You know that achey, hollow feeling you get from crying too hard? That's me after reading this book.

Denny Voss is a 29 (almost 30) year old developmentally delayed man that lives in Minnesota with his Nanny-Jo, his blind and deaf dog George, and next door to his cousin/best friend/coworker Angus.

Denny has been arrested three times for kidnapping (goosenapping?), bank robbery, and murder. Each story of how those events unfolded are told by Denny while he's incarcerated for murdering his Nanny-Jo's former boss, who is running for mayor and is an incredible jerk.

I love Denny. I love the innocence and goodness that just naturally pours from him. I love the people who love Denny and try to protect him and teach him how to exist in a world of people who are not always nice.

I think I cried the entire last 50 pages or more. This seems like a simple book, but there is nothing simple about Denny (whose number is 72) or the storyline that explains how he has gotten himself involved in quite a bit of messes.

This was absolutely beautiful. Denny is now one of my very favorite characters in the world. I can't see how anyone could read this and not fall completely in love with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this advanced copy.

What a heartwarming, compelling story - Denny Voss is loveable and manages to get himself into multiple unexpected situations. A quirky cast of characters who look out for each other (including children, dogs, neighbors, and crazy cousins). While the story is built around a mystery, it is much more than that. Can't wait to buy a copy of this book as a gift for several people. I hope the author tells more stories about this crew.

What a beautiful and tender-hearted book! This was exactly what I needed in my life right now. It was the perfect antidote to stress.

I think readers will love seeing the world through Denny’s eyes. It really made me think about how important it is to show compassion to everyone because we don’t often know the backstory. Denny’s disability is invisible and people often assume the worst because they don’t see that he is neurodivergent.

This has a great plot, too! I was dying to know who the mystery killer was!

I definitely recommend this feel-good read.

Denny was an interesting character and he wormed his way into my heart. This was definitely a feel-good page turner. Denny sees everything in black and white and takes everything and everybody at face value. This is a wonderful book. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the complimentary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

A very endearing and touching read. Nice quirky cast of characters. Small town feel. Denny is a charming main character despite his flaws. Found the plot a little predictable but still enjoyable.

Oh my gosh I loved this book so much!!!

Giving it all the stars!!!! Def top favorite of mine this year so far!!!

5/5 stars

4.25 🌟 rounded down

Denny Voss has always lived a quiet, content life despite the challenges of a developmental delay. After being charged with murder following a bizarre accident, Denny must confront a year filled with missteps and long-hidden family secrets. With help, he begins the difficult work of reclaiming his future.

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is one of those unassuming books that I overlooked a bunch of times while browsing through options for a galley to read. I kept seeing it mentioned elsewhere though and decided to give it a shot (no pun intended). I'm really glad I did. I loved George, Denny's blind and deaf rescued St. Bernard. I really enjoyed Denny's love of/references to Schitt's Creek throughout the book. Denny's complex relationships with friends, family members, and neighbors made him a well-rounded, realistic character. It was a quick read because the writing made me want to find out what would happen with Denny.

Recommended for lovers of feel-good fiction with complex characters.

Thank you NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

I loved this book! It was wonderful to have first person insight into a coming of age, developmentally delayed character. It was so fun and informative getting to know Denny! Much of his story will stay with me and as a special educator, inform how I work with my students each day. I enjoyed the mystery as well :) Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book hit every emotion I have and I have to share it.....it's too good not to let everyone know. Every town I have ever lived in....and it's been many, my husband is retired military.....had a Denny Vos. The character in this book is perfectly portrayed, you'd know him if you met him. His character fills a hole in the neighborhood that proves the kind of people everyone wants to be. The fact that his goodness brings him to places he'd better off not going is just a part of who he is. Holly Kennedy has developed his charcter so well, I know him.
This book is a treat to readers. It's meant to be read, reviewed, shared and talked about. Denny Vos has joined that list of unforgetable characters that includes so many of Fredrik Bachman's books. If you loved Ove or Eleanor Oliphant, you'll love Denny Vos.

This was such a touching/moving story. Denny has come into a difficult situation that he needs to find his way out of. Thankfully he has amazing people in his corner to help him thru the trying time. I feel as though my favorite character in this book was George, I have such a soft spot for dogs in books! I would highly recommend this heartwarming story.

I HIGHLY recommend this book. For the duration of this book, you’ll have the privilege of experiencing life from the perspective of a neurodivergent person and I guarantee that by the last page, you’ll have a different understanding and outlook of neurodivergence. You may even be able to better recognize it in your surroundings and be a better ally to neurodivergent people (and the people who love and care for them).

