Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis

 

Hello my lovely readers!

I needed some fiction in my life after my last few books were all history or non-fiction reads. Out of my vase of books, I chose Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis. I bought this book in Canada last year for my birthday...

BACKGROUND
For my birthday last year, my husband and I used our credit on Air Canada to go to Toronto. Originally we were supposed to go to Japan and South Korea in April 2022, but since it was still closed off to the world, we decided to cancel the tickets and go to Canada instead. Bittersweet, but what can you do?

I'd been to Toronto once before with my brother in 2017 and had a wonderful time. I'd even remembered to buy a book there, but I honestly did not like it. This was my chance at redemption! I found a local bookstore called Seekers and got multiple recommendations from both the owner and other patrons to buy Fifteen Dogs. So I bought it, read it and now I'm ready to review it! Let's get into it.

SUMMARY
Gods Hermes and Apollo make a wager over dinner one night as to whether or not animals would be happier or miserable if they had the ability to speak and think like humans. They bet one year's servitude and then find a group of dogs to unleash their power.

They find a group of 15 dogs in a nearby veterinary clinic in Toronto and the games begin. The pack is torn between those who resist the new ways of thinking, preferring the old "dog" ways and those who embrace the change. The gods watch from above as the dogs venture into their newly unfamiliar world as they become divided among themselves, as each struggles with new thought and feelings.

What follows is murder, betrayal, abandonment, doubt, love and friendship amongst the pack of dogs.

MY THOUGHTS
This was an incredible book and unlike any book that I've ever read or am usually interested in. It was actually pretty sad, seeing the dynamics between the dogs as they make their way through life and how they interact with each other. This book is actually the second book of Alexis' five part series called "The Quincunx Cycle," however it stands alone just perfectly. I can see why it came so highly recommended by so many people at the bookstore.

Plus, it was by an Afro-Canadian local author which I really enjoyed. Alexis is a phenomenal writer, just based off of this one book. I can't wait to read more of his work.