Since I love books featuring dogs and I love books set in New York, I love Alison Pace's books, because they combine the two - yay!
City Dog features Pace's real dog, Carlie, on the cover and is also one of the characters and, interestingly, narrators. Yes, City Dog is narrated by 1) Amy Dodge, author of a series of children's books called Run, Carlie, Run! and featuring a West Highland Terrier; 2) Carlie, a West Highland Terrier and star of the Run, Carlie, Run! books and 3) Robert Maguire, another character from Amy's books. At first, I wasn't sure about the idea of fictional narrators (in, you know, fiction), but I should've known I was in safe hands...
Amy Dodge is trying to write the Great American Novel, but she's blocked. And depressed. And her agent and editor are pressurising her for the next Carlie book, which she's just not feeling. But then her agent tells her a TV company want to make a show - about things to do in the city with your dog - featuring both Amy and Carlie. Amy's not sure, but she thinks at the very least it'll get her out of the house (and be a good way of putting off writing either of her books), but things don't quite go to plan. Soon the TV company is more interested in Carlie than they are in Amy and Amy's losing control of the entire situation.
For her part, Amy's not at all interested in the TV show, but she is interested in Nick, the presenter of one of the company's other shows. But can she have a relationship with a real life man when she's so in love with her fictional creation, Robert Maguire? See whenever Amy thinks about having a man in her life, it's Robert she pictures. She can't seem to get past it, ridiculous as it is. And so whenever Amy has a prospect of romance, Robert turns up to narrate. I know it sounds weird, but I thought it really worked. In fact, I think I enjoyed the Robert and Carlie chapters more than the Amy chapters.
Alison Pace has quite an odd writing style. Not odd in a bad way, just unusual. I can imagine how some readers could be put off by the many tangents and diversions, but it doesn't bother me, I find it immerses me in the story, but if it did bother you, you would at least get a change of pace (ha!) with the Robert Maguire and Carlie chapters.
Anyway, I found City Dog to be an engaging and entertaining read with a truly satisfying ending and, of course, Pace writes beautifully about both the city and the dog.
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try Pug Hill by Alison Pace
