I don't remember the last time I devoured a book this quickly. The pages flew by and I practically read the entire book in one sitting. In fact, I was shocked to see a few reviews mention how slow Dog Island was, as I had the complete opposite reaction.

It felt like an old school mystery novel, but layered with allegory and meaningful commentary on the refugee crisis, migration, the feeling of being the outsider, and even the mindless mass hysteria of a crowd.

While Dog Island was almost entirely full of heavy topics, it bizarrely felt like a light fun read. I think the very simple characters (and very limited number of characters at that) helped keep the novel focused, and the mystery narrative helped keep things engaging.

The ending also felt worthwhile, with the final sentence being one last punch to the gut to wrap things up. Dog Island would make for a fantastic play.

4 stars.