Just Life

by Neil Abramson

From Neil Abramson, the acclaimed author of Unsaid, comes a riveting novel that explores the complex connection between humans and animals.

Veterinarian Samantha Lewis and her team are dedicated to providing a sanctuary for unwanted, abused, and abandoned dogs in New York City. But every day it gets harder to operate her no-kill shelter. Sam is already at her breaking point when she learns of an unidentified, dangerous virus spreading through their neighborhood. The medical community can only determine that animals are the carriers. Amid growing panic and a demand for immediate answers, suspicion abruptly falls on dogs as the source. Soon the governor is calling in the National Guard to enforce a quarantine -- no dog may leave the area.

Samantha knows from her own painful history that, despite the lack of real evidence against the dogs, a quarantine may only be the beginning. As questions about the source of the virus mount and clash with the pressure for a politically expedient resolution, Sam is forced to make life-altering choices. She finds allies in a motley crew of New Yorkers -- a local priest, a troubled teen, a smart-mouthed former psychologist, and a cop desperate to do the right thing -- all looking for sanctuary from their own personal demons. But the person Sam needs the most to unravel the mystery of the virus and save the dogs is the last one she'd ever want to call on -- because contacting him will mean confronting the traumatic past she has fought so hard to escape.

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Dogs, Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

386 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

Neil Abramson is a partner in a Manhattan law firm, and his wife is a veterinarian. Abramson is also a past board member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, an award recipient from the ASPCA for his legal work on behalf of animals, and a founding member of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Legal Issues Relating to Animals.

Like Neil on Facebook.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a heartwarming read, full of goodies and baddies and saving animals and medical conspiracies...this is for you. It's a simple tale but told with a smile and a genuine love for dogs and humans who fight for them. The author depicts the connection between human and animal as positive and life-affirming, anyone who cares for their pets the way I do my three cats can easily understand the emotions that underlie this story. In addition, there was some great dialogue which provided a relief from the darker side of the novel.

Thanks to Neil Abramson, FaithWords/Center Street, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Tanya Eby]

I just loved narrating this book. It has suspense, mystery, great characters, and HUGE heart. It's just wonderful. I hope my narration does it justice.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two definitions to the word just and Abramson uses both in his title. Early on he writes:

“Intention. Your intention to imbue the space between you and another being with the spirit of God. Your intention to care. That is the stone and mortar, the architectural drawings and the building permits rolled into one. It is the only required ingredient. That is the definition of a just life”.

Just Life starts with the stories of four attempting to live a just life. A cop, formerly a K9 cop, a veterinarian running a no kill shelter, a young man who suffered abuse as a foster child and an elderly Catholic priest. There are also many peripheral characters, mostly on the side of caring individuals.

The second definition defines just as only or merely. As in, it's just a dog. Given that the plot involves a deadly virus that is suspected of being transferred from dogs to humans, this definition also comes into play. The government’s standard program of “quarantine, cull and kill” may be acceptable for pigeons, but what about dogs? The book raises lots of these kind of questions. Such as do human lives matter more than canine?

Now I am a sucker for “dog books” and tend to grade on a curve if there are dogs and dog lovers in the book. And I liked Unsaid, Abramson’s prior book. There were flashes of brilliance in this one, as when Abramson talks about the connection between humans and dogs. But I struggled with the story when it came to the humans. The characters all seem to be good or evil, a little too two dimensional. And Abramson provides back stories on everyone, so I sometimes felt bogged down when I wanted the plot to move forward.

An interesting read, but not a fascinating one and high on the unbelievable scale.

My thanks to netgalley and Faith Words for an advance copy of this book.

[Alexszollo · Rating 5 out of 5]

