Black Dog Summer

by Miranda Sherry

[Lianne]

I received an ARC of this novel courtesy of the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This review in its entirety was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2015/02/06/review-black-dog-summer/

I read Black Dog Summer in one sitting. Not only because the ARC wasn’t that long (clocking less than 300 pages), but also because it was that gripping. We follow Adele and her family as they react and grieve for Sally’s death and their attempts to take care of Sally’s daughter, Gigi, in the aftermath of the massacre. Everyone is grieving in their own way, but Sally’s death and Gigi’s inclusion into their lives opens some old wounds and secrets, especially between Adele and Liam. The tragedy also sheds light on the complex relationship between sisters Adele and Sally, both before and after Liam enters the picture. To a lesser extent the story also sheds light on the complex relationship between Sally and her daughter Gigi, though I felt there were not enough flashback sequences between the two–especially outside of Sally’s love life–to understand the nuances in their sometimes-tense relationship.

I will say that as palpable as the emotions are in this novel, there are moments that remind me that the characters of Gigi and Bryony are still very young, a teenager or on the cusp of it. Given Gigi’s lifestyle, sometimes she comes across as wise beyond her years, other times she’s just a prickly teenager (her grief and mourning aisde). And Bryony’s understanding of what has happened to her cousin is child-like but captures perfectly how a child would understand such a situation.

I don’t know anything about various African cultures in the South African region but the element of spirits and witch doctors adds a heightened sense of foreboding into the story. The symbol and reference to the black dog was really eerie. Lesedi’s presence in the story additionally provides a perspective to the social situation between races in contemporary South Africa post-apartheid, the socio-economic reality, but she also helps Bryony in her character journey.

While the massacre itself is referred to over the course of the story, the actual events aren’t mentioned until later one and it is horrific. I actually had to skim that section because it was too graphic for me (and I was reading this book late at night).

Black Dog Summer was a gripping read that just catches your attention from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the last page. It’s both haunting and poignant in its examination of sisterly bonds, grief, and moving forward after tragedy.

Rating: 4.5/5