This is the third book I've read about sled dogs in the past seven months. This one was different from Dogsong and Stone Fox, however. Not only is it a classic from 1903, but the whole story is told from a dog's perspective. Now, before you get all excited (looking at you, Marissa), I should caution you that this dog is no cute little puppy or lovable lazy old thing that loafs around all day. No, this dog is a monster. He's a 140-pound killing machine. I mean, seriously, over the course of the short novel he killed several other sled dogs and a few people before becoming the alpha male in a wolf pack (by killing all contenders). Yeah, you heard me. A domesticated St.Bernard-Collie mix from California becomes the alpha male in a wolf pack in the middle of Canada. This, and many other parts of the story, seemed a bit far-fetched and unlikely, to say the least. And that'd be fine if this story was written with the tone of a tall tale, but it wasn't meant to be one at all. I didn't particularly enjoy this book, though some of the dog's exploits were laughably over-the-top at least. The book was a short one (my own copy was 62 pages; most have smaller pages and larger print and are around the 150 range), but I still wouldn't say it's worth your time. Oh well. Not every book can be a winner. Right, Dan Brown?
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