Not as light as you might expect but it's poignant and special. Denny is different. He loves his Nana and his blind dog George. And now he's been charged with murder and this is the story of how we got to that place. It's unexpected and thoughtful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Denny Voss is a 30-year-old man who lives at home with his elderly mother and blind, deaf Saint Bernard in rural Minnesota. (The book cover is so perfect!) He lives a relatively quiet boring life cleaning up roadkill for a living. Even though he is limited by a developmental delay, Denny considers his life a good one. Until he is charged with the murder of a politician after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree. Wait, what?!

As Denny awaits trial, his court-appointed therapist walks him through events of the past year, his family history, painful truths and what led up to the murder. It is shocking, sometimes funny and makes you feel empathy toward Denny. Chaos seems to find him when he just tries to mind his own business.

Even though the author Holly Kennedy did an excellent job penning a realistic story with elements of humor and care, the story was not as memorable once I finished reading. It did not leave a lasting impression; therefore, The Sideways Life of Denny Voss was just okay. Worth adding to your TBR if you're looking for an unconventional murder mystery.

Happy Early Pub Day, Holly Kennedy! The Sideways Life of Denny Voss will be available Tuesday, April 8.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

A beautiful story that touched me deeply. Highly recommend to all. Many people can learn from Denny and little Theo.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Denny Voss is one of the most endearing characters I have ever met in a book. He is a 30-year-old man who happens to be developmentally delayed. He is kind, he is interested in the world around him, he is smart in his own way but also has an innocence about him. He has a deaf and blind St Bernard that he rescued, sleeps with him every night.

Circumstances lead him into all sorts of problematic situations. The worst of these situations is being charged with the murder of the town's mayoral candidate. And, there are viable reasons that he could suspect. The reader learns about his escapades through flashbacks throughout the story. They are always told in his own voice, with lots and lots of side details. Denny is also a bit of a philosopher. He has life and the people around him figured out, quite accurately.

Besides Denny, there is so much to love about this story. The characters in town are quirky. Most are kind, but some are mean to Denny. Realistic presentation. The two main secondary characters are his mother, Nana-Jo and his cousin, Angus. Nana-Jo brought Denny up to be a confident young man. And, Angus (though he is odd) looks out for Denny in the day-to-day world outside of home.

There are lots of surprises as the tale unfolds. Some parts are actually laugh-out-loud funny. Other parts might have brought a tear to my eye.

This book brings me a whole new appreciation of the song, You've Got a Friend in Me, from Toy Story. It’s Denny’s comfort song.

This is one of my favourite quotes from Denny. Dare I call it a “Denny-ism”?

“I also know it hurts when someone you love dies, but I think it’s supposed to because if it didn’t they’d be easy to forget and who wants to forget all the louds and quiets about someone you love after they’re gone? Not me.”

I don't usually do this in a review but I want to thank Ms Kennedy, the author, for the hard work and thought process she put into the creation of Denny’s character. The effort was definitely worth it. And, I appreciate the bits and pieces she pulled from her own life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

ALL THE STARS for the "Sideways Life of Denny Voss"!!! After seeing some other great reviews, I postponed another book to read this title right away, and I am so very glad that I did! What a fresh and unique voice and POV we get in this first person tale about developmentally challenged Denny and his life and family & friends. This story is all told as Denny is awaiting trial for murder and is recounted to his court-ordered shrink & attorney and does take a while to get to the point, just like Denny, who really loves his Nana-jo & dog George. I teared up more than once reading it. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend and I really hope it does well!! MY sincere thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy - my very absolute pleasure to read and review it

The dog dies. Yes, some may consider that a spoiler, but it is more of a trigger warning. The book is not using the dog as the main character, therefore, I did not expect the dog to die. I avoid books where the dog dies, which seems to be something they love to do in children's books. Just don't ask how hard I cried after I read "The Rough Patch." And if I was that distraught after a dog died in a short picture book, you can just imagine my pain at the loss of a deaf and blind St. Bernard. Keep in mind that I also have TWO 7 year old Great Danes. I was sobbing, and blubbering. The dogs were bewildered (and not at all supportive), the cat was enjoying licking my tears, and my husband had to video call me from upstairs to make sure I was okay. This wrecked me. Please prepare yourself but don't try to not get attached to George, because he is a PERFECT boy and deserves our love.

Denny Voss has developmental delays. He lives with his elderly mother, and their blind and deaf St. Bernard, George. His cousin and co-worker, Angus lives on the other side of the duplex. Denny is a good guy and tries to do the right thing, like the time, he kidnapped his neighbor's goose, Tom Hanks, and illegally crossed into Canada to reunite him with his love. So when he crashes his sled into a tree filled with guns and bullets, Denny is trying to do the right thing. Little does he know that one of those guns was used in a murder. The story unfolds with Denny telling his therapist and lawyer all about his sideways life.

