This was such a cute story.
So much more than a story of a dog. I can't stop thinking about this book.

On Valentine’s Day 2019, someone stole Steven Carino’s dog, Oliver, from his car. Having lost his mother at thirteen and grown up with an alcoholic father, he could always count on his dogs for comfort and company. But now, with his beloved Oliver missing, Steven felt utterly alone.

Then, the miracle. In a series of near-impossible coincidences, people from different walks of life crossed paths with Oliver and with Steven. Hardworking immigrants, wealthy suburbanites, car mechanics, deli workers, old friends, close relatives, street cops, gang members, a TV news reporter, social media followers around the world, and one very gifted hairdresser all played a part in Steven’s desperate journey to find Oliver. In the middle of it all, Steven realized that no one is ever truly alone--and that the power of community can be life-changing.

This book was sad at times, but it is ultimately uplifting. I love the author’s clear love for not just his dog, but his best friend. This book definitely made me shed a lot of tears, but in a great way!

OLIVER! This heartwarming but worrisome tale of the debacle that the author went through to find his little friend was well written and organized. Something that I would never expect to be turned into a story of great interest Steven does a great job of explaining the connection of a pet owner and his beloved pet who is also so much more. I enjoyed the layout and the depth in which he went to explain his own background and the importance of finding Oliver for himself but also the help that he was given along the way. Great story.

I love a good animal book, and this was no exception. The audiobook was well done and I enjoyed the author providing the narration. I think that aspect helped me really get into it. I was thoroughly involved in the storyline and the search for the dog. I enjoyed the author's inclusion of various stories from his life that intertwined with the story of his lost dog, Oliver. A nice audiobook to listen to when you're driving, cooking dinner, going for a walk, etc.

Would not download. Could not listen to book so cannot comment. Wish the app worked properly. 3 stars.

This was such a cute and adorable read. I really loved this story and the fact that it was being told by a dog. I just recently bought a new dog so I felt very connected to Oliver. I just wish I could actually pet him!!

This was very well narrated (I listened to the audiobook) and I absolutely flew through it. I seriously finished it very quickly, considering I was reading like three other books at the same time.

I really recommend this! It’s very unique and nothing like anything I’ve read, which is great! Loved this!!

This was a good book! I was really invested into the search for Oliver and was so happy when everything worked out.
The characters other than Steve and Oliver were a bit flat though, which made it hard to be really invested in Steve's relationships with them as I kept forgetting who was who. But that honestly didn't matter as much to me because I just wanted Oliver to be found!

I volunteered to read this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This audiobook is a good listening experience. The author did a good job reading his book. He written it well. It will bring tears to your eyes. It is in stores now for $20.99 (USD). I would recommend listening to this book to anyone and everyone. TRIGGER WARNING ALCOHOL ABUSE.

While I liked the premise and the story, the narrator for the audiobook made this extremely difficult to listen to. Unnecessary pauses and breaks in sentences and paragraphs while reading made it so distracting that it was difficult to just listen and enjoy the story. I would recommend obtaining the print copy so that you have the opportunity to enjoy the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest opinions.

I am afraid that I cannot say I am a fan. I liked the idea and I believe dogs are really great company. But I had to force myself finish it. I think the main reason was the reader: Pauses in sentences between words when there should not have been a pause, really made the listening difficult and at point, boring. The other main thing I really wasn’t a fan of was the religious inputs. It could have been an okay book but these two aspects made my reading/listening not the best.

Okay, so let me start with this..if you have a pulse and functioning heart be prepared for an emotional ride while reading/listening to this book.
This true story proves that not only do dogs make our individual lives better just by being in their presence, but how they can become a bigger part of creating a community to rescue not only a stolen dog, but the hearts of the humans involved. Oliver is a deliciously sweet little pup, who though he is not technically an emotional support dog he really is. He is Steves life line. The reason he gets out of bed, smiles and wants to come home at night. His life was not one of fairy tales and he is emotionally damaged, yet is still an incredibly kind loving good man truly with the exception of Oliver doesn’t really feel worthy. When Oliver is stolen from Steven he is truly lost. Who, how and why? Can he ever catch a break? And out of a single phone call begins a beautiful coming together of family, friends, strangers and and entire community who pulls together to help bring Oliver home and restore Steves sense of self, equilibrium and peace. If you read this book and you aren’t a dog person, you will be after! The world would be a better place if everyone experienced the unconditional love of a dog.
The story is more about Steve and his journey to learning that he has worth, that your past doesn’t always predict your future and that he is worthy of being loved. something he never knew of felt before. Sometimes we get stuck in believing we are who those who are supposed to love us tell us we are. It took a community of people and a stolen little dog to help him break that cycle.
I did find the story a little repetitious at times and would have preferred a different narrator, but all in all a sweet heartwarming story.

Loved this book! Loved the narration. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating audiobook.