In this story, you meet Denny, a 30-year-old neurodivergent man with developmental delays. As Denny’s mother Nana-Jo gets older, she encourages Denny to become more independence and, in these efforts, Denny makes (what society considers) errors in judgement that result in a murder accusation. Through discussions with his therapist and lawyer, you get to delve into Denny’s mind and see several of Denny’s key life moments from his perspective.

I found that placing the story in a legal context was an EXCELLENT way to juxtapose the different perspectives. Denny’s literal interpretation of matters clashes with societal expectations and assumptions. And the treatment of Denny in various contexts highlights the deep misunderstanding that still exists about neurodivergence today. A few passages broke my heart but overall, I found this story to be heartwarming. Denny is surrounded by people who love him for who he truly is (even if that love is manifested in different ways by different people). I also loved trying to solve the mystery of the murder. The story brings all these elements together wonderfully. The author’s note at the end also brings it back to real life.

Grab this book, don’t hesitate!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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

My Thoughts On The Sideways Life of Denny Voss:

This story was a sweet but slow-moving burn for me. I enjoyed the characters that are in Denny's life. Of course, the dog, George, a deaf and blind Saint Bernard, won my heart over. But it was Denny's cousin, Argus, that was my favorite. He was always so loving toward Denny, even when he had to be tough with him. I also love a funny t-shirt, so I enjoyed that each time Argus showed up in the story, he was wearing a different funny shirt.

Neurodivergent people hold a special place in my heart, so maybe this is why this story was a little difficult for me to read. Denny was leading a good life, and yet, he was misunderstood, and that was frustrating to me. I saw so many of my past students in Denny. It just made me want to hug him.

This book has high ratings from so many readers, so I hope that you will still give it a try. I am definitely the oddball with my rating. It repeated a little too much for me, and I wanted to hurry the story along. I do love the cover, though. It was a perfect choice for this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Holly Kennedy, and Lake Union Publishing for my free copy. This is my honest review.

Memorable, sincere, and humorous!

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is an intimate, thought-provoking novel that immerses you into the life of Denny Voss, a thirty-year-old man with intellectual difficulties who, through his genuine, innocent desire to always do the right thing, triggers an unravelling of family secrets when he ends up in jail after he’s found in possession of a murder weapon.

The prose is evocative and sincere. The characters are multi-layered, unique, and vulnerable. And the plot is a touching tale of life, love, friendship, desires, needs, dreams, goals, community, complex relationships, family drama, and secrets.

Overall, The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is a beautiful mix of hope, heart, and healing that is not only a lovely, funny, tender novel by Kennedy but one which I don’t think anyone could possibly read and not be completely absorbed and exceptionally moved.

This was one of the most amazing reads of the year so far for me!

I loved Denny's unique voice and way to tell stories. As someone with a neurodivergent child, I was so touched by how plainly he spoke and how detailed he told stories, and my heart broke with how he was sometimes treated by others and the hardships he endured. He is truly too good for this world.

This story has me laughing and gasping and crying all within minutes of one another - in the best ways possible.

Thank you Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing, and Holly Kennedy for an eARC of this story.

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy is an excellent read which I thoroughly enjoyed from end-to-end. I'm grateful that I had the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Denny Voss is a 29 year old man with a development disability who is navigating the very demanding and serious situation of being accused of murder and being incarcerated. I thought that the perspective of a developmentally challenged adult was beautifully written and handled with tact and empathy. You are on a very long journey with him through the entire tale of how he got to the position he is in. In descriptions of this book, it's often referred to as a funny novel. I found it to be laugh inducing on occassion, there are definitely funny moments, but found the overall story and concept to be much deeper and rife with the injustice of the situation that Denny is in. The entertaining pieces are some of the misunderstandings and experiences Denny has and some of the minute details that he is able to recall and articulate (i.e . every graphic tee his cousin wears). The deeper themes are how the family rallies around and protects Denny, how he handles emotional experiences and how he develops skills to be independent and manage his emotions more readily. Again, I thought that these deeper themes were fantastically written. Hopefully readers take away from the book that developmentally disabled people can be emotionally intelligent, observant, incredibly loving and loyal and deserve all of the same treatment and humanity that abled people receive. I would recommend this book to others without a doubt and I will plan to read it again in the future as well.

Original and quirky - "The Sideways Life Of Denny Voss" is a story unlike any I've read before. With unique characters and an exciting plot, this was a fun and refreshing reading experience for me. I really enjoyed Denny's way of seeing the world and his original thoughts and statements. This was a heartwarming feel-good story (despite the messy situation Denny is in). Denny is surrounded by so much love and support - it was touching to read. Highly recommended!

