Cristine's Reviews > The Art of Racing in the Rain

** spoiler alert ** I'm beyond disappointed in this book. I stumbled upon it one night, had my reservations bc I can't read anything where an animal is harmed, read some reviews that it was worth it, and wish nothing more than I followed my gut and never opened the book. I DID NOT NEED TO READ A BOOK WHERE THE DOG DIES and the STORYLINE SUCKED. And yes, I'm aware that you know what is going to happen but after reading the positive reviews and believing it was a feel good story and the amazing bond between pup and pup parent, I said, "suck it up Cristine" and had an open mind. No, this is a miserable story filled with cancer, death, false accusations of child rape, a family torn apart by self-entitled rich family members, and a whole lot of name dropping of race car drivers I don't know and am ok without knowing. Yes, there were super cute parts and a few LOL parts but not enough to make this worth the sobbing that I engaged in at the end (knowing fully that the dog's death was inevitable didn't make this any better for me). Let's not even mention how many times the same thing was repeated in this book. We get it. The dog watched a documentary on Mongolia which talked about dogs becoming humans when they pass. I think I read this four or five times in the book, along with how Denny said not to watch too much tv and something about favorite actors. And did I miss when dogs were allowed in so many public places? I get that this is fiction but it's not a fantasy novel where the normal world now has special rules. Ugh. Yea, disappointment is what I feel after reading this and regret of having to read about a pup getting old and passing. I just felt sad and thankfully had my dog near to kiss my face as I sobbed like a baby (mock away, I don't care). :-|