A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Pages: 319

Intended Audience: Teens and up

Genre: Real world from a dog’s perspective

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of eight-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures, Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.

But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This was made into a movie and released in January 2017.

What’s good?

This is a simple story about the importance of relationships and every living creatures need for purpose. Told from a dog’s perspective, it’s an emotional tale filled with sadness, suspense, excitement, and plenty of incidental humor as the dog interprets human behavior while trying to figure out his reason for being. While thought-provoking, the plot is straightforward, and the characters are uncomplicated. With this being the dog’s narrative, the writing is unpretentious, but it still includes some beautiful imagery. While there are plenty of moments to laugh and cry about, the author manages to avoid being overly sentimental until just near the end. The end was expected, but heartwarming and very satisfying.

Best Part: I love how the dog only really understood a few human words (e.g. “car ride”) but often correctly deduced what was happening based on the actions and emotions of the humans around him.

What isn’t good?

I’m sure there are all kinds of things critics could point out as lacking in this story – it’s not sophisticated, the narrative voice is childlike, the plot is simplistic, etc. But none of those things bothered me. In fact, I found it made the story stronger. This is not great American literature; it’s a sweet little story that offers an explanation as to why we can connect with dogs so deeply.

Worst part: None.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☺ (5/5)

This is not a book I would recommend to everyone, but I couldn’t find fault with anything so I had to give it five out of five. It’s emotional, perceptive, exciting, funny, and very easy to read. This book doesn’t suggest that dogs are like people – but maybe they’re better, more in tune with emotion, more resilient, more perceptive, more open to love, more trusting. If you’ve ever loved a dog, then you should read this book. Even if you just believe we have something to learn from our animal friends, consider giving A Dog’s Purpose a chance.

Cameron, W. Bruce. A Dog’s Purpose. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2010.