There are times where this is difficult to read because some people take advantage of Denny. I almost gave up at the part with the rug salesman because I hated seeing him get taken advantage of! However, this is a charming book that is really enjoyable aside from the horrible part that I complained about for a solid paragraph.

All in all, I did love the book, and it had 5 star potential. Perhaps publish it with a trigger warning for dog lovers? If I had known that was coming I would have given it 5 stars!

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

4 Stars
One Liner: This was good!

Denny Voss lives in rural Minnesota with his mother, Nana-Jo, and his blind and deaf Saint Bernard, George. As someone with developmental issues, he makes a living clearing roadkill with his cousin, Agnes.
However, Denny is arrested on the charge of murdering the local mayoral candidate. As he awaits his trial, Dr. Herald, the therapist, tries to find out more about Denny’s life. Talking about his past brings out many secrets. Denny seems to have some tough decisions to make for his future!
The story comes in Denny’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I was debating on this one when I saw Shelley’s review and decided to grab a copy. Thanks for that! Note that the writing style may not be for everyone.
This is a heavier read though it has many lovely moments and random things that’ll make you smile or chuckle. Still, the themes are pretty intense.
The chapter heads act as little pointers about what’s to come. I wouldn’t call them spoilers as such but you can avoid them if you are too particular about things.
Though the book is from Denny’s POV, we can see how stressful it can be for his mother and cousin to deal with him at times. His mother, especially deserves a lot of appreciation for trying to balance protecting him and making him self-reliant as much as possible.
While I could empathize with Denny’s situation each time he got arrested, I could also see it from the other side. When you deal with criminals and twisted minds, it becomes hard to differentiate, that too without knowing any background information. It’s a catch-22 situation. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t! That said, a few of them could learn to be more sensible.
The side characters are interesting. They are mixed – some good, some not-so-good, and some bad. Not everyone understands or likes Denny and not everyone dislikes him. So, we get a pretty realistic picture of his life in the village.
I don’t want to say much but two events in the last quarter didn’t appeal to me. Even though one of them happened in real life, it didn’t have to be the same in fiction. After all, fiction is a way to change reality, albeit fictionally (check TW for more)! I don’t believe in ‘family is family’, so the other one didn’t work either.
There’s repetition and things can go around in circles since Denny likes to take time but you’ll get used to it after the initial 20% or so. However, if you don’t, the book may not appeal to you as much. Quite a bit hinges on the writing style even though the characters are well-crafted.
Lastly, don’t skip the author’s note. It is very detailed (just how I like them) and the author talks about various elements she used in the book.
To summarize, The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is a poignant novel about what it means to be a person with developmental issues and how one’s community plays a role in making or breaking things.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Denny’s story is about love, anger, caring, bullying, prejudice and acceptance. It’s about Denny knowing he’s worthy even when others see his developmental challenges as something to be feared, criticized and pushed away. Denny tells his story in his way, and he does an excellent job of it.

The characters in this book are very believable and real. I don’t know much about the behavioral characteristics and mental processing done by someone who is developmentally challenged, but Holly Kennedy paints a very convincing picture. She was so convincing in telling the story from Denny’s voice that, having not retained that the author’s name is Holly, I was surprised to see at the conclusion of the book that the author’s picture is of a woman! Throughout the book, I heard a man telling his story; Denny was the author!

As a reader, I was initially put off by the frequent asides in Denny’s narration, written within parentheses, explaining the meaning of what he just said or thought. It interrupted the flow of the story. As a human being, I soon realized, however, that the side explanations were part of Denny’s natural thought and speech processes. Once understood, I just “went with the flow” and accepted that the asides were part of who Denny is. The asides illustrated, for me, how taking a little time to understand a situation, attribute or person who doesn’t conform to “the norm” can go a long way towards engaging in a meaningful, positive relationship with that person (or anyone!).

How Denny’s life frequently goes sideways and brings him to his current dilemma of being accused of murder is cleverly revealed through the interweaving of his recollections of how past and present events happened. He has an excellent memory of what occurred and what was said. He doesn’t feel he’s handicapped; he’s a 72. He’s straight forward and tells things as he sees them. This is not a gloom and doom story, far from it. There are moments of humor and moments of, as Denny would say, doing wondering. I feel the reader will root for Denny and also be a bit unsure of the outcome of his trial due to the powers of persuasion and misrepresentations expressed by some of the other characters. Hope is always present that love and understanding will prevail.