From now on, I will know what to expect from a Neil Abramson novel: LIFE! Teeming with LIFE, his sophomore novel tells the story of Sam Lewis, veterinarian and operator of a no-kill animal shelter, who is facing a scenario that is the nightmare of every animal lover: dogs are suspected of carrying a virus with devastating effects on children.
I loved UNSAID, the debut novel of Mr. Abramson, for the powerful bond between humans and animals that it so beautifully described, as well as its complex descriptions of what death means for humans and animals alike. With JUST LIFE, he proved that he can definitely up the ante.
I loved every character of this book. From Sam, who loves dogs with all her heart and is facing her traumatic past, to her estranged father, Dr. Daniel Lewis, to Andy, the troubled young musician who loves dogs with all his heart, Father Gabriel, an elderly, illness-struck priest with a heart of gold(read this book), everyone here is in need of an answer to whether there's a question mark or an exclamation mark after the two words in the title. I loved how each of these characters are flawed in one way or another, but not less likable. Even Dr. Jacqueline Morgan, the "villain" of the piece is a complex character that is not 100% evil or cartoonish, but just considers herself entitled to her purpose. The novel is very timely, given the paranoid obsession that our world has in regard to pandemics. There are some instances of animal cruelty, but it is so heartwarming to follow the efforts of deeply flawed, but essentially kind souls trying to help them, that they should not be a problem for any reader. I love this book even more than I loved UNSAID. Thanks so much, Mr. Abramson! Great, great job!

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could you imagine simply turning in your dog because of a viral outbreak? What if you had no choice? What if you were mandated to do so under the fear that you might never see your dog again if they believe that destruction is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus to keep from killing children? How far would you go?

These are the choices that residents of Riverside, a small neighborhood in New York have been asked to do as part of a quarantine to prevent the spread of what the CDC has determined might be a killer rabies virus. First they thought the recent deaths of the children of Riverside was caused by the bird flu, but tests are coming back confirming that it is rabies and with the presidential election coming, the Governor wants to ensure that his rally goes off in Central Park without any issues.

Samantha Lewis, owner of Finally Home, a non kill pet shelter and veterinarian has her work cut out for her. Not only does she have to find homes for the pets currently in her shelter due to a mandate from the city that they are closing her shelter but they have placed a quarantine on the cities dogs within Riverside. She can't bear the thought of how the CDC will handle the situation if they deem the dogs are the carrier. Despite all the tests and blood work she is doing on the dogs being brought into her from the residents, she knows once people go into panic mode, the dogs will be slated to be killed in order to contain the virus. But based on all her knowledge is seems suspicious that rabies would find a way to cross over to humans without being bitten. She will have to reach out to the one person who can help her and the one person she doesn't want to call. Her father.

I received Just Life by Neil Abramson compliments of Center Street Publishers, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest and personal opinions. This is such a great novel despite the profanity and makes you consider just how we handle these viral outbreaks with the slaughter of animals that are called into question. This really impacted me personally as a pet lover, and wondered just what I would do if called to give up my dog knowing they might be killed in an effort to contain the viral outbreak. Humans or animals? That is the choice up for debate in this political thriller! For me this rated 4 out of 5 stars only due to the profanity and my own personal rating system I have established. Without it, 5 out of 5 stars.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This starts off feeling like a dystopian novel, with a West Nile-type zoonotic virus outbreak threatening the children of a neighborhood of New York City. Before too long, though, the plotline turns both more prosaic and more mysterious. Is this a rabies epidemic or something more sinister? Evil animal research and dodgy local politics collide to put Samantha Lewis’s shelter dogs in peril. Good and bad are pretty cut-and-dry here; how you treat animals is Abramson’s sure-fire sign of moral rectitude. Of Sam’s one-note supporting characters, Beth is the best. The Father Gabriel and Andy subplots are both pretty melodramatic. I would have left Andy out entirely. That said, I’ve enjoyed both of Abramson’s novels perfectly well. They oversimplify the issues, but are quick reads for animal lovers.

[Carlissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a animal lover, I really enjoyed this book. The characters in this book are diverse and very interesting, lots of twists and turns, and just an all-round wonderful read. Have the tissues ready as it is an emotional roller-coaster ride!

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I get started, I'm not going to talk about COVID in this review. I'm sure a dozen other people already have, and the similarities are obvious. With that out of the way...

I had a difficult time deciding what to rate this book. It's not bad. This is definitely quality writing in one sense or another. However, it lacks subtlety in a big way. In fact, if someone asked me to describe it in one word while reading the first hundred pages or so, I'd have said, "Heavy-handed."

For one thing, the villains are about as one dimensional as you can get (having someone speak entirely without contractions is a dead giveaway).

Then there's the author's trauma fetish. It's not that damaged people don't make for interesting characters; it's that a hundred pages of traumatic backstory after traumatic backstory is fatiguing. There's also the fact that it leaves you with the impression this story isn't afraid to go bold, and yet...

