Rou/Leo is a smart stray with amnesia and he and Shakes go on a quest.
Told by Rou/Leo, it has a gripping start and witty or poignant moments.
Prose 3
Plot 3 (if this were shorter, the pacing would have been better)
Characters 3

Overall, I recommend this as a Sunday afternoon read.

As somebody who has 4 dogs, 15 cats, and a budgie at home I absolutely loved this book! The style of writing, being from the pov of a dog, (I understand completely how some people may struggle with this, or at least to begin with), but, as ALL of my fur babies have their own personalities and I frequently have “conversations” with them…. I immediately fell right into this one.
It was fun, interesting and a change from anything else I’ve read in quite some time. I’d highly recommend this to all, even if you’re not necessarily an animal person, the concept behind it is is great.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance ARC

〜～～

For me, it was an interesting synopsis of the book, and at first I didn't have high hopes for this book, BUT. I still can't describe my feelings, because it was interesting, but just about a few pets, a grumpy cat, a sleeping parrot, a crazy pug, and a dog.

From the very beginning, I liked the author's language and the way he tells the story, I think that's one of the main aspects of this book, and that narration makes it an incredibly cozy book for me.

I don't know what else to say, you just have to read it.

I absolutely adored this book. Once I was into the style of writing, actually being from the dogs point of view, I literally couldn't put it down.
I just loved shakespeare and Leo, and everything they got up to.
I liked it how the story was split up into different parts, with different adventures, but I loved it how they all, plus vern, ended up back with Mary.
I thought it was really well written, I'm surprised it's the authors first book.
Loved it!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Second-Smartest Dog was surprisingly a fun read. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but the pages practically turned themselves. The antics of the other animals and interactions are familiar to anyone who has spent and length of time with cats and dogs of any breed.

This was an entertaining and strange book. It started off well, eliciting a number of chuckles from me. But then it got slow and weird and chaotic. Not my cup of tea - too many twists and turns with some bizarre characters. Strange resolution at the end, everything sort of fizzles out after a huge chaotic scene. Although, You could say it came around full circle with a relatively happy ending?

Thank you to Net Galley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know I needed an epic adventure narrated by a dog, but I absolutely did. "Dog stories" tend to be light and silly or very, very sad (in which case I will immediately put it down). This was thankfully neither and really became a bigger and bigger book, less about a dog and more about a quest, in the best way possible. My biggest compliment would be that when I came to the end of this 400 page book, I thought "aww, but what happens next?"

Actually I am not dog person, but I have interest on this book, since it has its unique concept ( book with animal point of view).

This book is story about Rou, a dog which cannot remember his past before ended in vet. He felt that he is different with other dogs. To find the answer about his life, he do adventure. Will he got answer that satisfied him?

This book is enjoyable and entertaining, it reminds me with The Chronicles of Traveling Cat by Arikawa Hiro. written from dog point of view, it just made me wondering " What if dogs out there also think like this?"

Really good for debut novel, but I hope in the future, the author will improve his writing style, because in some part I feel bored since the story felt "flat". And the ending feel so rush. Hehehe.

I can' t wait 0ther books about animal from this author. Since it looks like, the author has well knowledge about animal.

Thank you publisher for the ARC! This is my honest review.

This book is a whirlwind of chaos—in the best way possible. I initially expected a contemporary novel, something along the lines of *The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,* but it quickly veered into a strange, delightful sci-fi adventure. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be “weird”—but in the most enjoyable sense.

The tone is strikingly strong, driven by Rou, the protagonist, who is a dog trying to understand why he’s different from other dogs (and yes, he’s fully aware of this). He doesn’t remember much before waking up in a vet clinic, so he embarks on a quest for answers with the help of a quirky pug named Shakespeare.

Will Pass’s debut novel is remarkably engaging. His writing style is distinct, pulling you into the story as you uncover new details alongside the characters. However, it requires a certain suspension of disbelief as some events are downright bizarre, and characters can pop in and out in the most unexpected ways. Despite the occasional confusion, it’s a wild and fun ride that’s worth taking.

When this book hits the shelves, don’t miss out—you won’t regret diving into this odd, yet thoroughly entertaining, world!

Thanks to Netgalley and Thiessen Press for providing an ARC to review!

What a whirlwind this story was! I went in, like some other reviewers, thinking this would be a cute talking animal story. I did not expect the complexity, the humor, the philosophy, and the humanness that exist in these pages!

We are jolted into the story in much the same way our main character, Leo, is jolted into consciousness after suffering a horrific accident. We spend the rest of the novel exploring and learning with Leo how he came to be injured and how he is the second smartest dog that ever lived.

This story is an adventure through and through. Along the way, we meet some interesting, ragtag characters that aid in the quest that Leo sets out on. There are some pretty significant highlights in theme, like confronting intellectualism, racism, homelessness, mental illness, elitism of higher institutions, animal rights, intelligence, family, and moralism/ethics. I'm serious.

