Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein

Synopsis: "Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking? Meet one funny dog—Enzo, the lovable mutt who tells this story. Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them. He learns about racing and the world around him by watching TV and by listening to the words of his best friend, Denny, an up-and-coming race car driver, and his daughter, Zoë, his constant companion. Enzo finds that life is just like being on the racetrack—it isn't simply about going fast. And, applying the rules of racing to his world, Enzo takes on his family's challenges and emerges a hero. In the end, Enzo holds in his heart the dream that Denny will go on to be a racing champion with his daughter by his side. For theirs is an extraordinary friendship—one that reminds us all to celebrate the triumph of the human (and canine) spirit."

Title: Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog

Series: None
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 278 (Paperback)
Ages: 8-12 (But all are welcome to read it!)
Date I Finished: February 20th, 2012
My Rating: 3 stars- not my favorite genre

My Word: INSPIRING

This book was not really the genre I like, (Science fiction, romance)but it was still very good. This novel basically is the whole life of the dog, Enzo, from the moment he is born to the moment he dies. I loved that Enzo was the narrator!! It was very realistic too because he can't speak, he doesn't have opposable thumbs and all he really can do is eavesdrop. The plot was Enzo's life and how his owner's family is having a hard time. Denny, Enzo's owner/master, had very tough times with his family because his wife dies (not really a spoiler because it tells you that right at beginning of book) and he loves his daughter, Zoë, but unfortunately he has to fight to keep custody of her from someone else during most of the book. It felt like I was literally watching a movie because the details were described beautifully. Also, Denny is a racecar driver and Enzo really loves racecars too. In the story they have little quotes of racecar driving that relates to life, which made it inspiring, I guess. The book was really sad during most parts, for all of you people who love sad things, hahaha. But, at the end it was kind of happy, almost like closure for all those sad moments. This book shows how life can really push you to the limit, but you should never give up, now that is what makes it inspiring. I really loved how Denny never gave up even though he's been through so many tough times. I give this a 3 star because the genre, (fiction, and just the life of the dog) isn't very appealing to me and it makes it a little more boring, but for some reason, I just couldn't put down the book. If you like this genre, than you will love this book...

★ ★ ★