A review by chelsea_not_chels
Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship by Tom Ryan

2.0

Pros: Made me want to hike more, though not in winter. Cute dog.

Cons: Tom Ryan is NOT a good dog owner and I was APPALLED at his behavior at various parts of this book. When you have a dog, you are responsible for them. You can't let them just do whatever they want, just like you can't just let a small child do whatever she wants, because THEY WOULD DIE. However Tom takes the "Oh he's his own person!" approach, which is, quite frankly, terrible.

Spoiler

At one point, we learn that Atticus has cataracts and is pretty much blind. Tom throws some shade on dog owners who can't afford cataract surgery for their dogs, all while other people pay for his dog's surgery. And then takes his BLIND DOG mountain climbing BEFORE his surgery. He literally describes Atticus running headfirst into trees and rocks because he can't see anything, but oh, it's fine, because Atticus is *special* and he *needs to be there.* At another point, Atticus is horribly mauled by another dog, something that could have easily been avoided if he had been on a leash, something Tom outright refused to do.

Tom is personally affronted when he can't take Atticus into places like restaurants because obviously the health code is persecuting him specifically. He is completely insufferable, thinks he's the hottest thing to ever hit Newburyport, and is definitely not a reliable narrator.

I hated Tom with every fiber of my being. At least my entire book club had a good time hating him together.