A review by rainbowofcrazy
The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived by Will Pass

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

What started off as a quirky, silly story about an abnormally smart dog, took me for quite an unexpected adventure! This is totally one for the animal lover. You can tell how well the author just gets the critters in this book (he was a retired vet, which is no surprise!) The concept is a fun one. Leo is a cute but insanely brilliant dog with a forgotten past and questions why he is different from all the other dogs. Each animal is unique and captivating.

I did struggle with the pacing, especially in the middle, where it slowed down and honestly at some points I was tempted to DNF. I enjoyed the writing overall but it felt like it took a different turn once the dog's big adventure really got going. It's not all happy, and it felt like an entirely different book once the first big shift happened, and I'm not sure if that worked well. (But, spoilers.) But I was thrilled as the climax pulled me back in, and I was a fan till the end for a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Voracious Readers Only for the complimentary copy! All views are my own.
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