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The Last Dogs #4
Journey's End
Canine heroes Max, Rocky, and Gizmo return in this exciting series finale! As the trio travel south, following a trail of beacons left by Dr. Lynn, they encounter a stampede of horses. The horses urge the dogs to turn back, warning about a "silver wall of doom" that lies ahead.
But the warning only serves to motivate Max. Could this be the wall from his dreams? The wall keeping Max from his family? Helped by animals along the way -- including bats and armadillos -- the dogs find themselves deep in the desert, where they face a new coyotes . They aren't the only danger, though. Dolph and his wolf pack lie in wait -- poised for a final showdown.
The Last Journey's End is the final book in a thrilling series about three unlikely friends on an epic quest to find their people -- and bring them home.
But the warning only serves to motivate Max. Could this be the wall from his dreams? The wall keeping Max from his family? Helped by animals along the way -- including bats and armadillos -- the dogs find themselves deep in the desert, where they face a new coyotes . They aren't the only danger, though. Dolph and his wolf pack lie in wait -- poised for a final showdown.
The Last Journey's End is the final book in a thrilling series about three unlikely friends on an epic quest to find their people -- and bring them home.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
19 people are currently reading
536 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
December 7, 2014
A great ending to a great series! I thought with some trepidation that perhaps it would get too dark at the ending, but to my relief the author kept in mind that children do not necessarily need to read about woe and violence to keep them invested in a good story. The ending was exciting and climactic as the dogs have finally found their families and might be separated for good, but it never resorted to human characters pulling out guns or a big animal fight scene to be a big 'shocker' ending. I would recommend this book series to any reader, young or old!
December 18, 2025
It ended well, but just not my favorite
May 6, 2022
I have to say this was a really good series that I enjoyed reading. It had my emotions all over the place but in a good way. The end of the book where both families Max‘s dog family and his human family were reunited just made my heart soar and I was so happy I was satisfied with the ending which is really important to me in a book. Would definitely recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2014
I can not wait for this book to come out I read the first three so quickly and I have waited like 3 months for uggg it took so long now it comes out pretty soon
December 8, 2020
I love the ending when all of the characters from the past books were included the last book of the last dogs and tells what happened after the humans came back to their lives.
July 6, 2023
☆5
You know how people will talk about Tarzan and be like "Why was the soundtrack for a movie about a monkey dude this good???"
That's me with this series right now
This book managed to have a great plot, last 312 pages without the action stopping, and have a satisfying ending- mind you this book is insanely underrated and is for middle schoolers.
Top of the line award winning TV shows haven't gotten that far yet here's a story about unusually smart dogs that takes the cake.
-SPOILERS-
I will admit the mall mice were a bit boring but the plot really picked up and I absolutely loved spots, chuck, stripes, the silver bandit, Rufus, literally everyone in that little town and the train was an interesting idea.
Dolph was also a character that really intrigued me especially in the 3rd book when there was a window for redemption. They ended up not going the redemption route which I was honestly fine with. You could argue the redemption but Dolph wasn't like "I'm sorry for my actions" he's just in a nature preserve and pretty much gave up. He admitted defeat in stead of redeeming himself which is fine.
I appreciate the author adding in the detail of Dolph warping the meeting between him and max in the first book because obviously Dolph was the instigator just by trying to get rocky's food but Dolph isn't smart enough for morals so he just remembers Max "setting the fire" which causes him to stalk Max
Overall Dolph was a great overarching villain in this book series. It was nice to have the villain of the week kind of structure to just show the differences in how animals reacted to the humans disappearing and having Dolph as the villain the entire time was the glue that kept the plot moving. Literally. If it wasn't for Dolph, the main trio would have taken a lot longer in each little town or area and the book series would probably be like 20 books long.
I also admire the pacing in this series, each book had important parts that followed a structure but never felt repetitive. All the jokes and storylines never felt like they were dumbed down, like I read this whole series as a 16.5 year old and I loved it.
Sure it was cheesy every now and then but it also got me tearing up at the end there (Found family just never gets old)
Time for the things in this series I didn't like that much.
》Max's dreams. They served the plot sometimes but they were pretty boring and it spoiled some parts of the story (Not explicitly you just put two and two together and bam)
》The illustrations- especially in this installment! It felt like the illustrator didn't read the book they just got a vague description. The biggest offender of this is the fact that the dogs have collars through all of the 4th and a little of the 3rd installment yet you never see them (they're pointed out by other animals over and over again, too!)
