Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning
Beltor
ISBN: 978-0578136394
Published January 2013
Trade paperback, 319 pages

Audible Audiobook
Narrated by Caroline Miller
Length: 9 hours 7 mins
Unabridged

Most of you know I'm an eclectic reader. I like to read different genres, especially if I can learn something new from them. When I was sent this book I was attracted to it for two reasons. The first is that I've worked with children with autism and special needs. The second is that I wanted to know more about how animals, in this case dogs, could have a positive effect in the lives of these children.




Reading Almost Perfect satisfied me immensely. Benny is a 14 year-old teenager with mild autism who desperately seeks the love and attention from an absent mother, and Bess is a 70-year-old expert Poodle dog breeder who is bitter with regret and has made the decision to close down her business. The friendship they forge because of two dogs, McCreery and Breaker, helps them both to heal and to be able to move on.

Both these characters and the dogs really stood out in the story. The author truly captured the personality of both dogs so well, I felt I knew them and, although I do not own a dog, their actions made me smile and even brought me to tears. This is not a sentimental sappy story, but let me say that those dogs will get to you. They will make you want to own a dog just to experience that unconditional love they dole out.

Benny is outspoken and sometimes he would say things to Bess that no one else would dare say. And Bess, in turn, builds his confidence to do something no one thought or trusted he could do. These two unlikely friends showed their families that there was more to them than what they portrayed. Apart from these characters, I enjoyed the secondary characters of Mona, Bess' twin sister and Stephie, a girl at Benny's school who became his best friend.

I decided to listen to the audiobook and also to read the book. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed both experiences. Caroline Miller captured Bess and Benny's voices very well, although some of the secondary characters sounded alike at times. But she has a pleasant voice that lent well to this story.

Almost Perfect revolves around show dogs and what is involved in the training, something about which I knew next to nothing. Benny and Bess both decide to reach for the ultimate goal of showing their dogs at Westminster, and I learned so much about the process. It prompted me to do research to learn more. See link below. The ending is bittersweet and I was brought to tears. If you like character-driven stories and you love dogs, you will enjoy this heartwarming story, whether on audio or in print.

The Westminster Dog Show this year takes place from Feb 16-17​. For more information, please visit the site for more information: http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/

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Note: This book has a G rating and is suitable for all audiences.