The happy Pixar ending that it pokes fun at is essentially what you get. And it's not that I have a problem with happy endings; far from it! It's the issue of promising to push the envelope and failing to deliver. All the tension built in those first few chapters feels cheapened -- even questionable (i.e., why did that first victim pass and pass so quickly when it never occurs like that again?) -- when there's nothing quite to the same degree, when the characters are promised to be sure to have to sacrifice something to win and never do.

There's also something to be said for leaving space to build character connections. The biggest offender I can think of is between Sam and Andy. The two hardly interact up until the point of conflict, which makes it difficult to believe or even sympathize with Andy's perspective that this is a moment of life shattering betrayal from someone he trusts deeply.

This is just my perspective, of course, and as I said, it's not a bad book by any means. I do like the theme running throughout that if you want to see change, enact it.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, there were so many problems with this book: everything was too black-and-white, characters were too often revealed to have hearts of gold that don't occur in reality, situations were far too extreme for the suspension of disbelief, it was wildly sentimental, and simple human goodness (see above: hearts of gold) helped save the day.

And yet I couldn't put the damned thing down.

This couldn't hold a candle to Abramson's first novel, Unsaid, which I still recommend and didn't have as many flaws as this one, but I read it in about two days and everything else I was reading at the same time -- about five other books -- suffered for my attention by comparison. So make your own assumptions. Flawed as it was, I can't bring myself to say I was sorry to have read it, and it resulted in my cat receiving unwanted affection when I was finished.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love animals and enjoy heartwarming stories, this fits that bill. I've read one other book by this author and it too was about animals and veterinarians. There are a few things I like about this author. I like his humor. He makes me laugh and he makes me smile. Some of his characters are complete crack-ups. That too is something the author does well....the characters. They are unique and quirky. One last thing I want to mention is that he often throws thought-provoking ideas into his books. I like that. The plots are complex and have depth with twists that keeps it all rolling forward.

This particular book covers the love of dogs, city vs. state governments, a viral illness that effects kids and dogs, animals being used for testing and more. I didn't do page math once....so 4 stars.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sam, owner of a no-kill shelter, fights to save her dogs when a virus that may come from dogs begins killing children in New York.

This book is 'Nicholas Sparks writes about animal shelters'. If you read that and go 'yay!' then you're going to love this book. I was disappointed with it. It had a great start - just how far would you go to protect your pets? what if saving them meant dead children? - but quickly changed into a melodramatic mess with flat, one-dimensional characters. 'Good' people liked animals and 'bad' people were mean to animals. If only that designation were so easy in real life.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Though Not On A Par With Abramson’s Unsaid, Just Life Is A Book Pet Lovers Will Want To Read!

Without getting plot details, Just Life is a fast-paced, interesting, often exciting, emotionally-charged novel filled with a motley cast of flawed characters you’ll come to like and care about. And, of course, there are the dogs that pet lovers will come to love …and get upset about.

Central to the plot is that a mysterious and deadly zoonotic disease is quickly spreading through a neighborhood on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Some public officials believe that test results are showing that the carrier of the disease, which has taken the life of some children, may be dogs, even the family dog.

The panic caused by the spread of this disease in her neighborhood has caused veterinarian Dr. Sam(antha) Lewis,
to make it her mission to increasingly dedicate her life to not only keep her financially strapped animal shelter for abandoned and abused dogs from being closed down, but to keep the city from quarantining the neighborhood and culling up the dogs within it…and potentially killing them.

I’m pretty sure readers, and particularly dog-loving readers will enjoy Just Life’s plot, its main character and her crew of fellow dog lovers, all of whom, like Sam and her shelter dogs, are seeking sanctuary from their own troubled pasts.

But beyond these strengths, readers will be engrossed by Abramson’s depictions of the human-canine relationship at its most beautiful and enduring, and also at its most ugly, which you’ll learn can be very, very ugly. It’s through mining this ugliness that Abramson brings forth the novel’s heartfelt message: that too often “…we refuse to acknowledge that humans and animals are all the same in the most material ways; we are all just life.”

If you read Abramson’s excellent first novel, Unsaid, I’m sure you’ll enjoy his second book as well…but just not quite as much. If you haven’t read either of his books, do yourself a favor and read both.

