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Etna
Beloved author and winner of The Story Prize, Paul Yoon, is back with the unforgettable story of a working dog, Etna, who, after a devastating war, embarks on an odyssey in the hopes of returning home.
Set in a fictional country in the present day, this is a story told through the eyes of an ex-military dog, Etna. After surviving years of a devastating war, Etna decides one night to leave the men he has fought alongside for years and return home—to the place where he was taken from when he was young, in the thin but persistent hope that if a home exists for him, it might be there.
Thus begins an exhilarating odyssey told through the eyes of a dog as he traverses across ruined landscapes and fights to survive in a world that, even in peacetime, proves to be just as precarious. Along the way, he encounters other animals and humans who are attempting to figure out how to start again. What makes a life when there is no home to go back to? How do we begin to trust each other again after such profound loss?
This is a novel about the power of an idea, about never giving up, and ultimately a novel about finding hope in the most dire of times.
Set in a fictional country in the present day, this is a story told through the eyes of an ex-military dog, Etna. After surviving years of a devastating war, Etna decides one night to leave the men he has fought alongside for years and return home—to the place where he was taken from when he was young, in the thin but persistent hope that if a home exists for him, it might be there.
Thus begins an exhilarating odyssey told through the eyes of a dog as he traverses across ruined landscapes and fights to survive in a world that, even in peacetime, proves to be just as precarious. Along the way, he encounters other animals and humans who are attempting to figure out how to start again. What makes a life when there is no home to go back to? How do we begin to trust each other again after such profound loss?
This is a novel about the power of an idea, about never giving up, and ultimately a novel about finding hope in the most dire of times.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published August 4, 2026
About the author
Paul Yoon
15 books436 followersPaul Yoon was born in New York City. His first book, ONCE THE SHORE, was selected as a New York Times Notable Book and a Best Debut of the Year by National Public Radio. His novel, SNOW HUNTERS, won the 2014 Young Lions Fiction Award.
A recipient of a 5 under 35 Award from the National Book Foundation and a fellowship from the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, he is currently a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer at Harvard University along with his wife, the fiction writer Laura van den Berg.
A recipient of a 5 under 35 Award from the National Book Foundation and a fellowship from the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, he is currently a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer at Harvard University along with his wife, the fiction writer Laura van den Berg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
August 12, 2026
Etna takes place in an unspecified, war-torn Asian country. It begins when Soojin—a female doctor—arrives at a farm along the coast looking for dogs to help out in the war. She takes a young shepherd-mix pup back to her vehicle. He’s scared and doesn’t know why he’s been taken from his mother and siblings. There’s another dog in the truck, though—a female, sleeping—and this calms him down. But he senses something strange. This doctor seems to be inside his head. She’s speaking to him and she can hear what he’s thinking. They’re able to talk without saying a word!
Soojin gives him a name, “Etna”, and tells him “... you’re going to work hard and save a lot of lives.” 💞 When the sleeping dog awakens, Soojin introduces them. Etna can’t take his eyes off her. She’s called “Fuji”. They drive for hours, then stop at an old gas station where uniformed men are gathered. Soojin lifts the dogs from the truck and tells them it will be difficult but they have each other now. They must look out for each other and never forget that they are strong.
Etna and Fuji are taken to an American base where they’re trained as special ops dogs, working alongside combat engineers. Etna is assigned to Jason. They become inseparable; their lives will come to depend on one another.
💥
Etna is one very special dog.❤️🐾 He can easily communicate with other animals, but also with a very few humans, the first being Soojin. And did I mention he’s the Narrator of the book?🤗
O.K., so this is where I need to address something. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m hopelessly in love with ALL animals, but especially dogs. [😔sigh] Maybe I was naïve to think a book about war wouldn’t hurt animals.😢 I've always been completely devastated when an animal in a book I’m reading is hurt. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve DNF’d when there’s been even a mention of an animal getting injured, abused, or killed. What gets to me is that animals are so innocent, so helpless, so vulnerable, and they love us unconditionally. That’s why I love them so much, and HURT for them so much. There is no doubt this book was a little uncomfortable for me to read at times. “Several dead animal carcasses” are alluded to and, in one particular scene, a deceased dog is the focus of a brief part of the story.
But here’s the strange thing… Something about this book kept me from falling to pieces.🥲 With Etna narrating the story, and being so highly-trained—thinking so logically and able to perform in war—it made me see him as less helpless, less in need of human care and comfort and, well... almost human!😯 I don’t know if that makes any sense but, somehow I didn't see him so much as a DOG anymore—at least, not since he was a pup back on the farm. It felt to me like I might be able to get through this book without it "killing" me!🤔
And I did!!!😀 Later on, Etna wanders throughout the countryside, without much of a plan, until the thought comes to him that it’s time to go home. He’s not sure where it is, how to get there, or if it’ll even still be there. But it’s something he knows he has to do. So he follows his nose and along the way he meets some interesting characters and has some unusual, even dangerous, adventures.
