Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't like this book. It just didn't excite me. It never got interesting. I'm not the biggest fan of these types of mysteries. And the audio was horrible. It may have been the narrator that made the book boring to me. I really didn't like his narration. I will not listen to another book he reads.

I just didn't like the plot. The characters didn't even have names, other than "the old woman", "the teacher", "the mayor", "America" and "the superintendent". That was weird and it made it hard to relate to any of the characters. It was far fetched and weird. I don't know if parts were lost in translation, but it wasn't good. I would recommend that if you want to read this, go for the actual print copy and not the audiobook.

Two stars.

'Dog Island' by Philippe Claudel, translated by Euan Cameron and narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Little, Brown & Company for an audio ARC for my honest review.

I enjoyed listening to the narrator's rich, smooth voice.

The author seems to show what happens when characters follow a dark path when unnecessary, and the consequences that follow. It's also like the island is a character of it's own and gets it's way, regardless of the people. Or maybe, because they were trying to take advantage of it with their spas, etc.

It's very thought-provoking.

#NetGalley #DogIsland

I kept thinking this was a political allegory, and that it wasn't made a lot of this really confusing because the direction was never really clear. It's an obvious translated work and it doesn't have the organic flow of something like Backman where the language is still super poetic; this felt a bit lumpy. Throw in weird child sexual abuse allegations and it just makes for a jarring and not overly enjoyable read.

The narrator was Nicholas Guy Smith who was thankfully immemorable; I mean that his performance was inoffensive and complete.

I received a copy of the audiobook for free from NetGalley and Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

This book is written in the most beautiful, descriptive way. Unfortunately it has very little substance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a audio arc for a honest review.

This book is still having me scratch my head. 3 bodies wash up on shore and is it a drowning gone wrong or murder.

This follows a few town members who discover the bodies and decide what to do. And what happen.

I felt lost most of the story and at one point there was just so much going on I wondered wait what's going on with the bodies. And once all the crazy happens it gets back to original plot. But I'm still not sure on everything that happen.

It just wasn't for me. I almost dnf it but because it was short I keep going.

Disappointing read.

Told in the format of an old fashioned fable this mystery story of bodies washed up on an island, was interesting but not engaging. Perhaps something was lost in the translation as other reviews of the original language version have been good.

Book Review: Dog Island by Philippe Claude

Dog Island is a contemporary drama about a group of people on a small isolated Mediterranean island who stumble on the bodies of three men who wash up from the sea and what they choose to do about it.

When three black men wash up on an island beach the villagers hastily enter a cover-up instead of bringing attention of outsiders and disturbing their way of life. Almost immediately a mysterious detective shows up and starts to ask questions and the group is sent in a turmoil that ends in betrayal, lies and more death.

While I appreciated the elegant storytelling and commentary on the dark side of human nature this was a little too subtle and quiet of a story for me. I did think it would make an amazing play since there are only a few locations it some of the reveals would play really well in front of a live audience.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Narrator 3 stars

Story 2 stars

I reay struggled to get into this book. It just could not hold my attention. I didn't love the narrator either.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it. **

Dog Island has all the right parts of a great book...dark theme, isolated location, brooding characters and a mystery to solve. It is a good story that I just couldn't connect to despite all the "right" parts being in place. This book involves deep questions about the basic motivations of human beings. I was definitely compelled to get answers but had a hard time staying invested in the details to get to those answers. This is a good one for those who enjoy fiction that gives commentary and fodder for discussion about social justice and ethical issues. I think this is a case of "a great book that's just not great for me."

A small island in the Mediterranean is leading its quiet and undisturbed life away from the outside world until one morning several of its residents make a gruesome discovery. Three bodies of unidentified men wash up on the beach threatening the end of the peaceful life for the mayor of the island if the news reach the main land.  The residents who discovered the bodies along with the mayor make a pact to burry the chilling evidence.  But one of the witnesses, a teacher, is greatly disturbed by how the matter is being handled and begins his own investigation, determined to share his findings with the authorities...

