A review by coric
Never Leave the Dogs Behind: A Memoir by Brianna Madia

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

5.0

 This was a completely different reading experience from Madia’s first book because most of the stories she shared in that one were new to me. As a long time Insta follower, her new book found me reliving much of what I’d already read but with a new layer of understanding and with, well, a new filter. This reads like a series of vignettes picking up mostly where she left off with her last book. Brianna’s storytelling almost felt like we were sitting at the bar night after night as she doled out stories that slowly connected together like puzzle pieces. Each one on its own is seemingly just an interesting story. But taken together, they provide a clear picture of why she has chosen to move forward planting and nurturing fragile roots as she also reclaims her life and sense of self. This is a story about adversity, alienation and loss and Brianna’s not always graceful (but very human responses) as she pretty much hits rock bottom. The lasting effects of being targeted by a malicious online bullying and harassment campaign are still quite evident. You can see how she wants to bare her soul and share the nuanced layers of her story as she strives to heal and recover, but what really happens is a guarded vulnerability and tentativeness as she recounts a truly dark and muddy time in her life. I can only imagine how challenging it must be to revisit those moments and determine what and how much to share of herself given her complicated relationship with the public. At other times, her accounts were colored with outright humor and the brash give no “f’s” that Brianna prides herself on with how she shares herself with the world. And then in other moments, I was sucked into her joy as she described the beauty of the landscape and her adventures with her beloved and adventurous canine companions. Writing a memoir requires strength to revisit difficult moments and a strong sense of self to know how to write about yourself in a way that is both honest and interesting to a reader. Reading a memoir is always going to be this unique mash up of the personal: the writer’s shared experiences and how the reader receives and filters them. At the end, I felt a bit uncertain and confused as to how I was to feel about what I read because it is a deep dive into the highs and lows of her life during this time. And perhaps that is my one true critique, which I think is a critique of editing decisions and not her writing. There was an abrupt transition from Baja to the final chapter of the book. I thought the final chapter was a strong and perfect ending that summarizes Brianna’s journey throughout the book and poignantly highlights the importance of the title, but I also felt like I missed something in between those two moments.