This is a very special, extremely beautiful novel, and one that’s told in a clever, very unique manner. I have a feeling this could be one of the most memorable books of 2026, and you don’t want to miss out. This gets my highest possible recommendation!
5 “You’ll–always–find–a–way–back–home”❤️ stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Soojin gives him a name, “Etna”, and tells him “... you’re going to work hard and save a lot of lives.” 💞 When the sleeping dog awakens, Soojin introduces them. Etna can’t take his eyes off her. She’s called “Fuji”. They drive for hours, then stop at an old gas station where uniformed men are gathered. Soojin lifts the dogs from the truck and tells them it will be difficult but they have each other now. They must look out for each other and never forget that they are strong.
Etna and Fuji are taken to an American base where they’re trained as special ops dogs, working alongside combat engineers. Etna is assigned to Jason. They become inseparable; their lives will come to depend on one another.
💥
Etna is one very special dog.❤️🐾 He can easily communicate with other animals, but also with a very few humans, the first being Soojin. And did I mention he’s the Narrator of the book?🤗
O.K., so this is where I need to address something. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m hopelessly in love with ALL animals, but especially dogs. [😔sigh] Maybe I was naïve to think a book about war wouldn’t hurt animals.😢 I've always been completely devastated when an animal in a book I’m reading is hurt. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve DNF’d when there’s been even a mention of an animal getting injured, abused, or killed. What gets to me is that animals are so innocent, so helpless, so vulnerable, and they love us unconditionally. That’s why I love them so much, and HURT for them so much. There is no doubt this book was a little uncomfortable for me to read at times. “Several dead animal carcasses” are alluded to and, in one particular scene, a deceased dog is the focus of a brief part of the story.
But here’s the strange thing… Something about this book kept me from falling to pieces.🥲 With Etna narrating the story, and being so highly-trained—thinking so logically and able to perform in war—it made me see him as less helpless, less in need of human care and comfort and, well... almost human!😯 I don’t know if that makes any sense but, somehow I didn't see him so much as a DOG anymore—at least, not since he was a pup back on the farm. It felt to me like I might be able to get through this book without it "killing" me!🤔
And I did!!!😀 Later on, Etna wanders throughout the countryside, without much of a plan, until the thought comes to him that it’s time to go home. He’s not sure where it is, how to get there, or if it’ll even still be there. But it’s something he knows he has to do. So he follows his nose and along the way he meets some interesting characters and has some unusual, even dangerous, adventures.
This is a very special, extremely beautiful novel, and one that’s told in a clever, very unique manner. I have a feeling this could be one of the most memorable books of 2026, and you don’t want to miss out. This gets my highest possible recommendation!
5 “You’ll–always–find–a–way–back–home”❤️ stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 19, 2026
4.5⭐️
This was wholesome, heartbreaking, and the perfect story told about the undying loyalty of a dog!
A story told in the POV a dog in wartime who is ex-military, this tugged at my heartstrings. It was a bit simplistic at times, but you are in a dog’s head after all. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is there was a portion in the latter half that lost my attention, and with it being so short I feel like the whole thing needs to be engaging.
Such an interesting take on the devastation of war! To be honest, I would have read a 400 page book about this story.
It won’t be for everyone, but this really worked for me!
This was wholesome, heartbreaking, and the perfect story told about the undying loyalty of a dog!
A story told in the POV a dog in wartime who is ex-military, this tugged at my heartstrings. It was a bit simplistic at times, but you are in a dog’s head after all. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is there was a portion in the latter half that lost my attention, and with it being so short I feel like the whole thing needs to be engaging.
Such an interesting take on the devastation of war! To be honest, I would have read a 400 page book about this story.
It won’t be for everyone, but this really worked for me!
July 26, 2026
Thank you so much to Scribner Books for sending me an advance copy of Etna to read. This was a beautiful but sad story, told by a dog. Yes, that’s right. The whole book is told by Etna, a dog who was picked out when he was about a year old and trained to be of service in a war, a war that lasted for four years.
Let me say up front that I’m not especially a “dog person.” I like them well enough, but not enough to ever have one for a pet, basically. So you don’t need to really love dogs to appreciate this book.