I have just discovered this award-winning French writer and as I was listening to this audio book, I couldn't help, but admire the way he tells the story, in a form of a fable.  The writing is very descriptive, the author makes some truly amazing analogies in this atmospheric tale of human nature, close community settled in its archaic ways where reputation prevails over truth and where outsiders are not tolerated.  As a translator, I also appreciated the excellent rendition of this book into English.

I'm so excited for this book to be released on August 10, 2021.  If you enjoy mystery novels and fable-style writing as much as I do, you're in for a treat!  This is a very thought-provoking and a suspenseful read.  4.5/5 stars from me!

A lovely island in the Mediterranean, one whose residents are dependent on the land, but now stand a chance at a better quality of life when an international spa is slated to be built there. One day a diverse group of islanders discovers three bodies have washed ashore. The islanders all have different agendas and beliefs, but they are all united in their belief that news of their grim discovery will ruin their chances for economic gain if the plans for the resort are mothballed. They agree that the bodies need to disappear, after all the bodies are just foreigners, refugees looking for a new place to live. This is a story about racism, ignorance and the desire for financial gain at any cost. This is not a heart warming story, but it is a very believable, layered story about the frailty of human beings. Guy is a compelling narrator

The writing style kind of reminded me of Lemony Snicket. I was intrigued at first but it Did not keep my attention. I Did not finish.

“Dog Island” by Philippe Claudel is an original novel, beautifully written in a dark and cynical tone.

The story reminds the reader that depending on the circumstances, all humans are capable of horrific things. This is not a story, where terrible things happen because of hunger, war, or oppression – It is simply human nature in all its absurdity, and I am sorry to say… It actually feels like rather plausible events.
It is an intriguing and fascinating story, and I had not predicted the ending. I would absolutely recommend this novel. If you are not into mysteries and thrillers, then read it for the beautiful language use.

I had the pleasure to receive an ARC of the audiobook edition – and I do mean PLEASURE!
The narration style of Nicholas Guy Smith is perfect for the mood of the story, and I lost myself in both the voice and words. (This translates into me on my sofa with this audiobook and basically not moving before it was finished. Yup – I listened for 9 hours straight and loved every minute of it!) #Noregrets

Thanks to @HachetteAudio and @NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in advance <3

I will come back on August 10th and publish reviews on Goodreads, Instagram and (Audible, if available there).

Dog Island is a very dark story, populated by twisted, unethical characters. It ends with one of the best sentences I’ve ever read, which feels like a punch in the gut. A group of villagers who represent every segment of the population, finds three bodies washed away on the beach. Since they’re “only” African refugees, presumably drowned while trying to reach Europe, it won’t matter if they dispose of the corpses, right? That way, they will be able to save their island and move it into the future by opening a spa. Some of them may have reservations about hiding the bodies, but they all either ignore them, or let others push them into compliance. And this pointless act of cruelty - at that point, no one had done anything wrong - keeps escalating until it’s out of control. I didn’t enjoy spending time in the characters’ heads, but they are so complex and three-dimensional that I wanted to find out what was going to happen. The audiobook is narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith, and he does a great job. It’s an interesting choice to have him perform as an omniscient narrator reading the characters’ minds rather than recreating their voices, but it works well with the way the novel is written.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Hachette Audio, Little, Brown & Company!

It was a profound audiable. I was shocked by the ferocity that was told. Every character has his own mask.
The theme of the principle of romance is the insensitivity of a human nature and his crudelity.
The island is the metaphor of the modern modern society, the goal of the diversion, the destiny, the first of all, to make and count with its presence and with and to provoke the right of selfishness and the right of secular selfishness. All the events and the psychological reactions of the anonymous protagonists are devastating, with an explosion of terror and violence.

Why do you call this a dream? What have we done to deserve this?