Review of Backyard Dog

[John Owen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Backyard Dog" by Ilona Benzel.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The "Rainbow Bridge" were words on a flyer taped onto Risa's office wall, meant to signify some kind of mythical heaven animals went to. It would have remained just that - a mythical place - until a mysterious envelope appeared out of nowhere and reaffirmed that the Rainbow Bridge was indeed real. It came at a coincidental time when Risa was frantically trying to save a puppy that ended up dying anyway, and she was heartbroken, beaten, and had many questions about why the lives of some animals had to turn out so tragic. Just then, the envelope appeared out of nowhere, and inside it was a red, velvet book that, unknown to her, would answer all her questions and reshape her destiny in "Backyard Dog" by Ilona Benzel.

I have owned a dog once in my life, which also ended up dying, so I related so much to the book. I understand firsthand when the characters in the book couldn't handle the loss of their dogs or pets, as I still feel like a part of me went with the dog I lost, despite it being so many decades after his demise. This is a book that will feel like home for those who have had a pet (or simply love them) and widen your perspective if you've never had any. The book tells the experiences of these animals from their own perspectives, like that of Helga and her 10 puppies, effectively revealing the different experiences different pets or animals go through.

The book was emotive. There is a mix of experiences the animal characters in the book (primarily, Helga and her ten puppies) went through that will both gladden and crush you. Some met abusive owners while others were fortunate to find loving ones. Others had good and fulfilling lives while others had quite fateful lives. There was never a dull moment in the book. Notably, I was pitiful about how tragically Axis's life ended - it was the most heartbreaking story in the book. I'm glad that Alta got really good owners, Janelle and Robby Watson, who stood with her through her pain and were ready to do anything and everything for her; hers was a bitter-sweet story.

Some things impacted my reading experience, though. The first is unrelated to the book's quality, but it did annoy me. I expected to finish the book in about one and a half weeks, considering the page count, only to realize the page numbering was glitched; multiple pages were repeated, which more than doubled the overall size and messed up with my reading plans. I'm not sure if it's a formatting issue or an issue with Amazon Kindle, but it was so disconcerting. The abrupt transitions from the puppies' stories back to Risa's also leave much to be desired, as they really confused me in the initial chapters of the book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars for the aforementioned reasons and highly recommend it, as it was an amazing reading experience for sure.

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Backyard Dog
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[Aleena Augustine]

Thanks for this insightful review! Your personal connection to the theme adds depth, and your detailed analysis of the book's emotional impact is spot-on. The glitch in page numbering is unfortunate, but your overall positive rating and recommendation make me eager to give 'Backyard Dog' a read. Appreciate your candid thoughts!