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msmo's review against another edition
it's a charming story, but about a third in, i got tired of reading it. i got the premise though: dog lassos a group of new york apartment neighbors into a family. you knew that too, from the smart title.
msjaquiss's review against another edition
3.0
A lovely story about finding a family right where you are.
aprilthelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! It is totally a break away from my usual books, but who doesn't love a sweet story about a man and his dog? What I loved is the relationships that were built due to Katie, and how several people in an apartment building became like family. Plaskin really tells his story well, and I felt like I knew Katie, Pearl, Glenn, John, and Ryan. Yes, there were times I balled, but this was not a "sad" story. It really is uplifting, though it does have upsetting moments.
emslovestoread's review against another edition
3.0
Cute and heartwarming story when it stayed focused on Katie and the family. It's amazing how animals can bring people together who probably wouldn't have associated much otherwise.
I do feel like this was more an avenue for the author to talk about all the famous people he's interviewed than it was to tell Katie's story. Enough with the name-dropping already. We get it. You talk to famous people. Move on with things and get over it.
I do feel like this was more an avenue for the author to talk about all the famous people he's interviewed than it was to tell Katie's story. Enough with the name-dropping already. We get it. You talk to famous people. Move on with things and get over it.
soeti's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this novel in Bahasa Indonesia's version. Been such a good fresher one. I always like the nuance of neighborhoods and family of a story, and this novel contains what I need.
P.s Also from this novel I just knew about 9/11
P.s Also from this novel I just knew about 9/11
athomewithbooks's review
3.0
I was drawn to Katie Up and Down the Hall for two reasons: the setting and the main character. The book is set in Battery Park City in New York City, and since I visited New York for the first time last summer I’ve been enjoying revisiting the city vicariously through this book. The main character is Katie, a Cocker Spaniel who belonged to the author (Glenn Plaskin), and united him in friendship with some special neighbors. (I say that she is the main character, and she is, but the book is not written from her point of view as seems to be so popular lately, but rather that of the author.)
I don’t know why it is, but I love reading stories about real life animals – animal memoirs if you want to call them that – yet I despise most fiction stories about animals. I think the difference is that I have no problem reading about things that really happen when it comes to animals and their special relationships with humans, because even though there is an inevitable sad ending, it is based on fact. When it comes to fiction though I get very emotional and angry if the author lets anything bad happen to the animal characters. Fiction of that sort strikes me as emotionally manipulative and underhanded. I think it’s the difference between someone sharing a sorrow with you (i.e. a true story) and someone telling you something terrible just to watch you cry (fiction).
I say all of this as if this were a sad book, but for the most part it isn’t. It is a story of joy, friendships and neighbors who become like family. It’s just that when you read about an animal you know that they aren’t going to be around forever. In the case of this real life story I was not disappointed by the content. It was amusing reading about the author’s introduction to pet care, and how Katie soon took over his life. The way that she was the catalyst for several neighbors to develop friendships was touching.
There were a few times where the author seemed to be beating me over the head with repetitions of how cute and special Katie was, but I let that go in much the same way I would have patience with a parent bragging about their precocious child.
Since Katie’s owner was a journalist who interviewed famous people, Katie also got to meet her share of celebrities. Along with the celebrity interview stories, I also enjoyed the anecdotes of how the author sneaked Katie onto airplanes, into hotels, and even into the hospital with him.
The story’s strength is in the growing relationships between the author and his elderly neighbors, and then later between all of them and a young neighbor boy. The story seems so unusual and touching because I wouldn’t normally think of New York City as a place where neighbors take the time to get to know each other, much less become close like family. It gives a hopeful message of inspiration: that you should consider those around you as potential future friends.
Katie Up and Down the Hall is a sweet story, and I won’t lie to you, I cried buckets when it came to the inevitable sad ending. I would recommend this book to animal lovers (especially dog lovers).
I don’t know why it is, but I love reading stories about real life animals – animal memoirs if you want to call them that – yet I despise most fiction stories about animals. I think the difference is that I have no problem reading about things that really happen when it comes to animals and their special relationships with humans, because even though there is an inevitable sad ending, it is based on fact. When it comes to fiction though I get very emotional and angry if the author lets anything bad happen to the animal characters. Fiction of that sort strikes me as emotionally manipulative and underhanded. I think it’s the difference between someone sharing a sorrow with you (i.e. a true story) and someone telling you something terrible just to watch you cry (fiction).
I say all of this as if this were a sad book, but for the most part it isn’t. It is a story of joy, friendships and neighbors who become like family. It’s just that when you read about an animal you know that they aren’t going to be around forever. In the case of this real life story I was not disappointed by the content. It was amusing reading about the author’s introduction to pet care, and how Katie soon took over his life. The way that she was the catalyst for several neighbors to develop friendships was touching.
There were a few times where the author seemed to be beating me over the head with repetitions of how cute and special Katie was, but I let that go in much the same way I would have patience with a parent bragging about their precocious child.
Since Katie’s owner was a journalist who interviewed famous people, Katie also got to meet her share of celebrities. Along with the celebrity interview stories, I also enjoyed the anecdotes of how the author sneaked Katie onto airplanes, into hotels, and even into the hospital with him.
The story’s strength is in the growing relationships between the author and his elderly neighbors, and then later between all of them and a young neighbor boy. The story seems so unusual and touching because I wouldn’t normally think of New York City as a place where neighbors take the time to get to know each other, much less become close like family. It gives a hopeful message of inspiration: that you should consider those around you as potential future friends.
Katie Up and Down the Hall is a sweet story, and I won’t lie to you, I cried buckets when it came to the inevitable sad ending. I would recommend this book to animal lovers (especially dog lovers).
kathijo63's review
4.0
A very touching story of how animals can change your life and bring people together.
wendysimon's review
5.0
This was a great book for pet lovers everywhere! Katie was a cocker spaniel that the author bought to make his family with. However, she befriended all who met her including the neighbors along his hallway. This was a story about how one dog brought together a single father, his young son, an elderly couple, and the author. As they all grow older, including Katie, they survive many life changes together, from the loss of spouses to moving to September 11, thefamily manages to stay together and there for each other. The end of the book was the hardest for me to read as the author had to decide to put Katie to sleep. I have had to make that decision and the author managed to show the heartbreaking nature of it perfectly.