Book Review-The Sideways Life of Denny Voss

Title: The Sideways Life of Denny Voss

Author: Holly Kennedy 

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

As we head into a long holiday weekend here in the States, might I suggest this #fridayfavorite—The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy if you’re looking for something new to read! {Thank you to Kathleen Carter Communications @kccpr for the #gifted copy!}

Short Review: This is a hug in a book form!  Truly.

Funny, heartwarming and a main character to love and root for!  Denny Voss was so special and an unforgettable character.

Confession: For some reason I thought this book was going to be about an octogenarian grumpy man, but what you get is a breathe of fresh air.  It’s a thirty year old who loves mellow yellow, works for the DOT removing road-kill, sings Toy Story—you’ve got a friend in me—when life gets hard and goes sideways, mentors a young boy with Tourettes, adopts a blind & deaf dog, and most of all shows the world that different is not less.

Reading the author’s note she states how the character of Denny nagged at her and just she couldn’t get out of her head; but was worried about writing someone with a disability.  As a mom to an Autistic son, she wrote a very real character.  I understand her intimidation—there is a fine line between authentic and a characture.

This book also has some secrets.  Oh the secrets!  I thought it was well plotted and paced.  I can think of several readers I will be personally recommending this too and I hope you will give it a shot too!  As of this writing it is currently available on kindle unlimited, including the audio.

Book Summary: 

On the surface, Denny Voss’s life in rural Minnesota is a quiet one. At thirty years old, he lives at home with his elderly mother and his beloved blind and deaf Saint Bernard, George. He cleans up roadkill to help pay the bills. Though his prospects are limited by a developmental delay—the result of an accident at birth—Denny has always felt that he has “a good life.”

So how did he wind up being charged with the murder of a mayoral candidate—after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree?

Untangling the events around the murder reveals even more painful truths about his family’s past. He’s always been surrounded by people who love him, but now it’s up to Denny to set his life on a new course.