Etna can speak to other dogs and other animals (he has one interesting conversation with a donkey, for example). He can also “speak” to certain humans, but not his handler Jason or Jason’s soldier buddy Brian, which is too bad. He could speak to the woman who picked him out at the farm, Soojin, but he doesn’t see her for long before he’s sent to be war-trained. He winds up being extremely useful, sniffing out land mines and attacking when needed. When the war is over, Etna tries to go home, to the farm he remembers. But he has no real idea where it is and how to get himself there. His adventures along the way form most of the story. We see the ruined landscapes and the desperate survivors through Etna’s eyes. The story is a sad one, but also mixed with humor and love and caring. It reminded me a bit of The Odyssey, with Odysseus trying to get home and meeting so many obstacles along the way.
This was my first book by Paul Yoon and I was impressed.
Let me say up front that I’m not especially a “dog person.” I like them well enough, but not enough to ever have one for a pet, basically. So you don’t need to really love dogs to appreciate this book.
Etna can speak to other dogs and other animals (he has one interesting conversation with a donkey, for example). He can also “speak” to certain humans, but not his handler Jason or Jason’s soldier buddy Brian, which is too bad. He could speak to the woman who picked him out at the farm, Soojin, but he doesn’t see her for long before he’s sent to be war-trained. He winds up being extremely useful, sniffing out land mines and attacking when needed. When the war is over, Etna tries to go home, to the farm he remembers. But he has no real idea where it is and how to get himself there. His adventures along the way form most of the story. We see the ruined landscapes and the desperate survivors through Etna’s eyes. The story is a sad one, but also mixed with humor and love and caring. It reminded me a bit of The Odyssey, with Odysseus trying to get home and meeting so many obstacles along the way.
This was my first book by Paul Yoon and I was impressed.
July 26, 2026
Short and strong. I liked the book and thought the dog POV was interesting. The minimal prose worked for me. The story overall got a bit wobbly in the middle third.
July 28, 2026
Etna by Paul Yoon absolutely blew me away. This is one of those rare books that completely exceeded my expectations and reminded me how powerful storytelling can be. It’s filled with hope, heartbreak, love, and loss, and by the time I reached the final page, I felt like I had been on a deeply emotional journey.
One of the things that struck me most was how effortlessly Yoon pulls off something that I think is incredibly difficult to do well: writing anthropomorphized animals for an adult audience. It’s a fine line to walk. Too often, stories like this can come across as overly sentimental, simplistic, or even unintentionally silly. Etna never falls into any of those traps. Instead, Yoon creates animal characters that feel every bit as authentic and emotionally complex as the best human characters in fiction.
The main dog quickly became someone I cared deeply about. It didn’t take long before I stopped thinking of the character as “the dog” and simply saw them as an individual with fears, hopes, desires, and flaws. Every decision felt motivated by a genuine emotional reality, and every relationship carried real weight. These aren’t animals acting like people for the sake of a clever premise. They are fully realized characters with rich inner lives, and that’s what makes the novel so extraordinary.
Yoon’s writing is equally remarkable. His prose is graceful and understated, allowing the emotional moments to land naturally rather than forcing them. Whether the story is exploring joy, grief, companionship, or perseverance, it does so with a quiet confidence that makes those moments all the more powerful. I found myself completely immersed in the world he created, feeling every triumph and every heartbreak alongside the characters.
What I loved most, though, was the emotional balance of the novel. There is undeniable sadness here, but it never feels bleak. Even in its darkest moments, Etna is ultimately a story about resilience, connection, and the hope that can endure despite tremendous loss.
Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner, and Paul Yoon for granting me access to a digital ARC of this title.
One of the things that struck me most was how effortlessly Yoon pulls off something that I think is incredibly difficult to do well: writing anthropomorphized animals for an adult audience. It’s a fine line to walk. Too often, stories like this can come across as overly sentimental, simplistic, or even unintentionally silly. Etna never falls into any of those traps. Instead, Yoon creates animal characters that feel every bit as authentic and emotionally complex as the best human characters in fiction.
The main dog quickly became someone I cared deeply about. It didn’t take long before I stopped thinking of the character as “the dog” and simply saw them as an individual with fears, hopes, desires, and flaws. Every decision felt motivated by a genuine emotional reality, and every relationship carried real weight. These aren’t animals acting like people for the sake of a clever premise. They are fully realized characters with rich inner lives, and that’s what makes the novel so extraordinary.
Yoon’s writing is equally remarkable. His prose is graceful and understated, allowing the emotional moments to land naturally rather than forcing them. Whether the story is exploring joy, grief, companionship, or perseverance, it does so with a quiet confidence that makes those moments all the more powerful. I found myself completely immersed in the world he created, feeling every triumph and every heartbreak alongside the characters.
