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Memoirs of a Fighting Dog
This is a story from Sombre's point of view, he is a Pit bull Terrier that has been bred to fight. His story starts with him remembering his brief life with his brother and sisters then as he gets older he is taken through many walks of life meeting different people. He tells of his thoughts towards fighting in the pit and the reason he fought to stay alive.
He explains his daily work out and how life as a fighting dog is, describing what goes on in the pit and what happens when you fail to win.
When you see it through his eyes you see it clearer!
THIS IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS
He explains his daily work out and how life as a fighting dog is, describing what goes on in the pit and what happens when you fail to win.
When you see it through his eyes you see it clearer!
THIS IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS
- GenresAnimals
156 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2011
3 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 12, 2016
Given the subject matter and the narrator used this could easily have been a disaster. However, it was near perfectly pitched, striking the balance between covering the world of dog fighting in all its blood soaked, repulsive and brutal 'glory' and showing that the dogs caught up in that world are not at fault and that deep down they are still man's best friend (not that he deserves it). The use of an ex-fighting dog (not a spoiler, he tells you that from the start) to narrate the story allows Keenleyside to simplify the text slightly and give it a child-like innocence, which makes everything that happens all the more poignant and all the more chilling as his helplessness, confusion and fear is shown in spades. While there are some remaining grammatical and spelling errors and the lack of paragraphs is not my favourite, I can't fault the story itself and as a dog lover (we even have an English Bull Terrier in the family, soppy sod that he is) this is an important book for many to read and to realise that it is the people who are the blood thirsty animals, not the dogs. Be warned though this is a very hard read, unless you have no soul...although I bet even Lucifer would be moved by this book.
June 21, 2013
ANOTHER FREEBEE FROM AMAZON!
Basic outline:
Somber is a pitbull terrier that is bred for fighting, he is shoved into the life and from his point of view we see how it may be for the dogs in the ring.
MY THOUGHTS:
oh my god.
i cried a lot, this is a sick and twisted book that I am surprised i even finished. I have respect for Keisha for being able to even write the stuff in the book.
I felt as though i were a spectator in the sport and was just watching the dogs fight, i had to put this book down so many times. In particularly when they shove the two dogs in the trunk and leave them to fight.
I think this book is part educational for what it tells but i'm not sure how much is actually real and what is just pure creativity.
For such a hard read it was a rather quick read and very well written but for what it is I wont be reading it ever again.
Basic outline:
Somber is a pitbull terrier that is bred for fighting, he is shoved into the life and from his point of view we see how it may be for the dogs in the ring.
MY THOUGHTS:
oh my god.
i cried a lot, this is a sick and twisted book that I am surprised i even finished. I have respect for Keisha for being able to even write the stuff in the book.
I felt as though i were a spectator in the sport and was just watching the dogs fight, i had to put this book down so many times. In particularly when they shove the two dogs in the trunk and leave them to fight.
I think this book is part educational for what it tells but i'm not sure how much is actually real and what is just pure creativity.
For such a hard read it was a rather quick read and very well written but for what it is I wont be reading it ever again.
August 27, 2015
4.5 stars
As the title says, this is a fictional memoir of a dog who was forced to fight for his life over and over and over again in the brutal world of dog fighting.
It was a very difficult book to read, but luckily, we know from the very start that the dog (now named Sombre) has survived and been rescued. It shows the horrible world of dog fighting where dogs are trained to kill each other for human sport/entertainment/money. I was in tears throughout a good portion of the book. It is violent and a horrible horrible life for those poor dogs. The author says the money raised from the book will support animal charities. It was self-published and my one complaint was that it could have used a good editor: there were grammar, spelling and punctuation errors, which did sometimes jolt me out of the story. The story itself, though: powerful and heartbreaking.
As the title says, this is a fictional memoir of a dog who was forced to fight for his life over and over and over again in the brutal world of dog fighting.
It was a very difficult book to read, but luckily, we know from the very start that the dog (now named Sombre) has survived and been rescued. It shows the horrible world of dog fighting where dogs are trained to kill each other for human sport/entertainment/money. I was in tears throughout a good portion of the book. It is violent and a horrible horrible life for those poor dogs. The author says the money raised from the book will support animal charities. It was self-published and my one complaint was that it could have used a good editor: there were grammar, spelling and punctuation errors, which did sometimes jolt me out of the story. The story itself, though: powerful and heartbreaking.
October 20, 2011
Sombre is a pitbull terrier, one of the most commonly used dogs for fighting and this is his graphic and informative tale on his life as a fighting dog.
The memoir is 177 pages including poem and is a petite book. There is content that may disturb sensitive people and younger readers and i have been advised to suggest the minimum reading age as 16+ by a reader who found the short story heartwrenching yet gripping.
