Review of Mark Mills’ charming ‘Waiting for Doggo’

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]aiting for Doggo is the first book in years that I have managed to read in just one day. Most authors nowadays are encouraged to write 300-page novels because they are said to sell well. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that stories get dragged out to a point where pages are full of meaningless drivel and not a great deal of substance. Coming in at just over the 200-page mark, Mills avoids this in his book. I enjoyed every bit of it because to me there were no “filler” chapters which required reading just to reach the good parts.

One reason why I loved the book so much is that Mills has managed to create a realistic novel without making it boring and bland (or too much like one of those cheesy, predictable chick-lits). Set in London, Waiting For Doggo narrates the growing bond between an ad salesman and his dog, an ugly piece of baggage from his recent breakup. I knew this much before I started, and so expected to read the tale of a man who sinks into a depressive pit over his lost lover and can only find happiness through the pet she left behind. Thankfully, Mills did not take this tedious and predictable route, instead making it far more humorous.

It is both funny and well-written, something which I find is rare in recent publications. 

This is also the first book I have come across in a while which has an absence of unlikeable characters. There are no smarmy goody-goodies (Fanny Price anyone?) who are supposed to be likeable, but are really just plain annoying and nor are there any nasty or mean characters. The key protagonist, Dan, is a loveable guy who has had a great deal of bad luck thrown his way. His unlikely, and often grumpy, sidekick Doggo is also a brilliantly constructed character. Obviously Doggo does not have any speech in the book, and yet the author managed to give him a vibrant personality which echoes throughout the text.

All in all, Waiting for Doggo has been my favourite summer read. I would advise anyone to pick up a copy when it comes out because what’s not to like about a novel which is fun, light-hearted and leaves you feeling truly uplifted at the end?