I really wanted to love this book. Indeed I did enjoy the first wee bit but then it all got a bit eye rolly for me and I disconnected with the main character. I did try and read through it, especially after sampling a few of the reviews already posted but I never managed to re-connect and so, eventually, sadly, marked it as a dnf...

This book was not quite what I expected (in a good way)! Narrated by the DOG who finds himself waking up in an animal control van with a head trauma and leg injury but no other memory of his previous life. The animal control officer, Mary, takes him to a vet and then saves him from getting his leg amputated. She takes him home and names him Leo. There he meets her other pets: Antonio, the parrot, Dwid, the cat, and Shakespeare, the pug. They can all communicate with each other but soon Leo discovers that he has skills that ‘normal’ animals don’t have. He is determined to find out why and to look for his previous owner who might have been the one who threw him out of a driving vehicle at 80 mph. A dangerous and scary quest.
Soon an opportunity presents itself, and Leo and Shakespeare leave for the City. Their journey really had me at the edge of my seat most of the time. I quickly realized that this is not a cute little doggy tale but a very serious adventure. On their route, they meet many animals and dangers, and I found myself fearing for their safety all the time.
This book is a must read for all dog lovers, I enjoyed how the author conveyed the story from the dog’s POV. The writing and description of the different species and their mannerisms, including humans, are amazing. The book is packed with suspense, emotion and humor. I loved the short chapters with titles. Leo and Shakespeare are absolutely lovable, and their friendship - even though they are so different - is one of a kind. Bravo, Mr Pass, what a debut! This is one of my favorite books of this year, I’ll be looking forward to your next book!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Thiessen Press and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC. It was an absolute joy and honor. This is my personal opinion and an honest review.

Sorry but I will not be finishing this one as it took a darker turn than I was expecting. I'm sure many people will enjoy it but it's just not for me.

This book had such a promising and unusual premise! I loved the way it started, with a dog as the narrator telling his story from his own perspective—it was refreshing and made for a truly interesting escape from reality. The early chapters were filled with wit and humor, and I found myself chuckling at several points. The mix of quirky characters and the canine view of the world hooked me from the start.

However, after about 200 pages, the story started to feel repetitive. What began as a delightful and imaginative adventure became slow, strange, and chaotic. The narrative seemed to lose its direction, with a massive chaotic scene leading to an odd resolution that didn’t quite land for me. It all sort of fizzled out after what could have been an impactful moment.

While it remained entertaining and strange throughout, I just couldn’t bring myself to finish it. The initial spark faded, leaving the latter half feeling like it dragged on.

This fantasy dog novel tells me more about the author than anything else. He is a veterinarian who now writes books and owns a lot of pets.

The story tells about a dog, Rousseau, thrown out of a moving van but rescued and adopted by Mary, who works in the vet's office. The dog and the vet, Dr. Francis, develop a mind connection during the dog's convalescence, being able to read each other's minds and carry on in depth conversations.

The dog eventually escapes and goes on a quest for adventure, where he joins coyotes in the desert and whose minds he can read. In fact the dog can converse with all the animals he meets.

I can imagine the author having the greatest time inventing his hero dog who does amazing things with other animals before he can go back to being Mary's pet.

This book will be loved by fantasy loving dog lovers and by other vets, I'm sure. But I had to skip through it being only mildly dog loving.

Will Pass’s The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived is a charming and witty story that brings an incredibly smart dog to life with tonnes of personality and heart. The way the protagonist's cleverness and emotional depth are portrayed makes for a fun and memorable character you can't help but root for. The supporting cast, both human and animal, add plenty of humour and warmth, making the story feel lively and relatable. Though the pacing slows at times, the overall feel-good nature and the charm of the characters make it a delightful read from start to finish.

This was a very charming story from the perspective of a dog. A very smart dog, at that. I would say the story has a few different parts and I enjoyed the first part of the story better than the other. Part 1, as I see it, introduces the reader to the characters who are all very different and a delight to read because the voices the different pets have could be put on animals many readers have met or perhaps have in their lives at this very moment. We have probably all met a very aloof, cool cat and a hyper smaller dog.