Oliver is a special dog. He is the closest companion of Steve, who lives alone andis easily pushed back into depression.
When the pretty little Yorkie Cross is stolen Steve's world collapses.
Luckily his closest sister is more practical and starts a campaign to get Oliver back.

The style of the book I found a bit overpoweringly American. Steve narrates events with deviations to encompass biv events from his last He also hammers his brand of Christianity at the reader.
In his quest to track down his little dog Steve endures an a animal lover's worst nightmare and is also showered with compassion and supoort throughout his ordeal.
I personally would have preferred Oliver to be the narrator of this compelling story

The narrator gives real heart to this story. Steve isn't reading a book, he is telling you about what happened when he lost his dog. This is a tale of a man who loses his dog and the following search. He also spends a lot of time going back through his past relationships with family, friends and God. He starts off angry at the world, and then realises he is not alone and has the love and support from strangers and friends and family. This is a man's journey to find his dog and himself

I loved the story but could have done without the narrator. His speech was too stilted and distracting

This story is about what happened when a very loved little dog named Oliver was stolen from his owner’s car on Valentine’s day. Steve, Oliver’s owner, is left a complete emotional wreck. And for those of us who have ever lost a pet, through death or otherwise, it is easy to empathize with the hollow place that was left in Steven’s heart.

Though most dog lovers might reach for this book because of the cover, it is more about the dog’s owner than the dog. The story covers Steven’s emotional state, his reaction to Oliver’s loss, and finally the reaction of those hearing of the loss. The present, which is about the search for Oliver, is interspersed with past history of Steven’s life.

While I have discovered that I love a good dog story, I found this was more of a memoir of Steven’s story during the time that Oliver was missing. In that regard I was disappointed. Though there is a good message that the author shares.

My Concerns
I had several concerns regarding this audiobook.

It would have helped to have had a professional narrator since Steven’s jumpy reading style, which included pausing often and not just at commas, ended up making it very hard to listen to.
The story felt repetitious and far too long for the topic.
I hate to admit this, but it was also hard to like the main character. While people were doing everything in the world to help Steven, he was intent on holding on to the woe-is-me attitude and acting helpless. (Okay, I feel very bad saying that, but I’m being honest.)

Conclusion
This did have a very good lesson, and I appreciate that the author was willing to share what he learned and in turn perhaps help others. That being said, I would have been happier had this been a short story rather than a book.

Did I like the message? Absolutely. It was a very good message that we all need to take note of.

But for me, the story just wasn’t a good fit.

Unfortunately, my Concerns outweighed the Positives this time.

My thanks to #netgalley for the ability to listen to an ARC of this audiobook and to post my opinion of it.

If I wasn't hooked by Oliver's adorable picture on the cover, the warm sound of this narrator's voice kept my ears glued to this story all day. This is a true story that, (even if you are not religious,) will restore your faith in people. This book is the definition of empathy, and will have you walking through the highs and lows as if you are sitting next to Steven, refreshing that Facebook page for updates on his dog. This is so much more than a dog's journey home; it is a test of the human spirit for a man who is in the darkest place of his life, and a community who rises up and helps light his way back. This book is for anyone who has ever felt alone in this world, or even just likes dogs or human interest stories! I promise, regardless of whether or not you are Christian, you will be deeply moved by this book.

You may not know this but I adore dogs. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to have one but I know in the future I will. I have always seen myself as an old lady living with a dog, so I still have hope.

For this reason, when I saw that this book was available I didn’t hesitate in getting it.

Oliver is the heart-warming real story of a dog who disappeared from his owner’s car. It narrates the odyssey of Steven J. Carino, the said owner, in trying to bring Oliver back.

But it is a lot much more than that.

In the book Steven tells us his own story. We learn about his family, his path through life, his failures, his flaws and why Oliver is so important for him.

Furthermore, Steven tells us how although he thought he was alone in the world, and no one really cared for him, Oliver’s disappearance made him realise that he is indeed surrounded by the most marvellous people.

THE INCIDENT

Oliver was stolen from Steven’s car while he was shopping on Valentine’s day 2019 in Mount Vernon (New York). From that moment on, his only objective in life was to bring Oliver back.

Of course this is what every single person would do for their pet. However, for Steven, Oliver represents much more than for any other person. As he doesn’t have a wife nor children, Oliver was his only partner in life.

Oliver is a lifebelt on whom Steven grips in order to stay afloat. Oliver is his link to life, to reality, his friend, his family. I adored to listen to his conversations with Oliver, and the doggy’s imagined responses. This was just delightful.

Furthermore, Oliver and his disappearance has helped Steven understand that he is not so alone as he thought and that people, in their majority, only wanna help.

Steven is helped in his search by his own family, the residents of Mount Vernon, policemen and in a word, the whole town knows about his story and tries to help in one way or another.

RELIGION

I am an atheist, to be sincere. And I’m proud of it. For that reason, there were some passages of the book where Steven talks about God and the Bible to which I cannot in principle relate at all.

