'Dog Days' by Ericka Waller

'Dog Days' front cover

'Dog Days' by Ericka Waller - ARC Review

*There are NO spoilers in this review!*

*TRIGGER WARNING: death, mental illness*

There are other triggering topics within the book itself...

A huge thank you to Net Galley and Random House UK for accepting my request for this ARC in exchange for my review!

Description:

George is very angry. His wife has died and he would rather sit in his underpants and listen to the cricket. The last thing he needs is his neighbour Betty poking her nose into his life. And then there's the dog - a miniature Dachshund puppy called Poppy. George doesn't want a dog - he wants a fight.

Dan is a counsellor 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, even if this comes at a cost.

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 the world. But when she is forced to walk the refuge's fat terrier, Maud, her horizons begin to open up. A new life beckons, if she can keep her secret just a little while longer.

Three people at a crossroads in their life. Three people in need of someone who will understand. Dog Days is a warm-hearted, gentle novel about finding our purpose in life, because sometimes it can take a dog to show us what it means to be human.

Goodreads Rating: 4.00        My Rating: 3.8

First Impressions

When I saw the front cover, I absolutely fell in love with it! You can already see the three different lives being presented before even starting the book, and the description paints an amazing picture right from the start about who the main characters are and their dogs too - who doesn't love a book with a furry friend involved? I was so excited to learn about George, Dan, and Lizzie as they all seemed to bring something different to this already unique story, but I was so intrigued by the characters foreshadowed within the description too. I knew there would be much more than what would meet the eye!

The Characters

George was introduced right in his raw stages of grief since losing his wife, Ellen, and although he was already a bit of a grump naturally, it was obvious he was hiding his sadness behind anger. My heart really broke for him, but slowly started to piece back together as he opened up to Betty. I was still so infuriated by his actions, beliefs, and nature, though - quite homophobic, sexist, and ignorant. 

Dan was quite a complex character, his own anxiety and OCD coming to light while therapising others as his job. It was so interesting to be put into his mindset during his point of view and slowly learning more and more about him. The bond he has with Fitz is absolutely adorable, and the dynamic between himself and Atticus always made me feel gooey inside! I could really relate to him being afraid of being so open about who he is and felt like I created my own bond with him much more than the other characters!

Lizzie's story is such a heavy and significant one to read about. She's very closed off and scared in the women's refuge but still has this protective and loving nature, especially towards her son Lenny. I absolutely adored Luke and the way he took Lenny under his wing so quickly, but did think he was going in head-first way too fast. There were parts where I thought ''that's a little bit strange'' or ''too much'' about Lizzie's thoughts, which made much more sense towards the end of the book!

Final Thoughts

I had absolutely no idea how I imagined this book ending! A wedding? Moving away? Some puppies, even?! Many of the scenarios I had floating around in my mind were not even CLOSE! It was definitely such a bittersweet feeling to reach the final page. There are countless heavy and triggering topics that are handled within 'Dog Days' which I didn't expect at all, but were very significant to the story and it's characters. So if you fancy giving this one a go, please bare this in mind! 

Conclusion

When I first saw the (gorgeous) front cover, I already knew I just had to read it! Not only did I meet lots of very different characters, I got to meet lots of lovely dogs who had their own development and story, too. I feel so honoured to have been able to read this book: it provoked every kind of emotion in me; opened my eyes to situations that I didn't know enough about; and allowed me to find parts of myself within the story. 

Ericka Waller did such an amazing job at creating these characters and encapsulating their different journeys throughout the book, to then bring them all together beautifully! There were also adorable illustrations dotted throughout the novel which were such a joy to come across! The only things that irked me were that I struggled to get into a good rhythm at the start and felt hurt by George being quite narrow-minded - but I suppose the power of a good book is to make you feel all kinds of emotions!

'Dog Days' was touching, heart-breaking, and enlightening all rolled into one and such a worthy read! 

Let me know what you think! :)