Review: The Sand Dog

Quick Note: Y'all will have to forgive me, but my brain has completely forgotten how to write reviews...or talk about books in the written form. 

When I first started reading Sarah Lean's The Sand Dog, I wasn't really sure how the book would pan out (in regards to whether or not I'd like it). Yes, it was interesting and I really enjoyed Azi's story...but the writing didn't really hook my attention until somewhere past the mid-point of the book. 

What really held me back from fully jumping on-board with the writing was that it was slow and a little on the vague side. It was interesting, don't get me wrong; but it felt like there could have been a little more information on the character's story dropped sooner. Seriously though, there was a moment there when I wasn't sure Azi actually existed...that aside.

Even though that vagueness in the beginning kept me from fully connecting early on in the book, I really did enjoy reading about Azi and watching how all the threads of the story came together. It really broke my heart when Azi started to give up on his grandfather returning and when he started to learn the truth about his past. I felt the author did a wonderful job bringing out the depth of emotions that he went through as he experienced the ups and downs and reconciled what happened the night his grandfather left.  

 Because I first started writing this review back in July (yeah, I know), my memory is a little fuzzy on the finer details of what happened. But I do feel that this is one book that young readers will definitely find themselves enjoying; it has heart and depth mixed with some whimsy. 

The Sand Dog by Sarah Lean, May 31, 2018. Published by HarperCollins. Source: Received for review.

Grandfather had been gone for two years but I never thought it would be an ordinary day he’d come back, like a Monday or a Tuesday… I always knew he’d return across the water, triumphing over a few monsters on the way, I just didn’t know when… 

When Azi’s grandfather leaves their small Mediterranean island, Azi waits every day for him to return. The arrival of a nesting turtle and a tall sandy dog convinces Azi that it must mean that Grandfather is on his way. As Azi digs deeper into the past, he begins to unravel hidden secrets and starts to find out just how alike he and his grandfather really are. And without him, Azi knows he will never feel complete…