Marley, a Dog Like No Other
by John Grogran
Collins, 2007,196 pp, $16.99
ISBN 0-06-124033-8
Marley, a Dog Like No Other is the kid’s version of Marley and Me. It is about a rambunctious Labrador retriever named Marley. Marley starts as a wild little puppy but then grows into a huge 100-pound dog. He tears up his owners, John and Jenny’s, house. He runs through screen doors, jumps on everyone, and eats everything in sight. Obedience school doesn’t do anything because Marley gets kicked out after only two lessons. Even though Marley was a very bad dog and never listened, he got a role in a movie, which he also messed up, running around the set and knocking everything over. Marley, it seemed, could never be trained. Some even said he was the world’s worst dog.
Even though Marley was a very crazy puppy, he eventually started to grow old. In his old age Marley could hardly walk, couldn’t make it up the stairs and slept all day. Even though we don’t want it to be true, all dogs get old. In Marley you read about all the troubles Marley’s owners went through raising him through the good and the bad. You also learn about how Marley got old and how many struggles that brought.
Marley is a book about love and companionship between a dog and his owners. It is also one of the funniest books I have ever read because Marley is such a bad dog. This book drew me in because Marley started as a small, cute puppy and did the funniest things his owner thought he would grow out of, but he never did. Marley puts a smile on your face but then gets sad at the end.
John Grogan does an amazing job in his writing. He puts a picture in your head because he uses so much detail it made me feel like I was Marley’s owner and makes it so you want to meet Marley. When Marley was pulling a table across the restaurant I felt like I was sitting at the table next to them. He also uses wonderful description. After reading Marley, a Dog Like No Other I felt like I wanted to get a new dog. It made me feel like Marley was my own dog because I got to know him so well by reading this book. Even though Marley does some crazy things, if you read this book you will learn how big and cuddly he actually is.
If you want a book that makes you laugh through your tears, then this is the book for you. I would recommend it for kids any age or gender. You do not have to love dogs to fall in love with Marley.
~ reviewed by Natalie H.
