REVIEW: The Last Family In England (Matt Haig)

Book: The Last Family In England

Author: Matt Haig

My rating: 3.5/5. 

Premise: Prince is an earnest young dog, striving hard to live up to the tenets of the Labrador Pact (Remain Loyal to Your Human Masters, Serve and Protect Your Family at Any Cost). Other dogs, led by the Springer Spaniels, have revolted. As things in the Prince's family begin to go badly awry - marital breakdown, rowdy teenage parties, attempted suicide - his responsibilities threaten to overwhelm him and he is forced to break the Labrador Pact and take desperate action to save his Family.

[⚠️CW: suicide, animal euthanasia]

This was such a fun book. The story is told from Prince's (the dog's) point of view as he retells the story of why he broke the Labrador Pact. I should warn you that the story starts off with Prince getting ready to be put down. But after, the story is light and funny! What I loved about the story was how we had a family that looked perfect on the outside, but was messy on the inside. We see the teenage girl struggling with various pressures, the teenage boy feeling the peer pressure, the mum struggling to hold the family together and present this perfect image, and the dad starting to feel restless with his life and marriage. They just felt so human - you understand them, their feelings and why they did certain things. But there's also the pressure Prince puts on himself to keep them all together. There was a theme throughout of living life and not letting a sense of duty rule your life. Do things out of love and kindness rather than obligation. But also, there was a message of not blaming yourself for the actions of others. Another good book from Matt Haig!