The Last Dog on Earth

February 1, 2019

Lineker the dog is perfectly happy living in an apartment with his owner Reginald in a mostly deserted London. Most people fled when the bombings started, but Reg was never much of a people person, so he just carried on with his life. After several years of quiet, the two are startled out of their groove by the arrival of a young girl. She is fleeing the insurgent group that controls this part of town, as she fits their idea of undesirable. Reg is horrified at the thought of leaving his small safe neighborhood, but she and Lineker have become fast friends, and Reg retains some humanity. The unlikely trio set off across London to get the girl to safety. They meet allies and flee enemies, and Lineker gets separated from his friends more than once, but they continue to struggle toward a possibly brighter future. VERDICT Fans of both dog tales and postapocalyptic fiction will flock to this latest from Walker (The End of the World Running Club). Lineker's vulgar matter-of-factness lends the perfect tone to this near future when politics has led folks further astray.--Dan Forrest, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.