In the later parts of the story the tone is darker and harder to read, in my opinion, but with that said the parts about which kind of animals are regarded as good and bad could well be attributed to people and how there’s still a very “we and them” rhetoric present in many communities and political spheres.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel!

An epic adventure from the perspective of a dog? It sounded like a unique and intriguing premise and I was excited to request this and read more.

The last thing Leo (or Rou as he is later known), remembers is being rescued by a kind human as he was thrown out of a moving car on the highway. Leo is no ordinary dog however, he is as smart as a human and with his best friend Shakespeare the Pug (who is as smart as a Pug), he is on a quest to discover what has happened to him and where he came from.

This was a delightful book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Leo is a great narrator, not always understanding the nuances of everything that was presented, but describing it enough that as a reader, you knew what was coming. The quest takes us from the Vets office, to the wilderness with cayotes to the desert and undercity of ‘Los Velos’. There is a menagerie of characters and animals we meet on the way, but each one was well written and described, I felt like I empathised with all of them. It really did feel like you were being taken along on an epic quest with Leo and Shakespeare. Be warned that there are some darker moments in this book, and it is certainly not a light read although it has light hearted moments.

The book did struggle a little with pacing - occasionally it felt like it dragged in the middle, but then the ending felt very rushed, and I struggled to really picture what was happening with the Rajah’s show. I would have perhaps liked more pages spent on the Los Velos section, and less on the cayotes to really understand what was going on and to wrap up the story in a better way.

Overall, The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived is a delightfully epic tale with some brilliant characters. Thank you to NetGalley & Thiessen Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The life of a stray is not an easy one. Dr. Francis attempts to save them all. However, his budget is limited. As a result there is a large population of strays around the desert areas near Los Velos.

One of this band of strays has secured a local hamburger joint. His trick is to hide beside the driver’s side of the car and wait until the bag of burgers is offered through the drive-up window. A quick jump and there may be hamburgers all around.

Leo is one of those strays and a little bigger than most. He has been living in the desert with coyotes and is thankful he is not their dinner. A few smaller dogs that travel with him take advantage of his size and protective tendencies.

The book is well written with many fun vignettes. The writer has woven human relationships and prejudices into a very believable tapestry of adventures. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Trigger: Animal death

This is a real surprise for a debut that combines both humor and anguish in canine POV. You’ll enjoy the adventure and characters whether or not a dog lover.

I love it when an author brings an area of expertise into their story, and this is exactly what Will Pass does.

With a background in veterinary medicine, Pass creates a story filled with animal characters, each with their own unique personalities and life stories. At times it is incredibly funny, yet other moments yield to feelings of sadness, anger and warmth. The character traits were reflective of human emotions, so much so, that sometimes I forgot it was about animals. Whether it was the author’s intention or not, this story shines a spotlight on the difficult topics of laboratory testing and animal captivity. Pass does an incredible job of portraying this through the eyes of an animal. You’ll need to use your imagination and suspend some belief, but I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Thiessen Press for this advanced reader’s copy via NetGalley. The opinions are entirely my own. Now…go hug an animal or give food to a stray.

Wow! What a pleasure it was to read this book. Told from the viewpoint of an extremely intelligent dog, you’ll be in tears from both the comedic and heart-warming moments. The author was able to give each character a defining personality and wrote in a way that allowed the reader to easily connect with every featured animal, human or not. Overall a very clever and enjoyable book that also manages to bring a few real world issues to light without becoming overly negative.

As a veterinarian, I've always wanted to know what the animals around me are thinking and saying, and "The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived" brilliantly satisfies this curiosity. The book, featuring two dogs, Leo and Shakespeare, offers a glimpse into the world from a dog's perspective through their adventures and mishaps.

Leo and Shakespeare's personalities are captured through their conversations, which are filled with humor. As they navigate the world, along with other animals as additional characters, their thoughts, feelings, and interpretations of human behaviour are amusing to read. Their interactions with other animals and the humans feel incredibly spot-on and I found myself thinking that it's exactly how they would see things.

