Giselle's Bucket List - My Life with a Very Large Dog by Lauren Fern Watt -- Review

Title: Gizelle's Bucket List -- My Life with a Very Large Dog 
Author: Lauren Fern Watt 
Pages: 256 
Publishing: March 7th 2017 by Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1501123653

Synopsis: 

The playful, epic adventure of a 160-pound English Mastiff and the twentysomething girl who grew up alongside her—Marley & Me for a whole new generation.

Lauren Watt took her 160-pound English Mastiff to college—so of course after graduation, Gizelle followed Lauren to her first, tiny apartment in New York. Because Gizelle wasn’t just a dog; she was a roommate, sister, confidante, dining companion, and everything in between.

Together, Gizelle and Lauren went through boyfriends, first jobs, a mother’s struggle with addiction, and the ups and downs of becoming an adult in the big city. But when Gizelle got sick and Lauren realized her best friend might not be such a constant after all, she designed an epic bucket list to make the absolute most of the time they had left.

Bursting with charm, this unique, coming-of-age story of a girl making her way through life is a testament to the special way pets inspire us to live better, love better, and appreciate the simple pleasures. Gizelle’s Bucket List is the humorous, poignant lesson our pets teach us: to embrace adventure, love unconditionally, and grow into the people we want to be. 

Review: 

As a dog lover, I knew I was going to love this book. I grew up with at least two dogs in my house at all times, and we always treated our dogs as people instead of animals. They ate leftovers from our dinner, they slept in our beds, and they rode next to us in the car to school everyday. They were always much more than just a pet, they were family to us. When you become attached to a dog, there is a small part of you that knows you'll have to say goodbye to them one day, but you always try to push that little voice in the back of your mind. 

Going into Gizelle's Bucket List, I knew I was going to need a box of tissues. Its no spoiler to say we know the story is about the end of a sweet puppy's life, but what I didn't expect was to become so attached to Gizelle and Lauren's story. Actually that's a lie -- give me a book about a sweet dog and companion and I'll become attached all day long. I guess I was just surprised at how much a really felt like I could relate to the story. At the end of the book, I just wanted to give Lauren a hug and hear about how she's doing now. I felt connected to her in some way and I realized how easily pets can do just that, they connect people. This fact was seen over and over throughout the book and in Lauren's life.

Giselle's Bucket List is not just a charming story about a friendship between a dog and a girl, but it is a lesson on what it means to love unconditionally and always be searching for the next great adventure. I wholeheartedly recommend this to readers of all genres. It will tug at your heartstrings and make you want to go hug your furry friend extra close. Head out to your nearest bookstore and buy a copy today! 

Rating 5/5 

*Thank you Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.