What really threw me off was the illustration with the horses on page 20, the dogs are in a ditch and they have collars on yet the illustration has them just in the grass missing their collars. It was jarring.
》Just the armadillo mother using the phrase "by the by" I put the book down, stared straight ahead of me like I was breaking the fourth wall or something and just went "really?"
》That one part of the ending with Max being a martyr. The wolves and coyotes were about to get into a fight and Dolph would be the last one standing, Max knew and literally stated that yet instead of waiting for the fight to be over and then being a distraction for the alarm, he went to face off against 16 (I think that was what they said?) Wolves and coyotes. Facing off Dolph alone wouldve been brave enough and not waiting for their fight to ensue made me think Max was just plain dumb.
Other than that amazing end to amazing books, my new favorite book in the series.
☆5 ▪︎ 312 pages
Entire series: ☆4.5
You know how people will talk about Tarzan and be like "Why was the soundtrack for a movie about a monkey dude this good???"
That's me with this series right now
This book managed to have a great plot, last 312 pages without the action stopping, and have a satisfying ending- mind you this book is insanely underrated and is for middle schoolers.
Top of the line award winning TV shows haven't gotten that far yet here's a story about unusually smart dogs that takes the cake.
-SPOILERS-
I will admit the mall mice were a bit boring but the plot really picked up and I absolutely loved spots, chuck, stripes, the silver bandit, Rufus, literally everyone in that little town and the train was an interesting idea.
Dolph was also a character that really intrigued me especially in the 3rd book when there was a window for redemption. They ended up not going the redemption route which I was honestly fine with. You could argue the redemption but Dolph wasn't like "I'm sorry for my actions" he's just in a nature preserve and pretty much gave up. He admitted defeat in stead of redeeming himself which is fine.
I appreciate the author adding in the detail of Dolph warping the meeting between him and max in the first book because obviously Dolph was the instigator just by trying to get rocky's food but Dolph isn't smart enough for morals so he just remembers Max "setting the fire" which causes him to stalk Max
Overall Dolph was a great overarching villain in this book series. It was nice to have the villain of the week kind of structure to just show the differences in how animals reacted to the humans disappearing and having Dolph as the villain the entire time was the glue that kept the plot moving. Literally. If it wasn't for Dolph, the main trio would have taken a lot longer in each little town or area and the book series would probably be like 20 books long.
I also admire the pacing in this series, each book had important parts that followed a structure but never felt repetitive. All the jokes and storylines never felt like they were dumbed down, like I read this whole series as a 16.5 year old and I loved it.
Sure it was cheesy every now and then but it also got me tearing up at the end there (Found family just never gets old)
Time for the things in this series I didn't like that much.
》Max's dreams. They served the plot sometimes but they were pretty boring and it spoiled some parts of the story (Not explicitly you just put two and two together and bam)
》The illustrations- especially in this installment! It felt like the illustrator didn't read the book they just got a vague description. The biggest offender of this is the fact that the dogs have collars through all of the 4th and a little of the 3rd installment yet you never see them (they're pointed out by other animals over and over again, too!)
What really threw me off was the illustration with the horses on page 20, the dogs are in a ditch and they have collars on yet the illustration has them just in the grass missing their collars. It was jarring.
》Just the armadillo mother using the phrase "by the by" I put the book down, stared straight ahead of me like I was breaking the fourth wall or something and just went "really?"
》That one part of the ending with Max being a martyr. The wolves and coyotes were about to get into a fight and Dolph would be the last one standing, Max knew and literally stated that yet instead of waiting for the fight to be over and then being a distraction for the alarm, he went to face off against 16 (I think that was what they said?) Wolves and coyotes. Facing off Dolph alone wouldve been brave enough and not waiting for their fight to ensue made me think Max was just plain dumb.
Other than that amazing end to amazing books, my new favorite book in the series.
☆5 ▪︎ 312 pages
Entire series: ☆4.5
July 15, 2018
The Last Dogs #1 was one of the first books I bought in english, and after that I decided to buy one book every summer until this year, when I read the last one. Though this book was an easy read for me, and perhaps too childish to other people my age (not that I care), it was still a great and cozy book about three lovely friends trying to find their families.