What I loved most, though, was the emotional balance of the novel. There is undeniable sadness here, but it never feels bleak. Even in its darkest moments, Etna is ultimately a story about resilience, connection, and the hope that can endure despite tremendous loss.
Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner, and Paul Yoon for granting me access to a digital ARC of this title.
December 29, 2025
"As time went on, the more hurt she was, the more she wanted to hurt.
And the blue in her eyes grew less blue, and I could never explain that."
At the outset, I didn't think this book would work for me as well as Yoon's previous novels have. A war/post-war story from the point of view of a dog? But then I get to passages like the one above and I'm reminded of what I adore about Paul Yoon--his ability, in a few words, to convey a world of feeling.
And the blue in her eyes grew less blue, and I could never explain that."
At the outset, I didn't think this book would work for me as well as Yoon's previous novels have. A war/post-war story from the point of view of a dog? But then I get to passages like the one above and I'm reminded of what I adore about Paul Yoon--his ability, in a few words, to convey a world of feeling.
August 16, 2026
Etna is a war dog, trained to sniff mines and drag soldiers from doorways. The whole story comes filtered through her nose, her scars, and her patient, watchful heart. She travels in four stretches, field, city, mountains, sea, each one shedding a companion.
Soojin gives her the name and a promise to keep. Fuji gives her a pack and then vanishes into a mountain range like smoke off a wick. Jason gives her four seconds and his own body as a shield. What survives all this loss is a dog still walking toward a coast she barely remembers, sniffing for a farm, a mother, a pig, a hornets nest shaped like a turtle shell.
Etna reports the war the way a dog actually would, in smells and heartbeats and the exact weight of a foot on a floorboard, and lets us carry the horror the sentences leave unspoken. A jaw pulled from a field. A butterfly climbing out of a dead dog's eye socket. A blind, starving hound pacing his ruined station, asking a stranger to find a family already gone to dust. Italics stay switched off. Violins stay silent in the background. The story keeps its powder dry the entire way to the shoreline, with a nose for the real casualties, the ones absent from every battlefield map.
A creature named for eruption keeps her fire banked for the entire length of the book. Etna carries char and grief and a thousand sunsets until the shoreline finally gives her somewhere to lay it down. Home turns out to be a pack first and a place second. A slow burn of a book about survival, naming, and the strange mercy of strangers.
❤️ 🇮🇱
Soojin gives her the name and a promise to keep. Fuji gives her a pack and then vanishes into a mountain range like smoke off a wick. Jason gives her four seconds and his own body as a shield. What survives all this loss is a dog still walking toward a coast she barely remembers, sniffing for a farm, a mother, a pig, a hornets nest shaped like a turtle shell.
Etna reports the war the way a dog actually would, in smells and heartbeats and the exact weight of a foot on a floorboard, and lets us carry the horror the sentences leave unspoken. A jaw pulled from a field. A butterfly climbing out of a dead dog's eye socket. A blind, starving hound pacing his ruined station, asking a stranger to find a family already gone to dust. Italics stay switched off. Violins stay silent in the background. The story keeps its powder dry the entire way to the shoreline, with a nose for the real casualties, the ones absent from every battlefield map.
A creature named for eruption keeps her fire banked for the entire length of the book. Etna carries char and grief and a thousand sunsets until the shoreline finally gives her somewhere to lay it down. Home turns out to be a pack first and a place second. A slow burn of a book about survival, naming, and the strange mercy of strangers.
❤️ 🇮🇱
August 19, 2026
A dog, a war, bombs, death and destruction, people who come and go, and other animals too. Told from a dog's point of view, this one is brief but powerful. Etna just wants to go home.
I have a couple of other Yoon books on my tbr, but this is the first of his I've read. I'm a fan.
I have a couple of other Yoon books on my tbr, but this is the first of his I've read. I'm a fan.
January 28, 2026
Etna is one of my most anticipated releases for 2026 and I was very excited to get the ARC.
This book is absolutely stunning. What a beautifully written and moving story. Etna is a wonderful protagonist and his observations about a country ravaged by war moved me deeply. I enjoyed meeting all of the different people and animals he encounters.
I know it’s early in the year, but this one is going to be tough to beat. I’ll be buying the hardcover once it’s out in August.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This book is absolutely stunning. What a beautifully written and moving story. Etna is a wonderful protagonist and his observations about a country ravaged by war moved me deeply. I enjoyed meeting all of the different people and animals he encounters.