This is the first book I’ve read by Holly Kennedy. I would read another one.

4.5 stars

Denny Voss is a 30 year old living in rural Minnesota with his elderly mother and special needs Saint Bernard. He lives a simple life and he doesn’t let the challenges he faces (due to issues at birth) hold him back from feeling fulfilled. He has a great support system of people who love him and a solid routine to keep him grounded. That’s until his third arrest (this time for murder) puts a spanner in the works.

Denny and his loved ones are fantastic characters and the heart of this book is in the relationships between them all. This is such a funny cast and you can tell a lot of thought went into every single characters. I laughed out loud many times and topped it off with a bucket of tears (a win in my books). This book gives you a classic mystery unravelling, but it is very much a character-driven narrative and it breathes fresh life into the genre. There’s a brilliance contrast throughout of the ridiculous (like kidnapping Tom Hanks (a goose named Tom Hanks)) and the sincere as Denny discovers world-changing family secrets.

I am not developmentally delayed or neurodivergent (which Denny’s idiosyncrasies are reminiscent of) so I am not in a position to deem this representation good or bad, but I definitely say flashes of people in my life in Denny. He doesn’t feel like a caricature and I think the author does a great job of exploring the social issues he encounters. For example, Denny’s court-appointed therapist, who guides him through telling the story of the past year, often loses patience and learns he has to make changes to the way he normally communicates with clients to engage in a meaningful way. In Denny’s small community, I like that the author included people who endear and treat him with kindness and people who wish to ostracize him due to his quirks, which is sadly a very realistic reaction.

I love The Sideways Life of Denny Voss because it’s wildly entertaining AND makes you empathise deeply. I highly recommend to fans of Fredrik Backman (the writing reminded me of him), Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine or Molly the Maid.

I absolutely LOVED this book. The characters, the story, everything. We are privileged enough to glimpse this story through the eyes of Denny, a 29 year old, neurodivergent man who is being blamed for a murder. While sometimes stubborn, he is funny and incredibly easy to love.

This is a lovely coming-of-age that will keep you guessing and maybe even make you cry a river of tears at the end. If you loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, you are sure to love this too.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. The best I've received!

Sometimes you come across a book and you just KNOW it's going to be a new favorite even before you read the first page. This is exactly what happened with The Sideways Life Of Denny Voss for me. I remember reading the premise last year, and as soon as I did I simply HAD to add it to my shelves straight away and schedule a meeting with Denny Voss. I love quirky and unique books and characters, and I simply couldn't wait to learn more about Denny's story. Words cannot describe just how much I loved my time with this book!

The reason this story works so well has everything to do with its main character Denny Voss. Denny is such a precious soul and the perfect person to show the world that being different doesn't mean you are anything less. The way the author develops his character and tells the story from his POV feels so authentic, and I loved learning more about how his brain works and how he sees the world. His character kind of reminded me of another absolute favorite book (and character) I read last year: Joe Nuthin's Guide To Life. I usually don't like comparing books, but I feel Denny and Joe deserve being mentioned together and they both have a place in my heart.

The Sideways Life Of Denny Voss is a story that mixes lighter moments and humor with more serious topics, creating a multi-faceted story that will keep you engaged along the way. Sure, I did see some of the reveals coming, but it was the journey itself that mattered and it was worth it to see Denny unravel things on his own. The way Denny misinterprets things creats some pretty funny situations, but it also shows us the prejudice of others when someone is a little different. I loved how he has people who stand up for him though, and I especially loved his friendship with the little Theo and his dog George.

There is of course the mystery of why Denny is currently in prison and who is really guilty of the murder, and I liked how it was incorporated into the plot. The answers are partly hidden inside Denny's mind, but it isn't all that easy to get him to reveal them... The stories of why he was arrested before were particularly hilarious by the way. Like I said before, there are also some pretty serious topics incorporated along the way, and definitely make sure you have some tissues at hand for the last part... It all came together in a well balanced story that will stay with me for a long time.

As you might have guessed already, The Sideways Life Of Denny Voss turned out to be an absolute gem of a story and I already know it will end up on my list of 2025 favorites. It's actually my first full 5 star rating of the year, and I cannot recommend it enough!

I loved this quirky book! Denny is 30 years old and developmentally delayed from a birth trauma. He has a heart of gold though. It's a murder mystery about who killed the jerk-face guy running for mayor, and Denny is their prime suspect. There's a whole cast of interesting characters in this small town, and it had me laughing out loud and shedding a few tears before the story ended. I highly recommend this one.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a ARC copy to read and review.