Since it is a book for younger readers a part of me knew that whatever happened to the characters, all would end well, and that made it into a very relaxing read and one that I'll probably remember for a long time.
It was a lovely book and one that I recommend strongly, to young readers as well as old. I'll miss the world of The Last Dogs and all the characters that Max, Rocky and Gizmo got to meet. Perhaps I'll reread them all just because I miss it... you know how it is.
Since it is a book for younger readers a part of me knew that whatever happened to the characters, all would end well, and that made it into a very relaxing read and one that I'll probably remember for a long time.
It was a lovely book and one that I recommend strongly, to young readers as well as old. I'll miss the world of The Last Dogs and all the characters that Max, Rocky and Gizmo got to meet. Perhaps I'll reread them all just because I miss it... you know how it is.
May 15, 2021
I remember that back when I read this series a few years ago, I had loved it at the time and it was one of my favorites. Now, however I find it a bit bland and too fast paced. Don't get me wrong; normally I love fast paced stories but I feel that this was too fast paced. I couldn't find myself getting attached to the characters as it just hopped from a group of characters to another group, and even with the main characters, I felt almost no emotional connection to them this read around.
October 19, 2025
a children's book HAHAHAHAHHA. but I read it anyway for my cousins. the story line was decent and the dogs faced many life threatening challenges along the way. but that's life. I like dogs and I think the three of them are absolutely adorable. it was a fun and short read to ease my brain from all the high fantasy I have been reading
July 18, 2017
A fantastic ending to a fantastic series! I would highly recommend The Last Dogs to anybody of any age who enjoys the harrowing tales of friendships, family, adventure, and suspense. It's fantastic for middle grade and up. 10/10 read overall.
September 16, 2017
This book is very interesting and unique. Its plot is very intriguing and leads you wanting to know more. It is definitely the best out of all the books because it takes the story to a whole new level of surprises.
September 17, 2019
I loved this book I could relate to this book because I have three dogs this Taught me that your stronger when you work together. I loved this book because at the time I thought that reading about people was boring and I just wanted to read a book about the dogs point of view no people.
Read
April 23, 2024Read this series with my kids (now ages 10/8) twice now over the last 2 years. They (and I) love the series. It is written well, not too scary for the younger one and a great feel good series where at times, you forget you are reading about dogs. :)
October 5, 2017
A good, proper ending. I was not disappointed.
January 18, 2018
i still can't believe rocky and gizmo had puppies -- i can't imagine that just HNNNKNNHNK EW
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2018
Pretty good, highly recommend
It's good tbh, read the full story and I like it alot
Please try the book, recommended, keep making a good series
It's good tbh, read the full story and I like it alot
Please try the book, recommended, keep making a good series
June 11, 2021
Good ending for the series, ties up the loose ends.
August 7, 2021
A beautiful series finale that may or may not have jerked a few tears from me.
October 14, 2023
cried like a baby at the end because I am a SUCKER
December 15, 2023
I loved the happy ending!!
January 31, 2024
It was good, only didn’t like the end very much but better than other endings. Overall good!
February 17, 2024
5 stars
April 9, 2024
I loved this series as a kid. It's perfect for dog lovers who also enjoy science-fiction.
Want to read
May 22, 2025SM
April 20, 2020
I loved the ending where Max chose his dog family instead of his human family when he crossed over at least a thousand miles to get to his human family it was so heartwarming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2016
Some spoilers below!
I waited for this book a while, but once I got it I was a little apprehensive about diving in. Finales are tough to pull off, but in the end, I was satisfied. 3 1/2 stars
What I disliked:
I enjoyed this book a lot, but I did have some things I want to point out:
I felt that Journey's End was a great deal shorter than the other books. It didn't seem to have as much story to tell as its predecessors had. It seemed like there was barely a plot at all, just Max, Gizmo, and Rocky running around the desert and running into a few animals here and there. I didn't feel a connection with any of the new animals like I felt with Boss, Belle, and the Praxis animals.
It seemed to me that this story lacked the large amount of suspense the others had. Up until right before they neared the wall I was rather disinterested. In the other books the stakes seemed a lot higher, and there were more character deaths. In this book nothing bad seemed to happen to anyone, which I didn't necessarily mind, although I liked that the other books had much higher stakes.
