“Lynch is back and better, smarter, and funnier than ever.” —Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award Winner A boy learns how to be a friend from man’s best friend in this funny and moving middle grade novel about humans being able to change and dogs changing us from acclaimed author Chris Lynch. In a family of strong personalities with very strong points of view, Louis is what his mother lovingly calls “the inactivist,” someone who’d rather kick back than stand out. He only hopes he can stay under the radar when he starts high school in the fall, his first experience with public school after years of homeschooling. But when a favor for a neighbor and his stinky canine companion unexpectedly turns into a bustling dog-walking business, Louis finds himself meeting an unprecedented number of new friends—both human and canine. Agatha, a quippy and cagey girl his age always seems to be telling two truths and a lie. Cyrus, a few years his senior, promises he’s going to show Louis how to be a better person, whether Louis wants him to or not. And then there are the misbehaving border terriers, the four (possible stolen) sausage dogs, the rest of Louis’s charges, and a mysterious white beast who appears at a certain spot at the edge of the woods. Dogs and human alike all seem to have something they want to teach Louis, including his menacing older brother who keeps turning up everywhere. But is Louis ready to learn the lesson he needs how to stop being a lone wolf and be part of a pack?
Publication Year: 2024
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Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!
Walkin' the Dog
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.42/10 overall
Characters - 7
The characters in this book were unique and had clear personalities that came through in their interactions. However, they all felt rather bland and one-note. Louis was seemingly the only dynamic character, and even then, the change was minimal, which made the story seem to drag for me.
Atmosphere - 6
I could picture the different settings throughout the story, but the atmosphere did nothing to make them more interesting. That might just be part of the way Louis viewed the world though. If it wasn't interesting to Louis, why should it be interesting to the reader.
Writing - 6
The writing was decent. A lot of the time was spent really fleshing out the little details in the character's pasts, which helping to make the characters more realistic, but really took away from the enjoyment factor to me due to these details rarely playing a role in the story.
Plot - 7
The plot was alright and it was certainly a feel-good story in the end. However, I did not vibe with the time/setting shifts. There were a few chapters that just immediately changed from one place and time to another (nothing surreal or time-travel-ish, but different from where the plot left off) seemingly just to introduce some new dogs that Louis was walking? It made the plot feel a bit odd and disjointed to me. Plus, it made the book harder to follow, since there were all these new minor characters that Louis interacted with.
Intrigue - 6
Honestly, the book was not all that intriguing to me overall. There were a few times where I really had to know what happened next, but mostly I just felt apathetic towards the book.
Logic - 7
The book was rather logical. Aside from the awkward time skips, I could understand where the characters were and what their motives might be.
Enjoyment - 6
I enjoyed certain aspects of this book. It was certainly fun to visualize all the dogs and some emotional points felt well-thought out. :)
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