was abused in foster homes and who is determined to save all the dogs at risk, no matter what; the assistant deputy mayor who is practicing good politics by shutting down the shelter. The sun in their world is Sam, the veterinarian who gives everything she has to the stray dogs, her only family.
As the virus swirls around the neighborhood the tension ratchets up, and Sam is forced to make hard choices to save the dogs. Who will back her up?
My attention was held during the entire reading of this book. The veterinary medicine is correct, and the possibility of a bird flu – like virus (but with deadlier complications) was plausible. Each character’s story is revealed bit by bit, and sometimes they are sympathetic, sometimes not.
The character of Beth Cohen provides much needed comic relief during many dark times. She is a disgraced psychologist forced to either submit to a jail sentence or “volunteer” at the shelter. She asks probing questions, making Sam confront her fears and doubts. As I mentioned, she is also sarcastic and self effacing, adding a lighter touch here and there.
Gabriel, the priest, provides one of the most human touches in JUST LIFE. He is suffering from dementia, and his portrayal is poignant and heartbreaking. His backstory is the platonic love he held for his best friend and confidant Channa, who died recently. He wonders if he will be able to remember her, and the emotions she stirred in him. He questions his God, in a crisis of faith that pervades the entire book until the end. The scene with him in chapter 35 made my heart well up, and brought tears to my eyes. Well done, Mr Abramson.
JUST LIFE is a tightly woven story that will not leave you easily. It is not a story with a bright shiny ending, nor is it a depressing tale of failure. It is a tour de force of the human condition and the bond we share with our animal friends; and the lengths we will go to in order to protect them.
beaver406's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0