[Breanna Kirchoffner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just life by Neil Abrahamson is a great book. I liked it because it was good and had great characters. If you like dogs you should read this book. There are some sad moments and some happy. My favorite character is Sam she owns a no kill shelter and is getting evicted and has to save her dogs.

I think you should read this book because it is breath taking. I hope you can get time to read this amazing book.

[Randy M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Life is a novel about dogs and people who love them. If you view dogs as nothing more than home accessories, or worse, I doubt you will find much connection with this story. If, however, you view dogs as one of the true graces in this broken world, this story will resonate deeply. I thankfully belong to the latter category.

This is a story about a young veterinarian, Samantha Lewis, running a shelter in New York City with dreams of one day operating a true sanctuary for these creatures who have fallen through the cracks of society. It is also the story of a group of damaged human beings who find redemption, purpose, and healing through their interactions with these animals and with each other. These are real people, who have experienced real trauma in their lives. I found them to be totally believable and their interactions with each other authentic.

A priest with Alzheimer’s struggling with his faith, a young teen who was abused as a child, a K9 police officer forced to kill his partner in the act of duty, a former psychiatrist on probation, and a veterinarian neglected and disillusioned by her father; this group of disparate people find each other through their love of dogs and their desire to try to return some of the grace they have received from them.

Callous outside forces come between these folks and their noble ambitions. Children from the neighborhood are getting sick and dying. The state and city governments, needing a scapegoat, lay the cause at a virus being spread by dogs. Despite no real evidence supporting this conclusion, they begin a quarantine of all dogs in the neighborhood leading to the inevitability of them being put down.

The mystery surrounding the sudden illness of the children is strikingly presented as our main characters strive to protect the neighborhood dogs and uncover the real cause of the problem. In so doing, each of them confronts the traumatic events from their pasts and learns to trust the bonds they are forming with each other. Their common love for dogs, coupled with the love they receive from them, show that no obstacle is too big to overcome.

Even though this is fiction, it can still be difficult to read at times. The workings of a shelter are realistically portrayed and animals do die in the story. One chapter was particularly poignant. In it we learn that the priest scours the animal shelter web sites to see which animals are scheduled to be put down that day. In an effort to let them experience at least one day of God’s grace, he adopts them and dedicates his day to them. At the end of the day, though, he must return them to the shelter, as he just does not have the means to provide them a full life. He is with them, holding them and apologizing, as they are euthanized. This was totally gut-wrenching to me; beautiful and horrible at the same time.

Just life is a moving story about a group of people striving to achieve exactly that – a just life. It does not flinch from the disquieting aspects and difficult choices that must be made by those who are genuinely dedicated to helping these amazing animals. But the profound joy these animals bring to our lives, if we are smart enough to allow it, shines through. Samantha Lewis and her band of human misfits were smart enough. So, thankfully, am I.

[Kyle Wendy Skultety (gimmethatbook.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing this review copy.

Imagine a neighborhood in Manhattan in the grips of panic over a virus – one that is killing children and could possibly be spread by dogs. Imagine a shelter vet pushed to her breaking point by lack of money and no lack of politics. Add in a priest who may be losing his faith, an orphaned teen, and a few stray dogs who need homes.

Put yourself in the shoes of the veterinarian, who deeply loves her faltering shelter and all the dogs who call it home. Feel the only emotions that seem to be present in the first half of the book: incredible sadness, defeat, and frustration. Think about the sources of help available to you: none. At least none you can trust.

Welcome to JUST LIFE.

Not a happy, comfortable read, for sure. It is, however, a thought provoking and emotional story about making choices, standing up for what you believe in, letting go of your personal demons, and learning to trust.

Each character is deeply flawed but holds a spark inside them: the priest who throws a rock through his own church window because he is feeling distant from his Savior; the teen who was abused in foster homes and who is determined to save all the dogs at risk, no matter what; the assistant deputy mayor who is practicing good politics by shutting down the shelter. The sun in their world is Sam, the veterinarian who gives everything she has to the stray dogs, her only family.

As the virus swirls around the neighborhood the tension ratchets up, and Sam is forced to make hard choices to save the dogs. Who will back her up?

My attention was held during the entire reading of this book. The veterinary medicine is correct, and the possibility of a bird flu – like virus (but with deadlier complications) was plausible. Each character’s story is revealed bit by bit, and sometimes they are sympathetic, sometimes not.

