Dog Days by Ericka Waller

Book Review Jan 10, 2021

My review

3/5 stars

I requested this from NetGalley expecting quite a light-hearted, warm tale of how dogs improved the lives of the three people in the blurb; that's not quite what I got. Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't bad or anything, but I do think it should come with a trigger warning of some description. It goes a lot deeper than you expect it to and for anxious readers like myself, the topics may touch an unanticipated nerve.

The book felt well-written to me, which is the reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 2. The language kept me interested at points where the characters were struggling to. The flow between the three character stories (one chapter for each on a loop) was handled well and I didn't struggle to switch between the storylines because the chapters were kept short enough that it was only a handful of pages since I'd last read about that particular character.

Given the title of the book, I expected the dogs to play a very central part in the story, but this only really rang true for me in George's story. I genuinely felt that George's dog Poppy changed his life in some way, whereas for Dan and Lizzie they were just in the periphery while their main stories played out.

It was an interesting enough read, considering that it's not the type of book that I normally go for, but it didn't keep me gripped, nor was I sad when it ended.

*I received an electronic advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book blurb

George is very angry. His wife has upped and died on him, and all he wants to do is sit in his underpants and shout at the cricket. The last thing he needs is his cake-baking neighbour Betty trying to rescue him. And then there's the dog, a dachshund puppy called Poppy. George doesn't want a dog - he wants a fight.

Dan is a counsellor with OCD who is great at helping other people - if only he were better at helping himself. His most meaningful relationship so far is with his labrador Fitz. But then comes a therapy session that will change his life.

Lizzie is living in a women's refuge with her son Lenny. Her body is covered in scars and she has shut herself off from everyone around her. But when she is forced to walk the refuge's fat terrier, Maud, a new life beckons - if she can keep her secret just a while longer...

Dog Days is a novel about those small but life-changing moments that only come when we pause to let the light in. It is about three people learning to make connections and find joy in living life off the leash.