There are three things in the world that I love more than anything:
1) My Family
2) Dogs
3) Books
So obviously I'm going to end up liking a book about a dog and his family. Duh! That's just a given.
I've gotta say, I've read better dog books though. I read A Dog's Purpose earlier this year and that book had me sobbing repeatedly and uncontrollably. Now THAT is an amazing dog book. This one did have me crying at the end, but I do think it could have been a lot better. If you read this book and liked it, do yourself a favor and read A Dog's Purpose and prepare for your soul to shatter into little kibble-sized bits. You're welcome.
Anywhoozle, I see a lot of people complaining about all the metaphors and the racing and the metaphors about racing. I admit, it did get pretty annoying at times and I would skim over the racing parts. I couldn't hate up on it too much though because when my father was alive, racing was his #1 passion in life. It was always his dream to be a racecar driver. I never understood the obsession, since I HATE driving with a fiery passion, but I did enjoy trying to understand his love of the sport a little better through this book.
I laughed out loud a few times while reading early on in the story (before it took a decidedly darker turn). That sex-crazed stuffed zebra caught me off guard and made me giggle. Later on, when the zebra become a big metaphor, I started to hate the zebra, but I digress...
I liked Enzo and the way his mind worked. I like to think of my dog as being way smarter than we can possibly imagine. I like the way that Enzo believed that when he died, he would become a man. That is a seriously awesome thought.
The family drama bit I didn't really enjoy. Those evil grandparents can choke on a Milkbone.
Overall, this was a nice, fast-paced read that is definitely worth checking out, but I do think that this book is seriously over-hyped. There are way better dog books out there.