The character of Beth Cohen provides much needed comic relief during many dark times. She is a disgraced psychologist forced to either submit to a jail sentence or “volunteer” at the shelter. She asks probing questions, making Sam confront her fears and doubts. As I mentioned, she is also sarcastic and self effacing, adding a lighter touch here and there.

Gabriel, the priest, provides one of the most human touches in JUST LIFE. He is suffering from dementia, and his portrayal is poignant and heartbreaking. His backstory is the platonic love he held for his best friend and confidant Channa, who died recently. He wonders if he will be able to remember her, and the emotions she stirred in him. He questions his God, in a crisis of faith that pervades the entire book until the end. The scene with him in chapter 35 made my heart well up, and brought tears to my eyes. Well done, Mr Abramson.

JUST LIFE is a tightly woven story that will not leave you easily. It is not a story with a bright shiny ending, nor is it a depressing tale of failure. It is a tour de force of the human condition and the bond we share with our animal friends; and the lengths we will go to in order to protect them.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopsis: This novel explores the complex connection between humans and animals. New York City veterinarian Samantha Lewis and her team are dedicated to providing a sanctuary for unwanted, abused, and abandoned dogs. Every day it gets harder to operate her no-kill shelter and she is already at her breaking point when she learns of an unidentified, dangerous virus spreading through their neighborhood. The medical community (with help from the CDC) can only determine that animals are the carriers. Growing panic and a demand for immediate answers, suspicion abruptly falls on birds, then dogs are deemed the source. In an election year, the NY governor is calling in the National Guard to enforce a quarantine -- no dog may leave the area.

Pros: There are a lot of great things about this novel, including the human/animal bond, the friendship of two diverse religious leaders, magic realism and the love and compassion people have for animals. Also how connected we are with the transference of viruses between animals and humans. Sad to learn what QCK stands for, as it's done to both humans and animals. Appreciate that the author touched on the horrid foster care system yet the bravery of friends to support each other. This was a book club selection, so I was intrigued to read it to the end; glad it was happy even if it were predictable. Did like how the church was used as a sanctuary.

Cons: That said, I felt the novel was forced, especially some of the dialog (the conversations between Kendell and his wife, Beth calling Sam "dear") and the end where all the dogs (but 9 of them) stop at the entrance of the park. So many questions with that one alone. And why did the helicopter only seat 3 people - seems like a convenient way to leave Beth with Daniel. Felt the story line was easy to foretell. I had an inkling that as soon as Jackie Morgan was shown in a bad light, she'd be a villain. And why were Samantha and her Dad such a typical stereotypes (as in Samantha = female so she is automatically caring and compassionate and her Dad is the brilliant male scientist brought back from retirement to figure everything out? And Beth was the fat woman who was the comic relief....) If the shelter in the middle of the city could handle 80 or 90 more dogs that were brought in for the emergency, why wasn't that space used earlier to house and protect more strays or homeless animals? Finding the extra space/room in the basement didn't cut it, especially since it just happened to be put in use for this emergency. Felt manipulated when the one military veteran recognized the other one in the novel and they acknowledged each other. And the romance - what little there was of it, again, felt contrived and forced to me, in my opinion. Wanted to like this story line, but just couldn't get past several things, darn it.

Cover art: 5 out of 5. Who can resist that dog face?

[Marsha Hubbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read the last pages of this remarkable book and am writing this review with tears in my eyes. "Just Life" by Neil Abramson is moving and suspenseful, eye-opening and heart-wrenching, scientific and spiritual, cruel and loving -- perhaps most importantly, it's a mix of greed and sacrifice, loss and forgiveness -- and faith. I loved this book, and it's crazy mix of characters and dogs.

I dog-eared passages throughout, but I particularly found this piece on page 103 moving: ..."These were dogs who had once known the sweetness of homes and families -- they had slept in warm beds next to the small feet of sleeping children, had eaten leisurely out of their very own food bowls, had gone through whole days without experiencing an odor that was unfamiliar, painful, or threatening -- only to learn that their final house would be a small metal cage lost in a dark cloud of sharp noices and acrid, alien odors. The faces showed that these dogs had learned the truth about humanity. Ears back in submission, eyes downcast. They had given up."

