#32: A Dog’s Journey

A Dog’s Journey (A Dog’s Purpose #2)

by W. Bruce Cameron

---

Finished: April 2, 2015

My Goodreads rating: 5 stars *****

Click here for my review of the first book in this series, A Dog’s Purpose.

---

This book was just as good as A Dog’s Journey. I was delightfully entertained. It’s a heartwarming story and a very light read; I highly recommend it for a beach read, which is what I used it for.

The story continues from the first book, with the same doggy spirit and perspective as well. It tells a whole new story while still drawing from Buddy’s life lessons in his past lives. The perspective is adorable, and of course, innocent and light-hearted, since it’s told from the view of the dog himself.

Convincing and emotionally moving, I read this book so quickly that I was rather sad when it ended, although it is a very satisfying end to the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who was a fan of the first book and/or Marley and Me. I would definitely say you’ll get much more out of this book if you read A Dog’s Purpose beforehand, if for no other reason than you’ll understand how the process of the dog being reborn over and over again works. You’ll also understand the intensity of his attachments to his owners and important people and lessons he’s learned throughout his years more thoroughly.

An overall great read!

#28: A Dog’s Purpose

A Dog’s Purpose

by W. Bruce Cameron

---

Finished: March 22, 2015

My Goodreads rating: 5 stars *****

Click here for my review of the sequel to this book, A Dog’s Journey.

---

This book was so much fun to read. I couldn’t tell you how many times I chuckled to myself while reading it.

Told from the perspective of a dog, this is a book I couldn’t help but fall in love with. Even though the narrator may not focus on the typical things that a human narrator would focus on in telling a story, it still felt genuine and unique enough to be believable.

The dog, Bailey, as he comes to think of himself, is reborn several times in order to fulfill his “purpose” as a dog, which he tries determine throughout his lifetimes. Each life he encounters teaches him something that ends up being an advantage in another lifetime, and each experience gives him a new sense of purpose.

Despite feeling accomplished and like a “good dog,” Bailey continuously finds himself pining for his first real human relationship, to a boy named Ethan. With each rebirth, Bailey remembers his past lives, and Ethan is the one life he is sure his purpose is tied to.

This was one of those fiction books that made me wish animals really could talk or write books. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed books like Marley and Me and The Art of Racing in the Rain. It’s a heartwarming story of the love and loyalty of dogs and their essential purpose as incomparable friends to humans.