The showdown with Dolph's pack seemed lacking compared to other face offs between Max and the wolf pack. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but their showdown bored me, maybe just because it seems like they've had way too many.
The Dorkie thing was cute, but I wasn't really into it because there aren't many books about dogs and the ones out there really should promote spaying and neutering. This story is marketed to children and I felt it could have been really beneficial to kids to include more about rescuing, adopting, spaying/neutering, etc.
What I enjoyed:
For whatever reason, I loved the armadillos! I just found them sweet and cute. They also had super cool names. I get a little tried of names as generic as Max and Spots. I mean, you named the skunk Stripes? How original.
The art is always so pretty and I wish that more books had these type of drawings. I think it really makes the story unique. Publishers should think about adding drawings in some YA books, they shouldn't be limited to only middle grade.
The story was pretty short, and an easy read. I got it done in a few hours, so even for people who take longer to read books, this one should be a quick read.
The ending was very satisfying. I felt my eyes really widen when I got to the last few chapters, because I had half a mind that thought they were going to have an ending where the dogs chose their people and just saw each 'once in a while'. They didn't, which really pleased me. I really loved their decision to stay together, I found it very sweet. I think it would've broken my heart if they didn't.
The ending did seem a little cheesy, but I didn't really mind. The happy ending was refreshing in my opinion and rather bittersweet. An ending that evokes emotion in a reader is a good ending.
It's been a long journey, with lots of bumps in the road, but in the end, I think both the dogs and the readers got the ending they deserved.
I waited for this book a while, but once I got it I was a little apprehensive about diving in. Finales are tough to pull off, but in the end, I was satisfied. 3 1/2 stars
What I disliked:
I enjoyed this book a lot, but I did have some things I want to point out:
I felt that Journey's End was a great deal shorter than the other books. It didn't seem to have as much story to tell as its predecessors had. It seemed like there was barely a plot at all, just Max, Gizmo, and Rocky running around the desert and running into a few animals here and there. I didn't feel a connection with any of the new animals like I felt with Boss, Belle, and the Praxis animals.
It seemed to me that this story lacked the large amount of suspense the others had. Up until right before they neared the wall I was rather disinterested. In the other books the stakes seemed a lot higher, and there were more character deaths. In this book nothing bad seemed to happen to anyone, which I didn't necessarily mind, although I liked that the other books had much higher stakes.
The showdown with Dolph's pack seemed lacking compared to other face offs between Max and the wolf pack. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but their showdown bored me, maybe just because it seems like they've had way too many.
The Dorkie thing was cute, but I wasn't really into it because there aren't many books about dogs and the ones out there really should promote spaying and neutering. This story is marketed to children and I felt it could have been really beneficial to kids to include more about rescuing, adopting, spaying/neutering, etc.
What I enjoyed:
For whatever reason, I loved the armadillos! I just found them sweet and cute. They also had super cool names. I get a little tried of names as generic as Max and Spots. I mean, you named the skunk Stripes? How original.
The art is always so pretty and I wish that more books had these type of drawings. I think it really makes the story unique. Publishers should think about adding drawings in some YA books, they shouldn't be limited to only middle grade.
The story was pretty short, and an easy read. I got it done in a few hours, so even for people who take longer to read books, this one should be a quick read.
The ending was very satisfying. I felt my eyes really widen when I got to the last few chapters, because I had half a mind that thought they were going to have an ending where the dogs chose their people and just saw each 'once in a while'. They didn't, which really pleased me. I really loved their decision to stay together, I found it very sweet. I think it would've broken my heart if they didn't.
The ending did seem a little cheesy, but I didn't really mind. The happy ending was refreshing in my opinion and rather bittersweet. An ending that evokes emotion in a reader is a good ending.
It's been a long journey, with lots of bumps in the road, but in the end, I think both the dogs and the readers got the ending they deserved.
November 17, 2017
I loved this book!!!!
December 2, 2014
Perfect for Animal and Adventure Lovers!
The Last Dogs, Journey’s End is the fourth book in a thrilling fictional adventure series. Max, the Golden Retriever, Rocky, the Dachshund, and Gizmo, the Yorkshire Terrier are on an epic quest to find their humans and bring them back home.