The memoir is 177 pages including poem and is a petite book. There is content that may disturb sensitive people and younger readers and i have been advised to suggest the minimum reading age as 16+ by a reader who found the short story heartwrenching yet gripping.
December 22, 2015
*I recieved this book through Goodreads First Reads*
I'm not sure what to think about this book. While reading I wanted to cry because I know that these things actually happen. Sometimes I wanted to stop reading, not because it was bad, but because it was too real. This book will probably haunt me for the next few days, if not weeks.
This book was well written. I could picture the events described in my head. I don't want to give anything away, but I'm happy with the ending.
I'm not sure what to think about this book. While reading I wanted to cry because I know that these things actually happen. Sometimes I wanted to stop reading, not because it was bad, but because it was too real. This book will probably haunt me for the next few days, if not weeks.
This book was well written. I could picture the events described in my head. I don't want to give anything away, but I'm happy with the ending.
October 14, 2013
got this on amazon kindle for free.
i think its got a good story to it, being told from the dogs point of view is really quite sad and brutal. The author did good at telling the tale through Sombers eyes and i dunno how much of this actually happens but it seems pretty realistic in the story.
the poem at the end is awful (not in a bad way)
i dont often read animal books but this one has actually gripped me from the second chapter till the end.
it was slow to begin with, almost awkward but it did get better.
its not a light book to read by all means and readers should be warned its not good to young readers.
baisically:
somber is a fighting dog who goes through about 4 homes, each one uses him for fighting. at one point you think he has found happiness as all is well but it changes when alcohol enters the seemingly gentle home.
dogs are electrocuted, burned and beaten for their failure in the pits and left with unhealed wounds when they win. there is a small part that is really good that sticks in my mind and thats describing the storm as a fight with another dog its well written and an interesting comparison.
i think its got a good story to it, being told from the dogs point of view is really quite sad and brutal. The author did good at telling the tale through Sombers eyes and i dunno how much of this actually happens but it seems pretty realistic in the story.
the poem at the end is awful (not in a bad way)
i dont often read animal books but this one has actually gripped me from the second chapter till the end.
it was slow to begin with, almost awkward but it did get better.
its not a light book to read by all means and readers should be warned its not good to young readers.
baisically:
somber is a fighting dog who goes through about 4 homes, each one uses him for fighting. at one point you think he has found happiness as all is well but it changes when alcohol enters the seemingly gentle home.
dogs are electrocuted, burned and beaten for their failure in the pits and left with unhealed wounds when they win. there is a small part that is really good that sticks in my mind and thats describing the storm as a fight with another dog its well written and an interesting comparison.
June 5, 2012
Memoirs of a fighting dog!!!!
This book was given to me and i was a little wary about reading it at first as i dislike sad but often true stories regarding animals. I found this book heart renching and wanted to stop reading a few times due to the graphic nature( a good thing as people would never know what happens to these poor dogs). The book was well written and must of been hard to do due to the fact its from the dogs point of view. I continued to read on as it captivated me as to how this story would end. I feel the writer has researched well into the realms of fighting dogs which is a cruel and barbaric sport often used to help pay for drugs ect,,, with little or no concern for the dogs care or welfare. I hope many who read this book will learn and help stop this cruel sport throughout the world.
The book was a very good read and would recommend it to older readers due to the graphic nature.Well done to the author Keisha and i hope she continues on her writing journey as she has a lot to offer. well done excellent book. :)
This book was given to me and i was a little wary about reading it at first as i dislike sad but often true stories regarding animals. I found this book heart renching and wanted to stop reading a few times due to the graphic nature( a good thing as people would never know what happens to these poor dogs). The book was well written and must of been hard to do due to the fact its from the dogs point of view. I continued to read on as it captivated me as to how this story would end. I feel the writer has researched well into the realms of fighting dogs which is a cruel and barbaric sport often used to help pay for drugs ect,,, with little or no concern for the dogs care or welfare. I hope many who read this book will learn and help stop this cruel sport throughout the world.
The book was a very good read and would recommend it to older readers due to the graphic nature.Well done to the author Keisha and i hope she continues on her writing journey as she has a lot to offer. well done excellent book. :)
December 22, 2011
Keisha is a brilliant author. Exposing, crime of dog fighting ,told by a fighting dog. At times I gasped, other times I cried, to think of the horrors done to these poor animals. It is not an easy read but one we all should read and expose this evil. An evil so horrible and so degrading it affects us all.
July 30, 2012
Not recommended for anyone under 15 the book skims the surface of what dogs are put through with dog fighting. All profits from the book go directly to animal charities. This book is very graphic and very sad...thank god for animal rescues that are there to give these poor babies a second chance at a life they fought so hard for...
October 17, 2013
The story told by a dog is a eye opening insight to the crime of dog fighting.
I found it hard to read and kept tearing up, but after getting to the end I was glad I did finish it as it was as just as much heartwarming as it was tragic.
I found it hard to read and kept tearing up, but after getting to the end I was glad I did finish it as it was as just as much heartwarming as it was tragic.
March 16, 2023
Sombre is a pitbull terrier, one of the most commonly used dogs for fighting and this is his graphic and informative tale on his life as a fighting dog.
The memoir is 177 pages including poem and is a petite book. There is content that may disturb sensitive people and younger readers and i have been advised to suggest the minimum reading age as 16+ by a reader who found the short story heartwrenching yet gripping.
The memoir is 177 pages including poem and is a petite book. There is content that may disturb sensitive people and younger readers and i have been advised to suggest the minimum reading age as 16+ by a reader who found the short story heartwrenching yet gripping.
June 7, 2015
I only joined goodreads to review this book.
The author was doing paperback/kindle giveaways and I agreed to do an honest review of the paperback.
note: I am 16 years old, normally read books like Time Travellers Wife, Memoirs of a Geisha, and A LOT of chic lit so this book is a little different for me.
BOOK DESIGN The book design is beautiful, the fonts inside are creative and go well with the cover. The book itself is small and I actually carried it in my clutch without any problems for space.
Not a huge fan of the front cover, looks very amateur and somewhat...painted, however the back is really good and its blurb is a tell tale sign of tears to come. One thing I noticed is the quality of the cover is poor, its easily bent and forever dented (found this out when I sat on it and the corner bent out).
STORY
With 170-180 pages this book is a quick and painful read. Memoirs of a Fighter Dog is told from the dogs perspective, as you can imagine its not a happy story being told.
I was expecting to have gave up with this book at the 30 page mark as I don't normally read books like this, yet I found myself NEEDING to read more and more because the poor dog was falling deeper and deeper into a life of abuse. I felt many emotions reading this book most of them negative and I sat bubbling away at a few chapters (one of them at school, which was somewhat embarrassing.) However I was overwhelmed with happiness at some points too.
Little extras like the poem and the animal rescue information gave a nice touch to the end.
The description put into this book was well thought out and very creative. It could have spared such graphic content, but as the dog can't speak I suppose the book relies on description quite heavily.
I really enjoyed this book, it taught me a few things I probably wont forget and it made me want a dog to cuddle. I am glad I volunteered to review it. I rate 4 stars!
ERRORS...Simple spelling and grammar errors need to be fixed!
The author was doing paperback/kindle giveaways and I agreed to do an honest review of the paperback.
note: I am 16 years old, normally read books like Time Travellers Wife, Memoirs of a Geisha, and A LOT of chic lit so this book is a little different for me.
BOOK DESIGN The book design is beautiful, the fonts inside are creative and go well with the cover. The book itself is small and I actually carried it in my clutch without any problems for space.
Not a huge fan of the front cover, looks very amateur and somewhat...painted, however the back is really good and its blurb is a tell tale sign of tears to come. One thing I noticed is the quality of the cover is poor, its easily bent and forever dented (found this out when I sat on it and the corner bent out).
STORY
With 170-180 pages this book is a quick and painful read. Memoirs of a Fighter Dog is told from the dogs perspective, as you can imagine its not a happy story being told.
I was expecting to have gave up with this book at the 30 page mark as I don't normally read books like this, yet I found myself NEEDING to read more and more because the poor dog was falling deeper and deeper into a life of abuse. I felt many emotions reading this book most of them negative and I sat bubbling away at a few chapters (one of them at school, which was somewhat embarrassing.) However I was overwhelmed with happiness at some points too.
Little extras like the poem and the animal rescue information gave a nice touch to the end.
The description put into this book was well thought out and very creative. It could have spared such graphic content, but as the dog can't speak I suppose the book relies on description quite heavily.
I really enjoyed this book, it taught me a few things I probably wont forget and it made me want a dog to cuddle. I am glad I volunteered to review it. I rate 4 stars!
ERRORS...Simple spelling and grammar errors need to be fixed!
March 5, 2016
A great depiction of what a fighting dog endures. It really sheds light on how horrible these dogs are treated and just breaks my heart knowing this does happen in real life. This would be a great book for everyone to read in order to understand why it's so important to put a stop to this "sport".
January 1, 2015
read all three books while they were going free on amazon. Author is great at what she does with vivid imagination. This story was sad.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews