By: Aaron Richardson

Even with the plot of a movie we’ve all seen and hated, Fifteen Dogs is more than worth the read. The book follows a group of dogs who have been given the gift of intelligence by the gods Apollo and Hermes as part of a bet — they are interested in seeing if any of the dogs would live their life, and in their final moments, die happy.

     Although the plot might seem quite lacklustre on the surface, when it’s executed with such beautifully simple writing, the reader quickly forgets why anyone would ever have doubted it to begin with. It’s a book that’s easy to like, but even easier to love. Whether it is a discussion on the philosophy of language, a strikingly real take on conservative politics, or a collection of beautiful poetry written from the perspective of a dog, this book has something for everyone.

     It’s easy to read, but powerful in its message, not to mention it’s engaging from beginning to end. A story that will make the reader cry just as often as laugh, it’s full of characters you’d swear were human. Winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize — two of Canada’s most prestigious literary awards — Fifteen Dogs shouldn’t be anywhere but at the top of your reading list.