The Story
Dawn’s life has been one romantic disaster after another. She’s been divorced twice, has no career to speak of, and is homeless. But she does have one thing in her life that she is passionate about and that is her dog Chuck whom she picked out at the pound. Things seem to pick up for Dawn when she meets Paxton while working at an animal hospital. But when he tells her he is in love with someone else, her life seems to hit rock bottom—till Chuck, her dog, starts talking to her. Thinking she’s going crazy, Dawn notices that it’s not just Chuck who talks to her but all the other dogs she meets! Does this mean the answer to her happiness lies in listening to what her favorite animals have to say? Or does this spell even further disaster for Dawn’s already crazy life?
The Standouts
Chuck and the rest of the dogs
The premise alone is already interesting and what Chuck and the other
dogs have to say keep you hooked. One of the funnier lines in the book
happens when Chuck and another dog hear a stranger at the door and start
barking in anger: “Someone’s at the door! Someone’s at the door!” Then
Chuck yells, “Get away from the door, you miserable jack-off, I’ll rip
your ass in half!” Then both dogs yell: “We hate you. We hate you. We
hate you. We hate you.” But when the door opens to reveal Dawn’s dad
whom she hugs, Chuck starts yelling, “Come on in! Great to see you
again!” and his friend yells, “We missed you. Where have you been?
Welcome back! Who are you??” Markoe clearly understands dogs. The words
that come out of their mouths are quite believable and highly
entertaining. 
Screengrab of image from Amazon.comDawn’s family
If you come from a totally normal
family, Dawn’s may appear a bit too eccentric, but if you’re used to a
zany combination of personalities, these characters will definitely
entertain you. Though Dawn’s mother and sister can become annoying and
their lives a bit too exaggerated (especially Halley’s!), remembering
that this is the same book where dogs talk to the main character, things
fall into perspective and you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the
story.
The Letdowns
Dawn’s career
Though it is quite
heartening that Dawn finally finds something at the end of the story
that is both in line with her passion and is surely something that will
make her and Chuck happy, it somehow feels like an afterthought. There
is too much focus on the annoying Paxton and his relationship with Chuck
and not enough on Dawn actually setting out to do something about her
career. The money she earns isn’t even something she worked hard on, but
something that came out of an idea that she had out of the blue. Where
was that luck earlier in her life? It just seems a bit too easy when
prior to that, it was so difficult for her.
Bookshelf Meter: 3 stars
Bookshelf Meter:
1 star – Don’t even bother.
2 stars – Since there’s nothing else to read…
3 stars – Worth borrowing from a friend, but not buying your own
4 stars – Deserves a spot on your nightstand.
5 stars – Grab this book now and forget the one you’re reading!
Available at Fully Booked
***
Olivia
Yao has been writing ever since she can remember. She has written for
health, teen, parenting, and children's magazines. Her latest endeavor
is being a mom to her three-year-old daughter—her toughest assignment
yet.
Yahoo! Philippines SHE encourages responsible comments
that add dimension to the discussion. No bashing or hate speech, please.
You can express your opinion without slamming others or making
derogatory remarks.