I know it’s early in the year, but this one is going to be tough to beat. I’ll be buying the hardcover once it’s out in August.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
November 23, 2025
This intimate and lyrical novel brings readers into the embodied consciousness of Etna, a war dog as desperate to return home to the seaside farm where he was born as Odysseus was to get back to Ithaca. Through encounters with humans and animals alike, Etna uses his military training to protect those he comes to love while regaining the open heart of a loving animal. A gorgeous read that will stay in my mind for years to come.
August 9, 2026
This is the story of a military service dog, told by him. A very unusual perspective, but well done!
August 15, 2026
This is the story of a shepherd mix named Etna. He was taken from his mother, siblings, and the farm where he was born when he was just a year old, and trained to become a military working dog in an unnamed Asian country. When the war is over and his service comes to an end, he has nowhere to go, so he begins the journey back to his beloved farm by the ocean, hoping to find something - or someone - left for him. Along the way, he travels through the wreckage of a war-torn country, meeting people and animals who each leave their mark on his journey.
I’m a sucker for a book narrated by an animal, and I especially love when the animal has human-type thoughts because, well, I’d like to believe they do. This is a short but deeply meaningful novel about grief, hope, and the marvel of animals. It also really makes you wonder what your dog is thinking and really REALLY makes you wish you could communicate telepathically with them.
I also want to add this disclaimer for all the tender-hearted animal lovers out there like me who can’t bear to read about animal abuse: you’re going to be okay with this one. Yes, animals do die because it’s war, but there are no graphic details that will stick with you or haunt you afterward. The author himself is a dog lover, and that comes through in the tenderness of his writing.
I’m a sucker for a book narrated by an animal, and I especially love when the animal has human-type thoughts because, well, I’d like to believe they do. This is a short but deeply meaningful novel about grief, hope, and the marvel of animals. It also really makes you wonder what your dog is thinking and really REALLY makes you wish you could communicate telepathically with them.
I also want to add this disclaimer for all the tender-hearted animal lovers out there like me who can’t bear to read about animal abuse: you’re going to be okay with this one. Yes, animals do die because it’s war, but there are no graphic details that will stick with you or haunt you afterward. The author himself is a dog lover, and that comes through in the tenderness of his writing.
August 6, 2026
4.5 stars. Very touching and unusual. Full review to follow.
August 5, 2026
4.5 stars. Etna follows a former military dog as she crosses a war-ravaged landscape, searching for the only home she’s ever known. It’s a quiet, beautifully written story about loyalty, loss, survival, and the unexpected kindness that can still exist after unimaginable devastation. Paul Yoon packed so much emotion into so few pages—easily one of my favorite reads of the year. ❤️🎧
April 27, 2026
Boy did I not want this book to end!
Written in a fictional country from the perspective of a dog pulled from his puppyhood in a coastal village to become a military dog—this novel is written almost as one long beautiful poem. One in which animals are depicted magically just for being themselves, existing, surviving.
Short and bittersweet because where war occurs, there are often more fatalities than anything else, this novel is definitely on my top ten and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to go on an unexpected journey, with Etna.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review ARC. This one is going on my bookshelf when it comes out.
Written in a fictional country from the perspective of a dog pulled from his puppyhood in a coastal village to become a military dog—this novel is written almost as one long beautiful poem. One in which animals are depicted magically just for being themselves, existing, surviving.
Short and bittersweet because where war occurs, there are often more fatalities than anything else, this novel is definitely on my top ten and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to go on an unexpected journey, with Etna.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review ARC. This one is going on my bookshelf when it comes out.
April 9, 2026
4.5, review to come
August 14, 2026
A nice (little) novella which, on a more modest scale, reminded me of Adams' Traveller.
Oh, and, duh, but war ... and killing and destruction ... and loss ... sucks. Not that that seems to stop so many from craving, instigating, and proliferating warfare. But, yeah, that's a pretty big underlying theme here.
As for the piece of work, I think the word sparse is apt, and elegant periodically came to mind, but, overall, the tenor and tone worked pretty well for me.
I often feel badly stuffing so many things on my sci fi and fantasy shelf (because that means so many things to so many people), but, whether you want to call it magical realism or speculative fiction or pure fantasy (or, I dunno, in this case, maybe even dystopia), once the dog becomes the narrator, it's well, it is what it is.
No buyer's remorse, but I could see some readers chafing at paying a hardback book price for what is such a quick read, but, hey, if the market will bear it, it's fine with me. But for a value-based (and, yes, I realize value means many things to many people - but here I mean something along the lines of dollars/pennies per page or, even more accurately, unit of reading (and maybe that's words per penny, I dunno)) readers, be forewarned.
