Reading Journal 2024: The One and Only Bob
Author: Katherine Applegate
The One and Only Ivan is an all timer for me, so I had been reticent about picking up its sequel, which then turned into a trilogy. What inspired me to finally take the plunge was the recent release of a fourth and final book in the series.
The One and Only Bob picks up right where the last book left off, naturally narrowing in on one of its key characters, Bob, a mid size dog with his own way of seeing the world in the aftermath of the events captured in Ivan. Thus it progresses the narrative, just from a different point of view, and the way it ends sets the stage to do the same for Ruby in the third book.
Bob doesn’t have the emotional brevity of Ivan, but we do get a stronger dose of humor and action. It does pause from time to time to reflect on the bigger questions regarding life and death and relationship and art and meaning and existence that the series is interested in, which does anchor it within the same kind of ethos and purpose, there is just less of it and it’s not the real driving force, for better for for worse.
What it retains though is a strong sense of character and relatability. And the humor and action do at least compliment the strengths of the original.
Left me eager to get back into this world and its story with affectionate and loveable Ruby.
The Stories of my Life 