The Sideways Life Of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy, Denny lives in Minnesota with his nanny Joe, in a duplex next-door to cousin Angus who he also works with. The day we meet Denny he is going down penguin Hill on his sled he named “greased lightning“ with all the guns he owns wrapped in plastic. unfortunately right before leaving his home he called the police department and said I am coming down there with eight guns and some bullets. Denny was arrested for resisting arrest and unbeknownst to him he will soon be charged with murder. it seems nanny Joe’s previous employer who fired her was found dead. The problem is so serious that even angry moody self obsessed Lydia even comes back from New York to see about her much younger brother Denny. The story is told through Denny’s viewpoint and although Denny is Neuro divergent and on the spectrum, which one would think would become annoying instead what we get is a well developed character who is not only entertaining and thoughtful but someone you’ll definitely want to root for in the end. this was a very entertaining and satisfying feel good read and I just loved it. There were a few times during the trial that I thought his lawyer Miss Klein could’ve asked better questions but that wasn’t the point nor the focus of the story just a micro irritation to someone very anal… I guess? all in all this was an absolutely wonderful story that I definitely recommend. If you love reading a book and being left with the heart warming happy feeling then you will definitely love this book.#NetGalley, #LakeUnionPublishing, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #HollyKennedy, #TheSidewaysLifeOfDennyVoss,

I really loved this book! The author does such a good job of melding the serious situation Denny finds himself in with the humor that is Denny. Denny is a guy that has been challenged mentally his whole life because of an oxygen shortage at birth. He is now an adult and has been accused of murder. The whole book is told from his point of view, with his unique way of saying things and his perspective on life.

His lawyer and a psychiatrist are trying to get Denny to tell them what happened the night of the murder. Denny's way of telling it would try the patience of saints. There are so many stories to be told by Denny on the way to actually telling what happened that night. Stories about his mother, his uncle, his sister, his dog, his job, his favorite TV shows...everything except what happened the night of the murder.

This really was a pleasure to read. I'd love to try the audio version, too!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the e-book copy. All thoughts are my own.

Denny Voss, living a quiet life in rural Minnesota, finds himself unexpectedly charged with murder after a series of well-meaning but chaotic misadventures. As he awaits trial, he unravels painful family secrets and learns what it means to take control of his future.

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is the first book I’ve read by Holly Kennedy. This gave me strong Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and The Maid vibes. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I devoured it. I ended up finishing it in a single day and absolutely loved it! Andrew Eiden did a fantastic job narrating. He truly brought the story to life! Holly Kennedy did an exceptional job capturing Denny’s perspective. I felt so much empathy for him. I loved how certain characters showed their love for him in quiet but powerful ways. I also really enjoyed the multiple subplots and how well-developed each of the supporting characters were. I didn’t anticipate any of the twists and I had no idea how the story would turn out which made the reading experience even more engaging. There was one chapter near the end that made me cry which is something that rarely happens when I read so be prepared with tissues and maybe give your fur baby an extra cuddle. Overall, this was a 5-star read for me and I highly recommend it!

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is one of those rare novels that manages to be laugh-out-loud funny, heartbreakingly tender, and deeply insightful—all at once. Holly Kennedy has created a story that sneaks up on you with its emotional depth, led by a protagonist you won’t soon forget.

At the heart of the novel is Denny Voss, a 30-year-old man living a simple life in rural Minnesota with his elderly mother and George, his blind and deaf Saint Bernard. Denny’s developmental delay, caused by an accident at birth, means he views the world differently than most; but that’s also what makes his voice so unique and compelling. He’s content with his life, even if it’s unconventional: cleaning up roadkill, having minor run-ins with the law (like kidnapping a goose or inadvertently assisting a bank robbery), and trying his best to do right in a world that doesn’t always understand him.

The real drama unfolds when Denny is charged with the murder of a local mayoral candidate, after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree. What follows is a beautifully told journey through the past year of Denny’s life, guided by his court-appointed therapist, as he begins to piece together how he ended up in this mess. Along the way, Denny and the reader uncover not just the truth about the murder, but also deep family secrets, betrayals, and moments of redemption.

What makes this novel truly shine is Denny himself. He’s a character full of contradictions; innocent yet wise, confused yet clear-headed. Watching him navigate a world that often misjudges or underestimates him is both heartbreaking and uplifting. The writing captures Denny’s perspective with incredible empathy and humor, and by the end, you feel like you've taken this emotional, chaotic, and ultimately beautiful ride right alongside him.

Personally, this book gave me just about every emotion possible. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, and I felt immense joy. Kennedy’s storytelling is masterful, her characters are rich and memorable, and the plot is both wildly entertaining and surprisingly profound. The Sideways Life of Denny Voss is a reminder that even those who seem limited by the world’s standards can lead extraordinary lives full of love, purpose, and unexpected heroism.