πβπ π΄ππ‘ ππ π πππππ ππ π‘βπ π πππ. Garth Stein. 2008.
Middle grade contemporary fiction. Family drama. Animal point-of-view.
Enzo, a racing instructorβs pet dog, has the interior personality of a human. He studies the human behaviors of his family, seeing many of them as racing car metaphors, and prepares to be reincarnated as a man.
The vibe in this story is bittersweet, soulful, and contemplative as Enzo watches his master navigate the complexity of human relationships and emotions.
The voiceβobviously a dogβs anthropomorphic voiceβis curious, sympathetic, and philosophical. Interestingly, it is also simultaneously child-like and wise, which gives this story an abundance of underlying charm.
AUTHORS – I write short book reviews that focus on voice and vibe. They are useful to querying authors searching for comp titles. There are more on my website.