However, I understand what he meant by including those passages from the Bible. Letting aside the religious elements, I can sympathise with the meaning of the words and the ultimate goal behind them.

If someone makes something bad, like in this case, stealing a dog, it is normal to feel angry. Steven did. I would too. However, as the days pass on and Oliver does not appear, Steven begins to comprehend that the person who took Oliver has problems too and that deep inside, this person is maybe not bad.

Steven’s transformation is so big that he even at the end of the story wants to help the person who stole Oliver from him. I don’t know if I could do it, so I am amazed by his enormous generosity and understanding. This makes me still have some faith in humanity.

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT “OLIVER”

If you like dogs and you are so lucky as to share your life with one of these fluffy balls you would like “Oliver” for sure.

I found myself tearing up sometimes hearing Steven talking about his own life and what Oliver meant for him. You must be made of stone not to feel his suffering and desperation. But also hearing about his mother and his father made me very sentimental.

I guess if you are religious you would appreciate the book even more. But as I said, on a deep level, religious or not, Steven’s learning throughout the book can apply to everyone.

He is trying to transmit that although there are people who do bad things, there are others full of empathy, understanding, generosity and compassion.

So I will totally recommend “Oliver” if you want to learn how from an awful event in your life, you can even end up learning something good about yourself that you could not have expected.

Oh! And if you can, I’d recommend you to listen to the audiobook version which is narrated by Steven himself. The emotion in his voice really help setting up the mood for the story. Some people have complained about it, but in my humble opinion, no one would narrate this story as the person who has lived it, even if he is not a professional narrator.
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Thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, the authors Steven J. Carino and Alex Tresniowski as well as to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of “Oliver” in exchange for an honest review.

It is -27 degrees in Minnesota and my nose hairs are forming icicles, I can’t see people smile in public because of the mask mandate, most of my grandchildren live six hours away, my favorite jeans are too tight, and I have a cold sore from using old lip balm. Is it time for a feel-good book! If you are experiencing similar angst, here’s a good read for you.

If you are a doggie parent or just a dog lover, Oliver: The True Story of a Stolen Dog and the Humans He Brought Together will tug at your heartstrings. Steve Carino’s memoir is special.

A quick synopsis:

“I felt an awful, hard knot in my gut, like a punch — the mixture of shock and rage and vulnerability that comes with losing something that just a moment ago was there. The false, desperate hope that if you just look hard enough for it, the precious thing that was yours will still be yours because it belongs with you, right where you left it, and nowhere else.”


On Valentine’s Day 2019, someone stole Steven Carino’s dog, Oliver, from his car. Having lost his mother at thirteen and grown up with an alcoholic father, he could always count on his dogs for comfort and company. But now, with his beloved Oliver missing, Steven felt utterly alone.

Then, the miracle. In a series of near-impossible coincidences, people from different walks of life crossed paths with Oliver and with Steven. Hardworking immigrants, wealthy suburbanites, car mechanics, deli workers, old friends, close relatives, street cops, gang members, a TV news reporter, social media followers around the world, and one very gifted hairdresser all played a part in Steven’s desperate journey to find Oliver. In the middle of it all, Steven realized that no one is ever truly alone—and that the power of community can be life-changing.

Oliver is not just a book about a stolen dog. At its core, it’s a story about kindness, friendship, and the power of faith. As Steven says, “This is more than just a dog story. This is an everybody story. This is a love story.”


Pros:
• As I began listening, I had a flashback to just a few days earlier. Carino’s sister is Laura Schroff, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of another feel-good book, An Invisible Thread, a memoir my book club had just discussed. It was interesting to read Steven’s slightly different take on their childhood.

• Normally having the author narrator read his or her own book is the kiss of death in my opinion, but the raw emotion in Steven’s untrained voice really captivated me.

• Oliver contains profound lessons about faith and forgiveness without being prescriptive. What Steven experienced when his beloved dog was stolen was life-affirming for him… and me.

• Carino and cowriter, Alex Tresniowski did an excellent job creating suspense. I didn’t know if Oliver would be found around the next corner or if Steven’s hopes would be dashed once again. It was gripping.


Cons:
• The author weaves together anecdotes from his childhood and his search for Oliver. I listened to the audio version, and some of the transitions were awkward, most likely due to poor production editing.
• There was some repetition in the book; the editor in me wanted to take out my red pencil.


While Oliver isn’t fine literature, it is a lovely book filled with joy, love, and maxims about God’s faithfulness and it made my heart happy. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advance listen. I have to confess I downloaded this audiobook because of the cover. Love dogs and Shorkies are so stinkin' cute and Oliver is definitely cute beyond cute. Loved hearing the story and the way Steven's family, friends and strangers all came together to help reunite Steven and his beloved Oliver. Will definitely recommend this book and or audiobook.