The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein ★★★★



I did not want to like this book. It's heartbreaking. You develop a fond attachment to Enzo. I repeat, I did not want to like this book, but I did. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, is about a dog named Enzo. It starts off with Enzo knowing that it is his time. You then are taken back through Enzo's entire lifetime, living on the farm, with Denny (his owner), etc. and how everything ties into racing. Enzo wants to be a racecar driver, but he knows he cannot...because he does not have thumbs. Then of course, not really a spoiler alert, because its the inevitable....you come full circle to the end of Enzo's life.  I can read books with humans passing away. Good people, bad people...no big deal. I can watch movies and 95% of the time, its still not that big of a deal with someone dies. But when they put animals into that situation? It becomes one giant sob-a-thon. I get the ball in my throat, the water eyes and shaky voice. I just feel so bad and helpless..Why do the animals always have to die?
I liked this book because its in the point of view of a dog. Some of the things Enzo talks about, I think to myself; So that is why my dogs do that?! Enzo understood everything people were saying and even trying to stop Denny from making the biggest mistake of his life...a few times. Enzo's story is a good one. The Denny story, I did not see that coming. The entire book, although good, was rather sad. Denny had it rough (and his in-laws were the biggest Aholes ever!! I wanted to punch them in the face...repeatedly).
I would probably recommend this book to someone who wants to read something a little different (a dogs POV) however I would just suggested to not read the 7th and 8th to last page...Those are the lump in your throat pages.

Enzo, you will be a great human.