Oh, and, duh, but war ... and killing and destruction ... and loss ... sucks. Not that that seems to stop so many from craving, instigating, and proliferating warfare. But, yeah, that's a pretty big underlying theme here.
As for the piece of work, I think the word sparse is apt, and elegant periodically came to mind, but, overall, the tenor and tone worked pretty well for me.
I often feel badly stuffing so many things on my sci fi and fantasy shelf (because that means so many things to so many people), but, whether you want to call it magical realism or speculative fiction or pure fantasy (or, I dunno, in this case, maybe even dystopia), once the dog becomes the narrator, it's well, it is what it is.
No buyer's remorse, but I could see some readers chafing at paying a hardback book price for what is such a quick read, but, hey, if the market will bear it, it's fine with me. But for a value-based (and, yes, I realize value means many things to many people - but here I mean something along the lines of dollars/pennies per page or, even more accurately, unit of reading (and maybe that's words per penny, I dunno)) readers, be forewarned.
August 12, 2026
Desperately sad yet always underpinned by hope, Etna quite literally gives a voice to the animals suffering in times of war. Its unforgettable protagonist has much to show readers about humanity, in a way only possible through a dog's-eye view of the world.
Full review posted at BookBrowse.
Full review posted at BookBrowse.
May 31, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss.
Wow this book! I truly have no words but I’ll try my best to say something coherent.
I knew Etna would be for me the moment I read the premise. It’s about a former military working dog setting out on a long journey home after the end of a devastating war. As someone who volunteers raising puppies to become guide dogs for the blind, working dogs already hold such a special place in my heart. I expected to feel connected to Etna, but I didn’t expect to be this moved.
This story is stunning. Yoon manages something that’s incredibly hard to pull off. Theresa animals communicate with each other and humans in a way that feels completely natural, never forced or cheesy. It’s done with such sincerity that it only deepens the emotional weight of the story.
At just around 200 pages, this is a pretty short novel. However, Yoon packs so much meaning, beauty, and quiet devastation into every page that it doesn’t seem slight. I would have happily spent another 200 pages in Etna’s world, but there’s something powerful about how contained and intentional the story is.
At its core, Etna is about survival, loss, and the hope of finding your way back home, even if home isn’t necessarily a place, but a sense of belonging.
Wow this book! I truly have no words but I’ll try my best to say something coherent.
I knew Etna would be for me the moment I read the premise. It’s about a former military working dog setting out on a long journey home after the end of a devastating war. As someone who volunteers raising puppies to become guide dogs for the blind, working dogs already hold such a special place in my heart. I expected to feel connected to Etna, but I didn’t expect to be this moved.
This story is stunning. Yoon manages something that’s incredibly hard to pull off. Theresa animals communicate with each other and humans in a way that feels completely natural, never forced or cheesy. It’s done with such sincerity that it only deepens the emotional weight of the story.
At just around 200 pages, this is a pretty short novel. However, Yoon packs so much meaning, beauty, and quiet devastation into every page that it doesn’t seem slight. I would have happily spent another 200 pages in Etna’s world, but there’s something powerful about how contained and intentional the story is.
At its core, Etna is about survival, loss, and the hope of finding your way back home, even if home isn’t necessarily a place, but a sense of belonging.
June 10, 2026
Shows you the ravages of war from the point of view of those who never wanted to go to war. No judgement, just depiction from the point of view of a dog. Totally engrossing and heartbreaking.
August 11, 2026
3,5 ★
i had to think about this book for a while before i could form any real impression of it. it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, especially because the idea of a story being narrated from a dog’s perspective immediately caught my attention.
here, we follow yet another hero’s journey on his way back home. i’m not sure it’s entirely fair to call etna a hero, but he is undoubtedly a character with so many layers. he has experienced some of the worst things imaginable and now finds himself on this final mission: returning to the place he calls home.
this is, without a doubt, a philosophical book. there are so many passages that make you stop and reflect, and the story constantly challenges you to look at situations from a different perspective. even though the story is told in first person, i still struggled to connect with etna, especially with the other characters throughout the book. he never really goes beyond developing anything more than a simple emotion toward them.
because of that, the third act becomes complicated and, i think, quite divisive. that lack of emotional connection kept the story from fully bringing out the emotional weight that some of these moments needed to have.
but i can’t talk about this book without mentioning the ending. it’s subjective, and i think it will definitely spark discussions because everyone will interpret it differently. personally, i found it beautiful and, more importantly, fitting for the story that had been built up until that point.
even though the book didn’t fully meet my expectations (and books don’t have any obligation to do so) i know i’ll carry certain elements of this story with me.
i had to think about this book for a while before i could form any real impression of it. it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, especially because the idea of a story being narrated from a dog’s perspective immediately caught my attention.
