Atticus: A Woman’s Journey with the World’s Worst Behaved Dog by S. Bennett Published by Bad Dog Books on June 12th 2018
Pages: 460
Format: ARC
Genres: Contemporary
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A heart-warming and deliciously funny story about the world’s worst behaved dog and how he trained his human how to love herself again.
Through the haze of vodka and self-loathing, Hazel Roundtree saw the poor creature lying in a ditch.
One brown eye. One blue.Covered in mud and crying from pain, the puppy was desperately trying to free itself from a hopeless situation.
She almost kept walking by. She had her own problems and besides… no one had ever stopped to help her.
Who we’re ultimately meant to be is a journey without end, but there’s always a defined start…
Hazel had no idea the dog would be her beginning, her second chance, the miracle she never saw coming. She named him Atticus. He grew up to be a very bad—and completely awesome—dog. He took Hazel on a life-changing journey filled with mischievous adventure and painful heartbreak. In the end, Hazel grew up to be completely awesome, too.
You don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy Atticus, but I dare you not to fall in love with this totally nuts, utterly loyal dog and a story that will warm your heart from beginning to end.
I have to give Hazel credit. Her life is a hot mess, but she takes full ownership of her flaws and the poor choices that led to her depressing circumstances. It’s amazing the amount of blessings one can receive by showing love to an animal who requires a great deal of care, but offers nothing but unconditional love in return. I enjoyed every step of Hazel’s touching journey.
As the owner of one unapologetically bad dog myself, I had a permanent smile of recognition on my face at Atticus’s destructive behavior. I loved the chapters written from his point of view that give glimpses into the motives behind his crazy actions as well as his amazing intuition and loyalty.
The ragtag family Hazel creates is more supportive than many dysfunctional families that people are born into. I fell in love with Oley, the crusty old veterinarian, from his first scowl. Bernard is the ultra wise homeless man who, oddly enough, is amazingly resourceful and perfectly content with his indigent lifestyle. They are an unlikely trio, but I treasured their bond.
A warning to readers. There’s some spoiler-ish information contained in the author’s note at the beginning of the book. You may want to wait until you’ve finished the story before reading it.
This delightful book is one hundred percent heartwarming. If you’re looking for a sweet summer read Atticus your name written on it.
In case you find yourself going through Atticus withdrawal, be sure to follow the real-life Bernese Mountain Dog’s his hilarious antics on Instagram at @atticuscrazydog.
Recommended for fans of:
Poorly behaved dogs
Veterinarians
Second chances
* I voluntarily read an early version of this book. This does not affect my honest opinion or the content of my review. *
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About S. Bennett
Under the name S. Bennett, Sawyer writes general, young adult and women’s fiction stories that deal with the realities we face on a daily basis such as love, loss, personal growth and all things in between.
She tackles difficult issues with grace, while adding her signature humor along the way. Because Sawyer is a romance writer at heart, you’re likely to find a love story within each of her books, though it’s not always a guarantee.
When she isn’t writing as S. Bennett, she’s writing contemporary romance as Sawyer Bennett, and sweet romance under the name Juliette Poe.
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