It’s no surprise that a murder case is never the way it seems in a book. The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy is no different. Denny, a neurodivergent man with an IQ of 72, is charged with the murder of a mayoral candidate when he is found after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree. Can he prove to the police why this happened?

3/5 stars ★★★☆☆
My Thoughts On The Sideways Life of Denny Voss:
This story was a sweet but slow-moving burn for me. I enjoyed the characters that are in Denny’s life. Of course, the dog, George, a deaf and blind Saint Bernard, won my heart over. But it was Denny’s cousin, Argus, that was my favorite. He was always so loving toward Denny, even when he had to be tough with him. I also love a funny t-shirt, so I enjoyed that each time Argus showed up in the story, he was wearing a different funny shirt.
Neurodivergent people hold a special place in my heart, so maybe this is why this story was a little difficult for me to read. Denny was leading a good life, and yet, he was misunderstood, and that was frustrating to me. I saw so many of my past students in Denny. It just made me want to hug him.
This book has high ratings from so many readers, so I hope that you will still give it a try. I am definitely the oddball with my rating. It repeated a little too much for me, and I wanted to hurry the story along. I do love the cover, though. It was a perfect choice for this story.
Thank you to NetGalley, Holly Kennedy, and Lake Union Publishing for my free copy. This is my honest review.
*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/
My New Favorite Product This Week:
My Kindle died this week, so I had to get a new one. Of course, this also meant a new cover. I love my new Vori cover because you can hold it with the strap if you are laying down, or use the stand if you are sitting in a chair. Plus, they have a lot of great designs to choose from. It is absolutely perfect, and I highly recommend it.