Their adventures were set in motion by a deadly virus with a mysterious past. The virus had mutated to become dangerous to humans, but did not affect animals in the same way. Since Max, Rocky and Gizmo were no longer a danger to humans, they can now track down their owners.
The dogs face many obstacles which they must overcome to reach their goal. These range from being chased by a pack of wolves, being ambushed by coyotes, and crossing a broken-down railroad track spanning a perilous gorge.
My favorite part of the quest was the railroad track crossing. The dogs showed bravery and overcame their fears to conquer this obstacle. Friendship and teamwork helped them support one another. Max was a great leader, and Rocky uses his wits to outsmart the wolves. The author does a great job describing this scene with tension and thrills.
I recommend this book to boys and girls ages 8-12 who like animals and adventure.
Review by Young Mensan Brooke Z., age 7, Delaware Valley Mensa
The Last Dogs, Journey’s End is the fourth book in a thrilling fictional adventure series. Max, the Golden Retriever, Rocky, the Dachshund, and Gizmo, the Yorkshire Terrier are on an epic quest to find their humans and bring them back home.
Their adventures were set in motion by a deadly virus with a mysterious past. The virus had mutated to become dangerous to humans, but did not affect animals in the same way. Since Max, Rocky and Gizmo were no longer a danger to humans, they can now track down their owners.
The dogs face many obstacles which they must overcome to reach their goal. These range from being chased by a pack of wolves, being ambushed by coyotes, and crossing a broken-down railroad track spanning a perilous gorge.
My favorite part of the quest was the railroad track crossing. The dogs showed bravery and overcame their fears to conquer this obstacle. Friendship and teamwork helped them support one another. Max was a great leader, and Rocky uses his wits to outsmart the wolves. The author does a great job describing this scene with tension and thrills.
I recommend this book to boys and girls ages 8-12 who like animals and adventure.
Review by Young Mensan Brooke Z., age 7, Delaware Valley Mensa
February 3, 2023
.More reviews like this one on my blog Snapdragon Alcove
The Last Dogs is a well structure series. Each book serves a purpose in move the plot along. None of them felt like a filler for the sake of having four books in a series.
The ending is not some bloody battle but, a lot of action leading up to the end. The author knows his audience.
The flaws to the series are that the varies take a back seat in the story. We are not given any detail of how the varies affects everyone. Perhaps to make it less scary for kids, that understandable.
Dolph doesn't feels like villain. He just someone to chase in order to keep them going.
All the characters Max, Rocky, and Gizmo meet are interesting and memorable but, only get to see them for one book or a few chapters. I would like to have seen them again.
It seems like MG dystopian and post-apocalypse are lighthearted or end on a hopeful note. Don't get me wrong there are some dark moments.
If you find YA and adult dystopian/post-apocalypse depressing. Give MG a try if your open to a story being a story no matter the age.
The whole Last Dogs series is a five star read.
The Last Dogs is a well structure series. Each book serves a purpose in move the plot along. None of them felt like a filler for the sake of having four books in a series.
The ending is not some bloody battle but, a lot of action leading up to the end. The author knows his audience.
The flaws to the series are that the varies take a back seat in the story. We are not given any detail of how the varies affects everyone. Perhaps to make it less scary for kids, that understandable.
Dolph doesn't feels like villain. He just someone to chase in order to keep them going.
All the characters Max, Rocky, and Gizmo meet are interesting and memorable but, only get to see them for one book or a few chapters. I would like to have seen them again.
It seems like MG dystopian and post-apocalypse are lighthearted or end on a hopeful note. Don't get me wrong there are some dark moments.
If you find YA and adult dystopian/post-apocalypse depressing. Give MG a try if your open to a story being a story no matter the age.
The whole Last Dogs series is a five star read.
December 15, 2014
A great last installment to this series for children. I really like the dogs' adventures as they try to figure out what has caused their humans to flee. When they get clues at a laboratory about a virus that could be the cause, the dogs (Max, Gizmo and Rocky), head across the country to find the solution to reuniting humans with animals.
They are followed by Dolph, a leader of a pack of wolves, and encounter various dangerous scenarios along the way.
I love these dogs and the many friends they make along the way.
They are followed by Dolph, a leader of a pack of wolves, and encounter various dangerous scenarios along the way.
I love these dogs and the many friends they make along the way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews