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stephaniecaye's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I was expecting hot dog facts, slaughterhouse horrors and a good deal of humor, and I got all of that plus a significant emotional meditation on COVID, lock downs, family, relationships and road trips. Great all around.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Eating disorder
caseythereader's review
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Thanks to Forge for the free copy of this book.
- A few days after finishing RAW DOG, I'm still not sure what to make of it. I do know that I was riveted, deeply invested in Loftus' physical and emotional journey of eating hot dogs across the country.
- Loftus is able to place the history of the hot dog into the larger context of the country, connecting them to everything from the Great Depression to modern gentrification.
- It made me desperately want a hot dog, but also gave me vicarious meat sweats. While I think it was a bit overlong in the end, if you can stomach all the meat talk and want a read outside your usual lane, RAW DOG is worth checking out.
- A few days after finishing RAW DOG, I'm still not sure what to make of it. I do know that I was riveted, deeply invested in Loftus' physical and emotional journey of eating hot dogs across the country.
- Loftus is able to place the history of the hot dog into the larger context of the country, connecting them to everything from the Great Depression to modern gentrification.
- It made me desperately want a hot dog, but also gave me vicarious meat sweats. While I think it was a bit overlong in the end, if you can stomach all the meat talk and want a read outside your usual lane, RAW DOG is worth checking out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Animal death, Cancer, Alcohol, Cursing, Vomit, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, and Racism
muffmacguff's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
(Read an advance copy on NetGalley)
I’m a big Jamie Loftus fan. I love her comedy and her podcast miniseries. This book is the perfect project for her.
A lot of the time it reminded me of Assassination Vacation, another book where the author can’t drive and takes a road trip using a niche subject (hot dogs/presidential assassinations) to explore American history. This was funny and insightful and spent a lot of time with very strange arcana, which is Loftus’s bread and butter. I loved how often hot dog stands burned down *at some point*, and the multiple branded hot dog products designed to tell a horny story about condiments.
The part of this book that worked less well for me was the personal. There are details about Loftus’s life throughout that give the book added texture but a lot of them end up getting glossed over; the book ultimately gives short shrift toher relationship with her boyfriend, her family, her landlord, and Covid-19. The last handful of chapters also provide very workable endings, but then the book doesn’t end. I would have been happy to forgo strict chronology to end with her family in Boston, or back home dealing with her apartment in LA getting sold out from under her, or the breakup that’s endlessly foreshadowed. Not enough of an arc overall I think.
But truly full of interesting information told in a very funny way!
I’m a big Jamie Loftus fan. I love her comedy and her podcast miniseries. This book is the perfect project for her.
A lot of the time it reminded me of Assassination Vacation, another book where the author can’t drive and takes a road trip using a niche subject (hot dogs/presidential assassinations) to explore American history. This was funny and insightful and spent a lot of time with very strange arcana, which is Loftus’s bread and butter. I loved how often hot dog stands burned down *at some point*, and the multiple branded hot dog products designed to tell a horny story about condiments.
The part of this book that worked less well for me was the personal. There are details about Loftus’s life throughout that give the book added texture but a lot of them end up getting glossed over; the book ultimately gives short shrift to
But truly full of interesting information told in a very funny way!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual violence
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