This is an action-packed thriller with a heart of gold that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. To all those who fight against animal testing, against animal cruelty, and who rescue the unloved and the cast away, be they canine or human -- thank you.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh, another book that's really hard to review! I LOVED the characters (who they were, what motivated them), loved the story (although a bit unbelievable). And Neil Abramson has such a way with encapsulating the profound love and connection so many of us have with animals. If you are an animal lover, his description of this link between animal and the humans who love them will ring so true. The book was also fast paced and kept me wanting to read. BUT....the writing (in terms of character's reactions and speech) are a little bit "Hollywood." I just couldn't help but feel like I was reading a movie script at times and the characters were stereotypically typecast. So...great book in terms of storyline (even if it's far-fetched) and readability (you NEED to know what happens next) but a little trite along the lines of characterization.

[Karen]

I loved "Unsaid", and was excited to start this book.

I didn't like anything about this book. It starts out boring and predictable, continues to be boring and predictable, and ends the same way. The characters are not interesting, and I didn't care about them or what happened to them. There are quite a few characters and most of them didn't add anything to the story. The main character's back story is supposed to make the reader sympathetic toward her. It just irritated me....she irritated me.

Many reviews have called it suspenseful. I figured out what was going on early in the book, and most saavy readers will as well. I rarely have such a reaction to a book that I consider not finishing it or even returning it. "Just Life" was so poorly written, and the story so mundane, that it made me angry. Hard to believe that the man who wrote "Unsaid" also wrote this mess.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUST LIFE is a wonderful, thrilling novel about the connection between people and the animals in their lives. Anyone who enjoyed Neil Abramson's first novel, Unsaid, will enjoy Just Life, but it is also a different read. There is an intensity to it that really draws you in and makes it hard to put down. You find yourself rooting for the main characters as they battle to save the day -- and the dogs. Readers who enjoy books about dogs, great characters, and an action packed plot will love Just Life.

[Sarah - Blessed Mom of Two · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book for me. At first I thought it was going to be good because I could actually understand the format of a book told from different views. Then it got confusing and somewhere in there I lost my way. I don't think I will read any more books by this author. I love dogs and he writes great but I just couldn't fall him.

In the end, NOT my type of book... I am back to the drawing board and hopefully I can find a book to satisfy me!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strange virus has emerged in New York City and is affecting both animals and children. Dr. Sam Lewis must race against time to discover the cause of the virus or thousands of innocent lives will die, both human and animal. "Just Life" is a simple title, but is also a powerful theme in this incredible story for animal lovers.

[Barb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this one. Way too many animal deaths for me. 2 dogs dying within the first few chapters should have been a sign that I was not going to like this one. Off to find a happier book to read.

[Lynne Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. An unusual premise made believable by great and realistic, though unique, characters.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't connect with the characters, & they didn't seem connected to each other. I was curious enough to finish, but it just fell flat for me.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this would be a hard one to read. and, when 2 dogs died in the first couple of chapters I thought maybe I should stop before I wound up curled in a ball sobbing nonstop. But I'm glad I continued, humanity wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it would be (but some were still as bad as I expected). I'll admit it, I had to read it because of the dog on the front cover. And the premise really struck a chord with me. we have seen what happens to cows, birds, pigs, etc out of fear; but what would we do to dogs?

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel this got off to a slow start, but around pg 150 it started getting good. In NYC, dogs are being accused of carrying some strange disease that can be passed on to humans. Some children have died. They are thinking of rounding up all dogs and destroying them if they appear sick. A vet and her really motley crew of helpers is trying to prevent this from happening. They are trying to track down what is really going on. Can they succeed before the town starts to panic, and the National guard and NYPD have to figure out who is really in charge, the mayor or the govennor.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apocalyptic, deep, dark, and animals? Yes please. This one had all my top favorite things thrown into one book that compelled you to want to devour it and then cuddle it afterwards. I was wanting more and more and couldn't keep up set some points from over excitement.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Gina Wedekind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Really captured the spirit of human and canine relationships. This is a fast paced action/mystery and really takes off into exploring the life of sheltered and tested animals, and what lengths animal advocates will go to protect them.
A spiritual journey of sorts.
A top 10 candidate for this year, for sure.
There were a couple characters that could have used further building, but that's my only negative remark.

A