here, we follow yet another hero’s journey on his way back home. i’m not sure it’s entirely fair to call etna a hero, but he is undoubtedly a character with so many layers. he has experienced some of the worst things imaginable and now finds himself on this final mission: returning to the place he calls home.
this is, without a doubt, a philosophical book. there are so many passages that make you stop and reflect, and the story constantly challenges you to look at situations from a different perspective. even though the story is told in first person, i still struggled to connect with etna, especially with the other characters throughout the book. he never really goes beyond developing anything more than a simple emotion toward them.
because of that, the third act becomes complicated and, i think, quite divisive. that lack of emotional connection kept the story from fully bringing out the emotional weight that some of these moments needed to have.
but i can’t talk about this book without mentioning the ending. it’s subjective, and i think it will definitely spark discussions because everyone will interpret it differently. personally, i found it beautiful and, more importantly, fitting for the story that had been built up until that point.
even though the book didn’t fully meet my expectations (and books don’t have any obligation to do so) i know i’ll carry certain elements of this story with me.
August 9, 2026
Etna is a novel told through the eyes of a military dog who, after years of serving in a devastating war, escapes and crosses a ruined, dangerous fictional country, trying to return to the seaside farm where he was born. His journey becomes an odyssey about what it means to search for “home” after war has destroyed everything you knew and everything you were.
This was a beautiful, devastating read. The book is told from the perspective of a dog who doesn’t fully understand human emotions, so the focus isn’t on the war itself or on which side is the villain or the good one; instead, it focuses on the consequences of war. Etna meets displaced people who cannot go back home, traumatized soldiers, destroyed landscapes, unexploded bombs, and so on. I’d say it would have been easy to throw in some commentary about “war is bad,” but Yoon’s focus on the devastation speaks for itself.
I’d say Etna’s journey felt like a waste of time to me. He hopes to have something waiting for him at the farm, but considering what he finds during his trip, it becomes clear to the reader that his efforts are most likely futile. But that’s the good part, because it’s more about the hope of having something left and the hope that you can still get back to being who you were before the war destroyed your identity.
Other themes explored are loyalty, connection, human violence, and the possibility of rebuilding what we had through small acts of kindness.
I found this superb. I’ll probably reread it someday.
This was a beautiful, devastating read. The book is told from the perspective of a dog who doesn’t fully understand human emotions, so the focus isn’t on the war itself or on which side is the villain or the good one; instead, it focuses on the consequences of war. Etna meets displaced people who cannot go back home, traumatized soldiers, destroyed landscapes, unexploded bombs, and so on. I’d say it would have been easy to throw in some commentary about “war is bad,” but Yoon’s focus on the devastation speaks for itself.
I’d say Etna’s journey felt like a waste of time to me. He hopes to have something waiting for him at the farm, but considering what he finds during his trip, it becomes clear to the reader that his efforts are most likely futile. But that’s the good part, because it’s more about the hope of having something left and the hope that you can still get back to being who you were before the war destroyed your identity.
Other themes explored are loyalty, connection, human violence, and the possibility of rebuilding what we had through small acts of kindness.
I found this superb. I’ll probably reread it someday.
August 8, 2026
This is the story about a military dog who survives war and then begins the journey to try to find his way back home. The POV is of the dog, Etna, which makes this a unique (and adorable 🥹🥰🥹) perspective.
“Then I remembered the men talking about everyone not being right in the head. Maybe the old dog wasn’t right in the head and then I wondered what part of my own head might not be right without my knowing.”
“Then I remembered the men talking about everyone not being right in the head. Maybe the old dog wasn’t right in the head and then I wondered what part of my own head might not be right without my knowing.”
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
EXCEPTIONAL
Dogs are just the best. Honestly. And while I’ve never read Paul Yoon before, I’d lay my last paycheck on the fact that he agrees.
A spare, beautifully wrought tale of home-going told through the clear and simple voice of Etna, a military working dog, this was a unique experience for me as a reader. I’ve often wondered what my dogs think about, what kinds of attachment they have to place versus people, and what is most important to them. Yoon channels Etna, and other animals, gently and (what feels like) authentically.
The story is not dramatic. It is a tale of war and its aftermath. But it is not gut wrenching in the ways you might expect with a dog as the narrator. It unfolds in waves, and the reader is borne along with the storyline like the tide coming to shore. Themes include migration, loss, grief, loyalty, love, hope and once again finding one’s sense of place.
Those sensitive to scenes of combat, injury and wartime violence should read with caution. Animal loss occurs but without gore or abuse.
