The Dog Walker by Corwyn Alvarez. For dog lovers and those who like sweet, sentimental stories. Benny is a mentally challenged young man who decides to drop out of school and start his own dog walking business. He makes many friends, human and canine, and brightens the lives of those around him. Sweet, compassionate, loyal and honest, he changes other peoples lives with kindness. He makes friends with an assortment of interesting characters: the anorexic prostitute he falls in love with, the crazy neighbor who thinks he is still in Vietnam, a drug dealer, a retired lawyer he rides the bus with, and of course all the dogs he walks were the best characters. This is a really short, cute and sweet little story. It reminded me a of “The Curious Dog in the Nighttime,” and a little of “Forrest Gump.” ( )

The Dog Walker was pretty good, although somewhat lacking in a clear plot line, so the ending, although it did tie up one major plot thread, felt a bit abrupt. Also somewhat depressing. But interesting characters and point of view - the dogs were my favorite part and could have been more prominent! ( )

I read the book all the way through, which means I must have been somewhat taken with the characters. In the end, my conclusion was that this would be a story better told in a movie (something I rarely find). I say this in large part because a viewer could better relate to the characters if he/she did not have to conjure up images and circumstances from the printed work. Such a movie would not be unlike characters and plot found in a film like Sling Blade. ( )

A Mentally Handicapped boy falls for a girl that he will never get. Cute book, some fun parts, some sad, all in all I liked it. ( )

When I first came into the world of reviewing books, I gave myself a 100 page limit. If after the first 100 pages I was not getting into a book, than I would stop. With this book, it almost became that way. However, for some strange reason, I didn't want to give up on this book. I was hoping that it would bloom to my liking. As I continued, this book did get better but in the end it was a book that wasn't right for me.

I thought when first looking at this book that it was to be about a person walking dogs and it was. However, it focused on him and the life that he was apart of around him. With helping a friend sell drugs, to signing up for a prostitute but only to talk with her. Benny was a person that could be a person to talk about problems with. Not only because he has a set of his own problems but also because I believe he would be a good person to talk with.

Overall, I kept waiting for this book to bring about something I could sink my teeth into. Like I said before, this book is not for me but there are many people who I believe who would love to read the story of Benny...The Dog Walker.

I give this book 3 souls! ( )