A review by aimmiv
All Dogs Are Good: Poems and Memories by Courtney Peppernell

4.0

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This was such a sweet book, and to say I got a bit emotional at times reading this is an understatement.
Often times - especially in poetry - I come across sentences that maybe the author thinks might sound pretty, but in actuality the words don't really mean anything to them.  They're just empty words that may or may not rhyme. This book, however, is quite literally the opposite. This is real, and is made of years and lifetimes of feeling, and holds so much meaning to anyone who has ever cherished a dog.

I dont know why, but I wasn't expecting some of the poems to be from the dog's point of view, so I found that added element interesting. I did struggle at times with that writing style, but ultimately the different dogs that are described and whose stories are told so beautifully kept me reading. The descriptions are so vivid and wonderfully put, and the imagery is really nostalgic at times. I loved that. More than once did I read a page and see a loved family dog in my memory, and that's why I wanted to read this book, and why I would read it again.

If you're looking for a comforting poetry book that tells of different dogs and their own unique personalities, and then the things learned from each of them, read this.