Dog Days: A big-hearted, tender, funny novel about new beginnings

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George’s voice is by far the most authentic and despite his bluster I warmed to him immediately and found his banter with Betty a tonic that did more for me than the doggy moments. Dan is the least likeliest counsellor I have ever encountered in fiction, pretty colourless and even as the book unfolds seems ashamed of being gay. Lizzie obviously has baggage right from the off but because it takes so long for her story to be revealed, keeping her closed off to the reader until the final chapters, I found I never quite knew enough to care about her situation. I was impressed by Waller’s writing style which elevated the book for me despite having reservations about two of the three stories. Laced with humour throughout and warmly witty, the book is both well-observed and sensitively written with Waller showing real compassion towards her characters. My dismay was that two of the three central characters didn’t feel in the slightest bit real, making it difficult to invest in their particular situations, and not helped by both crossing professional boundaries. The book starts with Greg Heffley describing how he is an "indoor person," and how he intends to spend his summer vacation playing video games, but his mother, Susan, wants him to go outdoors more often. Their budget is tight, so Greg and his family are not able to go to the beach that summer. However, Susan still intends to have the "best summer ever." A charming novel that focusses on the healing powers of man and woman's best friend CHOICE Magazine

So I thought I would read what I thought was going to be a light book that features dogs in some way. Instead I just got 2 of the most unlikable characters ever and another one that had no sense of boundaries at all. Yes there are dogs, but pretty much as asides through the whole book. The only story-line that really did feature a dog and show how a dog kept someone sane was George's I thought. The other two (Dan and Lizzie)...not so much. So first off, when dog is in the title- you’ve already caught my interest. Then making them part of the healing process for 3 different storylines and I’m fully sold.

In a picture, Greg notices Heather Hills, "the sister of Holly Hills, who is one of the cutest girls in his class" as a lifeguard at the town pool. He starts to help Heather out by getting her drinks and calling out people for breaking the rules, to impress her. Greg runs away after Heather expects him to clean up a kid's vomit, deciding that he "need[s] to let this summer romance cool off a little." ("Also, Heather is going to college next year, and these far-away relationships never seem to work".) An] exhilarating & deeply moving novel about accepting the ebb & flow of life & about grabbing those magical moments when you can...Dog Days is a book with a big heart'

Life isn't perfect, it's messy & complicated but with small acts of kindness, there is always hope - a sentiment that is captured perfectly in this compelling debut'I do think a box of tissues might be useful to have to hand too. You will laugh, I did plenty of times, but you might cry too, I did! Followed by whispers of 'Is that really Olive and Mabel?' - not to mention the occasional Hollywood approach - the three of them pad around literary festivals, breakfast TV, live radio and even an appearance on Good Morning America. Slightly bemused by their fame, Andrew not only pitches up in the iconic Mastermind chair, but makes a return to sports broadcasting to find that it has become rather strange as well. But, always, his pair of utterly endearing, endlessly optimistic and eternally hungry canine companions show just how precious our time is. Especially our time spent in the devoted company of dogs.