What I didn’t expect to find in this book was its sci-fi element, but it was combined into the narrative seamlessly. The vivid descriptions pulled me into the dogs' shoes - or paws!, - making me feel a part of their journey.

Overall, "The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived" is a heartwarming and delightful read for anyone who loves dogs or has ever wondered what their pets are thinking!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thiessen Press for giving me the e-ARC!

This is quite a book! The cover and title suggest something cute and lighthearted, but this is not that. There is some humor along with the adventure and heartbreak, but this is most definitely a book for adults. It does make me look at my dog in a different way! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise. It was the first book I had access to on NetGalley, and I was hooked by the title and the cover, without knowing exactly what it was about. Right away, the narrator's unusual perspective caught my attention, but it might give the impression that we're heading into the territory of "cute stories about animals." What we find, however, is an entire journey of discovery, intrigue, friendship, and adventure in just the right amount.
It's really cool to see how certain behaviors and practices of human beings, which we take for granted, are dissected, ridiculed, and criticized, leading to a series of reflections on our relationship with animals. However, the book falls a little short in what I consider to be every author's greatest nemesis: finishing the book. The story is well-constructed and keeps you hooked, but the resolution seems a little rushed.
That said, I would really like to see this universe expanded (the entire Part II deserves at least 3 more books) or adapted for other media.

This entire story hinges on the brilliant characterization of the animals - and I'm here for it!
There are layers of hope, desperation, and pure emotions portrayed that gave this story depth where it could have just provided humor. It's captivating, a bit whimsical, a tad gritty, and overall just a wonderful story.

Give it a shot - I 10000% recommend.

Really great sticking presence for a first novel. Never felt like it was dragging on or taking its time. Zero complaints about writing style, prose, or vocabulary. It's a story well told in distinct parts, and while I enjoyed the serialized taste of that, I can recognize others would not.

The ending did feel a bit rushed and the heroes' journey was a bit cyclical.

Overall, good fun read, would certainly recommend if you enjoy irregular point-of-view stories.

This book is so entertaining and so unlike anything I've read before.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a dog, or even just wondered what they would sound like? Well, then this book is for you!

Leo suffers from amnesia after being thrown out of a car on the highway, and so following all of his experiences of firsts really brings out an adorableness to the entire book. Everything is new to Leo, just like it's new to the reader, what it's like to be a dog. All the idiosyncrazies of seeing our lives from the viewpoint of our pets. All of the different animals in this book is very distinct and their personality is spot on with the traits and behaviour they display in our lives. I love Shakespeare the pug!

This debut is such a delicious story, that put a smile-turned-grin on my face. Leo's reasoning on flat earthers and creationism vs evolution was especially delectable!

This book definitely gave food for thought on how we treat animals overall.

Rou/Leo is a smart stray with amnesia and he and Shakes go on a quest.
Told by Rou/Leo, it has a gripping start and witty or poignant moments.
Prose 3
Plot 3 (if this were shorter, the pacing would have been better)
Characters 3

Overall, I recommend this as a Sunday afternoon read.

As somebody who has 4 dogs, 15 cats, and a budgie at home I absolutely loved this book! The style of writing, being from the pov of a dog, (I understand completely how some people may struggle with this, or at least to begin with), but, as ALL of my fur babies have their own personalities and I frequently have “conversations” with them…. I immediately fell right into this one.
It was fun, interesting and a change from anything else I’ve read in quite some time. I’d highly recommend this to all, even if you’re not necessarily an animal person, the concept behind it is is great.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance ARC

〜～～

For me, it was an interesting synopsis of the book, and at first I didn't have high hopes for this book, BUT. I still can't describe my feelings, because it was interesting, but just about a few pets, a grumpy cat, a sleeping parrot, a crazy pug, and a dog.

From the very beginning, I liked the author's language and the way he tells the story, I think that's one of the main aspects of this book, and that narration makes it an incredibly cozy book for me.

I don't know what else to say, you just have to read it.