Matt McAvoy Book Review

Absolutely heartfelt, this is not so much a narrative as an outpouring of emotion, a love letter to the best creatures on the planet.  As you may have guessed, I am a shameless dog-lover – though I have to admit, even I raised my eyebrows at the size of the heart on Jennifer’s sleeve at moments in this book.  It is utterly engrossing, and of course – at the risk of big spoilers – anticipatedly, utterly heartbreaking.  Of course, we know from early on where the book is going, and for poor little Benny, in the second half his ordeal seems to relentlessly plummet from bad to worse.  There is absolutely no judgment from me, particularly when reading an author who so clearly has nothing but utter devotion behind her intentions for Benny, but I’m not sure I would have taken such battling decisions in her shoes; indeed, I have been in her shoes, more than once.  But Jennifer doesn’t want to fixate on this segment of Benny’s celebration, and nor should we.

Jennifer is a superb writer – not surprising, of course, given her trade.  The second half of the book reads more like a medical-procedural memoir, which for some reason feels immeasurably more engaging and sympathy-invoking than others in the genre because it relates to a furry friend.  And again, no judgement at all toward the beautiful soul which is Jennifer, but my use of the word “friend” there was deliberate; I personally couldn’t gel with the continuous references to “Mommy”, “Daddy” and “son”, in respect of the relationship between Benny and his human family; readers may be divided on this, and the sweetness may be a little much for some tastes.  But everybody lives their own life, and pouring expressions of love is never a bad way to do it!  Furthermore, the title of the book should certainly prepare you for any suggestions of twee.

The book itself is a great read; in my opinion, it doesn’t get much better than a memoir to a dog.  It is high quality and well-crafted, with an admirable degree of intricately researched minutiae; you can tell that the author has taken great pains to involve the experts in detailed consultation for this project.  I think it is also a well-constructed narrative; Benny seems to come along just at the right time in the story (exactly as they tend do in life), when you feel yourself starting to flag a touch from some of the more questionable decisions by the author prior to his appearance.  Ignore the bad reviews; I suspect an element of bitterly perceived human dominion in them (a belief system most of the book’s readers will utterly reject), and perhaps even some bizarre brimstone judgment of the author’s own medical traumas; I know which type of reader I would most value hearing from, and Jennifer is a candid, sharing individual in comparison.  If you’re a dog lover (and, seriously, why wouldn’t you be?), then I’d recommend it, but keep the tissues handy – and expect treacle, and plenty of it.