Recommended for dog lovers as well as those who enjoy literary fiction and magical realism with aspects of war.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the advance copy for review. Etna will be available at all retail outlets on 8.4.2026.
Dogs are just the best. Honestly. And while I’ve never read Paul Yoon before, I’d lay my last paycheck on the fact that he agrees.
A spare, beautifully wrought tale of home-going told through the clear and simple voice of Etna, a military working dog, this was a unique experience for me as a reader. I’ve often wondered what my dogs think about, what kinds of attachment they have to place versus people, and what is most important to them. Yoon channels Etna, and other animals, gently and (what feels like) authentically.
The story is not dramatic. It is a tale of war and its aftermath. But it is not gut wrenching in the ways you might expect with a dog as the narrator. It unfolds in waves, and the reader is borne along with the storyline like the tide coming to shore. Themes include migration, loss, grief, loyalty, love, hope and once again finding one’s sense of place.
Those sensitive to scenes of combat, injury and wartime violence should read with caution. Animal loss occurs but without gore or abuse.
Recommended for dog lovers as well as those who enjoy literary fiction and magical realism with aspects of war.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the advance copy for review. Etna will be available at all retail outlets on 8.4.2026.
August 17, 2026
We need friends, Etna, the bird says. We need a pack.
Even if we lose our pack, I say.
Especially because of that, she says.
Well, I knew going in that this book would ruin me. Obviously that means it's a contender for my favorite read of the year!
When he was basically still a pup, Etna was taken from the farm by the coast where he was born to be trained as working dog for the military. After four years of helping the troops locate landmines, UEX, and IEDs, he strikes out to try to find his way back home again across a war-ravaged land.
This is a literary novel told from the dog's POV, with no quotations around dialogue. It is very emotional, as it deals with the devastations of war, both physical and mental.
I got injured six times. Most times it was only the graze of shrapnel or a bullet or something else small and sharp...
Fuji: she got injured five times.
As time went on, the more hurt she was, the more she wanted to hurt.
And the blue in her eyes grew less blue, and I could never explain that.
He meets others on his journey, both animals and humans, and he is the goodest boy ever.
I highly recommend reading this if you, too, appreciate being emotionally damaged by books.
August 16, 2026
4 stars for this one. It’s short, impactful and beautifully crafted. The horrors and wastes of war as witnessed by a military dog in the aftermath are poignant and reflective.
Etna is a military canine trained to sniff out bombs and attack on command. When the war ends he finds himself with no one left and nowhere to go so he decides to find his home by the coast once more. As he journeys there he witnesses the aftermath of the war on humanity and raises questions that no one can truly answer.
This doesn’t feel like a lecture or a sermon even though it could have easily become one. The observations are keen but tempered with reality and the brief glimpses of humans we get are empathetic and relatable. A book that will linger for awhile with me
Etna is a military canine trained to sniff out bombs and attack on command. When the war ends he finds himself with no one left and nowhere to go so he decides to find his home by the coast once more. As he journeys there he witnesses the aftermath of the war on humanity and raises questions that no one can truly answer.
This doesn’t feel like a lecture or a sermon even though it could have easily become one. The observations are keen but tempered with reality and the brief glimpses of humans we get are empathetic and relatable. A book that will linger for awhile with me
August 14, 2026
sweet but also devastating. I should’ve known a book about a dog trying to return home after fighting in war would break my heart but boy those last like 50 pages really got me. this was such a beautiful book to read and while short, I felt really attached to Etna and the relationships made along the way. I think it did an excellent job of showing the hardships and horrific reality of war and post war times. I really enjoyed this one.
Read
August 19, 2026“I said that in all the years, I had never seen a human outrun human weapons. Not a single animal, either.”
i loved this book about a war dog on an odyssey from war-ravaged land back to his home on the sea. this felt mythic and somber in it’s approach to the effects of war on humanity and animals.
the sparse prose really added to etna’s pov. while reading, i imagined a dog’s inner monologue would sound similar to etna’s voice.
highly recommend this quick read, devastating read.
i loved this book about a war dog on an odyssey from war-ravaged land back to his home on the sea. this felt mythic and somber in it’s approach to the effects of war on humanity and animals.
the sparse prose really added to etna’s pov. while reading, i imagined a dog’s inner monologue would sound similar to etna’s voice.
highly recommend this quick read, devastating read.
August 5, 2026
5, what a beautiful and empathetic book. it is sad that we as a society cannot really access the brutality of war in stories told through human narrators anymore, and i expected the dog narrator to be a cheap trick around this, but this book was spare and sad and kind and i loved it enough that i went and bought a copy to loan to anyone that wants to borrow it
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