This novel is divided into four parts. I believe part two was the weakest for me, although by the end I could understand the reason for the deviation. I just preferred the parts where Leo and his friends are juxtaposed with human motivations and interests. There are several parts that are absolute treasures to read. I went from being skeptical of what this story was trying to do to be completing enamored and wrapped up the questions it asks.

But don't be fooled-this is no boring, philosophical story. While the themes are underlying, the main force of this novel is action and movement. Leo is on a quest, and as such, we are taken through many different scenes and meet many different characters. There are battles, and danger, and death, and troublesome questions like which "side" of the fence Leo stands on (help humans or help fellow animals).

And this book is funny!! There were several times I laughed out loud-always unexpected and refreshing. I also felt my heart strings being pulled, particularly during a scene about 70% through when the dogs are living with the stray humans.

I am just as surprised as you are that this book is actually fantastic. I docked a star for some pacing complaints-some scenes I wanted to stay in, and we left too abruptly (when I say this moves at a breakneck pace, I mean it). Also factored into the star docking was the end-we had a beautiful climax that I kept looking at the percentage of time left because there was NO WAY it could wrap up in the time left. Will did his best to close, but it leaves a lot of questions and stops the action right when we were getting to the payoff. I think this is intentional, and I forgive it one hundred times because this story is exactly why I love reading.

It was surprising and heartfelt and truly well written. It could have been gimmicky but the author stays with it with such conviction that anything that would have felt stupid or cheap actually felt real and necessary. It's hard to pull off talking animals in an adult novel, but here we are. Will did it and did it so well. Bravo!

Some quotes I especially loved:

"Because we are just cells, all of us, and our cells are just atoms, and our atoms are just quarks, and all quarks are connected by forces that grow stronger with distance, and with this knowledge, and that of gravity, one begins to understand how contradictory it is to be anything at all."

"This vanity-this notion that you are somehow special-clouds your ability to see how similar to everyone else you really are. Pain is pain. To feel it is to be alive. Just like everyone else."

"...sorry surrogates of personal worth-money and power."

Thank you to Netgalley and Thiessen Press for the ARC!

This book is very chaotic, in a really fun and confusing way. I fully expected this to be a contemporary fiction novel like “The Curious Incident” but it is more like a weird sci fi book. That is what I would call this book; weird (in a very good way)

The tone of this book is very strong. Rou, as the main character, is learning about the world and realizes that he is not like other dogs (no seriously), and doesn’t seem to remember his life before waking up in a vet clinic. So he, along with a silly pug named Shakespeare, set out on a journey to find out who Rou really is.

I think that Will Pass has a very strong direction and writing style. For a debut I was very immersed with the characters and the story, and it was fun to find out the new information alongside the characters. I will say that you have to have suspension of disbelief, because something’s happen that are 1) unclear 2) absolutely ludicrous and some characters will show up pages later and be absolutely bonkers, but it was very fun!

Go read this when it’s released, you will not regret it!

The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived follows the story of Rou, a suspiciously intelligent dog that is suffering with amnesia after being thrown from a moving car. At its core, this is the story of Rou trying to understand why he is different, where he came from and what his place is within the world.

This was a real page turner. There were so many questions I wanted answers to and I was fully invested in the mystery of where this strange dog had come from. Short chapters and fast pacing helped with the bingeability of this book, it’s easy to say “one more chapter” and then blink and you’ve read another 7 and things are entirely different.

I expected this to just be a feel-good adventure story with some laughs, but I was surprised when it took some quite dark turns at times. The tone can change quite suddenly and there are some violent scenes of animal death, be aware if you are sensitive to that kind of content!

In the end I quite liked this, it’s a very strong debut. Every character has a unique voice and the story was engaging throughout. I did find the resolution somewhat disappointing, the ending felt a bit rushed and I would have preferred if there was some more foreshadowing throughout that indicated the outcome. Would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a bingeable animal story and don’t mind if it has some violent turns.

while this definitely didn't end up where i was expecting it to, this was still a fun romp around through the eyes of a very intelligent dog learning about the world for the first time. set in the almost real world of los velos (which im pretty sure was supposed to be las vegas?? maybe??) we follow rou in his adventure to find out why he is the way that he is, making a bunch of fun side character friends along the way. the structure of the book gave the vibe of video game levels, with each part a level different in both scope and tone on the way to the final boss fight at the end.

the ending was definitely the weakest part, and it felt like a bit of a rushed moment where all the questions were answered in the last 10%. regardless of that though, i did really enjoy reading this, and even if it did use the cheapest trick in the book to set itself up for a possible sequel i would read that too.

[also just as a pet peeve i really hated that rou's quest to find "roger" was actually pretty close to his real backstory with the rajah. like how's that for coincidence??