A beautiful, compelling story which made me laugh and cry. Denny is a thirty year old developmentally challenged man. He is honest to a fault and has a loving heart. The story centers mostly on Denny’s arrest for murder and the time he spends in jail preparing for a trial. Denny spends a lot of time with his lawyer and his psychiatrist. He delves into his past and various relationships . He learns a lot about his past and the people around him. A beautiful story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! I am still recovering! I enjoyed this read so much as this novel made me laugh, sad, angry and all the feels in between! Denny is developmentally delayed and Holly Kennedy captures his inner thoughts so well and there is so much to learn from him! The way he is treated by many people leaves so much to be desired. You will route for him all the way to the end! Run don't walk if you want a read that will keep you coming back!

Thank you Net Galley, Holly Kennedy and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to preview this novel. The opinions shared are my own.
The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is expected to be released April 8, 2025.

Denny Voss is one of the most heartwarming, funny, interesting characters I've read in such a long time. He's 29 and neurodivergent. He is trying to start to take a little responsibility for his own life, and boy does it go off the rails.

I laughed and cried (and I rarely cry at books lately). Every single character has depth, feels realistic, and each catbrings something to the novel that I feel would've been less of a great story without them. This includes a precious blind and deaf St. Bernard.

The author captures the "voice" of Denny Voss perfectly. He's not a caricature, but a real man getting through life in his own unique way.

I also loved the author notes at the end of the book. I felt like I understood the author (and suddenly wanted to be her new friend,) and identified with her anxiety, fears, and the manner in which she approached this story.

Denny Voss, and his family and friends (including a goose named Tom Hanks,) are a group I won't soon forget.

Hands down (and yes, I know it's early in the year) this is my favorite book of the 2025. I'd imagine I'll be able to come back in December and still feel the same.

Kudos to Holly Kennedy. Buy this book. Better: preorder it so you have it the day it is published.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheSidewaysLifeOfDennyVoss #LakeUnionPublishing #HollyKennedy #NetGalley

Yeah, so this was interesting. I was intrigued from the start as I've never read a book told from the point of view of a limited person, and for sure it's not a thing we see often. The story itself was emotional and funny. I loved the author's writing, the descriptions and the dialogues were fenomenal! It's such a emotion-provoking book too. I found myself growing angry and frustrated many times but also often the book made me cry and laugh a lot!
One thing is it can be hard to read as the pov can be a bit confusing, nontheless the writing was great!

Denny Voss is arrested while lugging a wagon full of guns to turn into the police station. Denny doesn’t quite know what’s going on, especially as he’s also charged with the murder of Mr. Tesky. Danny is developmentally challenged and Kennedy brings all of his complexities to life beautifully. She writes with an authentic voice, not only for his character but the others as well. This novel had me laughing (especially with Tom Hanks) and crying but through it all gave me hope that we can all be accepted for who we are and still be loved. I loved Kennedy‘s writing. I loved how she included Denny’s blind St. Bernard and Newfie puppy. This is the novel I can’t wait to share with all of my friends and our Library patrons. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

I did not like this book.

Oftentimes, during my reading, I found myself growing more agitated than intrigued. While I understand the author's purpose and intent, I do think it, unfortunately, failed in its execution. This IS the first book I read from this author and I intend to read more of their work in the future and hopefully, enjoy it more than this.

In its attempt to share a different perspective, the writing felt confusing because of its simplicity, this was the main reason I grew frustrated. English is not my first language, I got confused many, MANY times trying to understand what was going on and grew frustrated, exhausted and felt myself tap out constantly but powered through to write this review nonetheless. I feel like so much of it could have been done through a third person point of view focusing on different characters, or presenting notes from different perspectives and allowing the reader to have their own understanding and perspective or figure it out. I can think of so many ways in which this story can be presented off the top of my head and this was not it. Denny almost felt like a caricature by the time I finished this which is genuinely unfortunate because I was really looking forward to reading it because of its summary and premise.

I will not be posting this review on my Goodreads or website, but I wish the author the best, the idea behind the book and story is brilliant, the writing and execution in the end was just not my style.

As a special education teacher, I loved this story! I thought the author did such a great job taking us inside Denny Voss’s head- a 30 year old developmentally delayed man that does not mince words. Denny is an intelligent man and this story does not stray from tacking the darker topics. Definitely check trigger warnings but you should read this!

It made me laugh and cry, soften in sympathy and harden in anger, and most importantly, believe. Believe in the ability of Denny Voss to work through the situations in his life. Holly Kennedy has wonderfully captured his complexity and yet conveyed it simply and kindly. Didn’t want this precious book to end!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this sweet ARC.