A review by btaylorb
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm glad I listened to the audio edition, because I think I would have been frustrated by the choppy prose and disjointed narrative style. The narrator really succeeded at capturing the multi-layered emotional and tonal shifts that I think would have come across as removed and clinical from simply reading the text. Hearing his voice break at a certain inciting incident while reading had me choking up and reminiscing about my own experiences with that particular kind of grief.

There are some truly gorgeous descriptions of nature that serve well as contrast for the grittier, more violent scenes. However, the final section of the book features some sexual content that felt out of place, tonally speaking. I think the ecstatic feelings of the emotional and physical connection between the characters could have been better served with a more coy approach rather than something I would expect from a raunchy rom-com.

I think the synopses I saw of this book do not set up the correct expectations for what this book is;  i almost expected a cozy post-apocalyptic “Travels with Charley” situation, and while this book is definitely not cozy, it’s compelling and for the most part beautifully written.
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