Leo is a remarkable dog, saved from a cruel owner and cared for by a friendly animal control officer. Leo has no real memory of where he came from or how he can do some of the extraordinary things he's capable of, especially complex and human-like thought. The story follows Leo in his very un-doglike existential crisis as he tries to make sense of his world and find out why he is the way he is. Great book for animal lovers, or for anyone who's ever suspected that our pets understand more than they're letting on. And, perhaps, are even smarter than we are. Leo was intriguing and easy to invest in, and I was quickly pulled into the twists and turns of the story. The flow of the story was a little uneven in the middle, and got a bit heavy at times. But it was still very engaging and there were some nice touches of humor and light (you are going to love Shakespeare the pug). For my animal-loving friends, there is some animal cruelty and imprisonment in a circus setting so be warned. An imaginative read, not my usual but I enjoyed it and I'm glad I took a chance on it! Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Ebook ARC of this story.

Well written and an interesting concept, this was a fun tale of adventure and friendship, all told through the eyes of one incredibly intelligent dog. I adored the found family aspects of the story and enjoyed the side characters a lot, especially Shakespeare and Dr. Francis - I could have read a whole book just on Leo/Rou and Dr. Francis working in the vet! Despite a few slow moments, overall I thought this was an entertaining and unique read.

It felt a bit too long but otherwise this was a funny and existential story from the POV of an extraordinarily intelligent dog with well-written supporting characters (also all animals and one eccentric veterinarian). I laughed and then suddenly found myself having a crisis at the big reveal. Overall a fun read and something different from the usual fiction that is out there. The author clearly knows his animals and it shows in his writing (he is an actual veterinarian!).

3.5 rounded up.

I loved the concept for this novel. From the get go, it felt like a Six-Thirty spinoff from Lessons in Chemistry, which I just adored!

I am a huge dog lover, and so much of how the different breeds viewed the world was so sweet and accurate. You can tell the author really knows animals.

I do wish this had just been set in Las Vegas, instead of a weird almost identical spinoff “Los Velos”, and that the author had just used real names for things like the Kardashians and YouTube, since those served as distractions that pulled me out of the story.

My biggest detractors were a couple of odd moments where the dog’s inner thoughts are really problematic, and I wished we got some more of the wrap up/explanation before the last 50 pages.

Overall a good one! Read like there might be a sequel, which I would read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC

The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived  is a madcap, entertaining escape from reality—from the canine perspective. Meet Rousseau (or Rou, as he’s known), a dog with the intelligence of a human. Accompanied by Shakespeare, a Pug with the intelligence of a Pug (yes, you read that right), Rou embarks on an epic quest for freedom, understanding, and perhaps even revenge.

From running wild with cannibalistic coyotes to encountering a fugitive white tiger, Rou’s adventure takes unexpected turns. Full of imagination and humor, this novel questions the value of human society and explores a dog’s place within it. Will Pass, a veterinarian turned novelist, weaves a unique tale that will leave you entertained and uplifted! 🌹💗

5 stars from this delighted reviewer for this fun romp, I would love to read more by this imaginative author!

The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived is a hard-to-categorise book by a retired vet, told from the point of view of Leo/Rou, a super-intelligent rescue dog with amnesia who goes on a quest to find out who or what made him so special. In the end I shelved it as fantasy rather than sci-fi, and it’s definitely not a comedy, nor is it suitable for children. I actually almost abandoned it after a horrific scene where a cat is killed by coyotes, and only kept going to find out what Rou’s backstory would be.

After being dumped from a car on a highway, a young dog wakes up at the vet’s with no memory of when he came from. Taken home to join her menagerie of other pets by lonely alcoholic Mary, he meets lovably dimwitted pug Shakespeare, but resents being kept captive, so seizes the chance to escape in order to find the human who abandoned him. Naming himself Rousseau, he has a series of unlikely adventures, encountering a range of other animals, on his mission to discover the truth.

This was a fantastical story that would probably appeal more to dog lovers than Cat Mothers - while not all the cats featured are bad, they are not portrayed sympathetically. While aspects of Rou’s voyage of discovery were amusing, as he attempts to make sense of the human world, the plot got quite dark at times. In the end I quite liked it but think it was a bit drawn out and the mystery aspect a bit disappointing. There are some good characters though, and I liked the originality of the premise and plot. Thanks to NetGalley and Thiessen Press for the ARC.
The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived Is published on October 4th.

This is the kind of unusual book that leaves me scrambling for analogies so I can hint why you want to read it without giving any spoilers. Sooo it's kind of a cross between The Incredible Journey and Escape to Witch Mountain, with a pinch of Watership Down. It's both quest and caper and the main characters are all dogs, but it is decidedly not a kids' book.

The early chapters are pretty slow and occasionally disorienting, but don't give up. Things pick up after a bit and the eventual payoff is totally worth it.