Dylan Mint is a sixteen-year-old boy with Tourette’s, but, beyond this, his life is no less ordinary than any other awkward teen navigating the peculiar universe of growing up. Except that, well, after overhearing that he is dying, his ambitious ‘3 Things to Do Before I Cack It’ bucket list is foremost in his mind. In When Mr Dog Bites, we join the optimistic and inquisitive Dylan on his mission to lose his virginity, find a new best friend for his beloved Amir, and bring his father back from the war’s frontline. Despite the heavyweights of disorder and death in the background, When Mr Dog Bites is an uplifting tale with young adult/adult crossover appeal that one will sink into with ease.
When Mr Dog Bites will no doubt be compared to Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Beyond the obvious protagonist-suffering-syndrome subject, this common genre identification indexes a quirky teen bildungsroman with an outside hero—syndrome or no syndrome—and, in this manner, also has some of the thematic vein found in John Green’s novels.
Dylan’s entertaining brand of teenage quirk involves speaking in his own urban lingo – which includes cockney rhyming slang – and managing his anxiety and Mr Dog outbursts (his Tourette’s) with crutches of ‘brain-gym’ and rubbing a green stone. His verbal code, along with cleverly nodding to the confusing veiled language and euphemisms that adults use, and to pop-culture speak, adds an original stylistic flair to the novel that will engage, even if the novelty loses a bit of its lustre as the plot careers on.
The protagonist oscillates between clued-in confidence and curiosity to develop a deeper knowledge of the adult world of sex, life and everything else, as he aims to tick items of his list, and this provides for hilarity and intrigue. Dylan’s incredibly honest, if often inappropriate words—even outside Tourette’s incidents—as he faces the profanities and randomness of life, leave one simultaneously cringing and smirking.
As readers, Conaghan has put us in Dylan’s shoes by using first-person narrative, but by reading between the lines of dialogue and events, it’s clear that our autobiographical guide often misconstrues reality. This sense provides the novel’s page-turning momentum as the reader’s own curiosity about the larger truth is piqued, even if we can predict the outcome of some of the conflicts in Dylan’s trajectory.
Dylan is a charming champion who one cannot help but root for, especially given the lion heart with which he aims to protect those he loves, no matter how hot the water he often finds himself in as a result. While there is enough dialogue to allow for other voices and a counterbalance to Dylan’s vivid voice, one is left wanting to know a little more about some of the other characters. Nevertheless, unnerving hormonal outbursts, harrowing bullying scenes and bittersweet moments provide stirring emotional weight to the story.
When Mr Dog Bites is a heartfelt narrative about individual struggle, bridging the teen–adult gap and carving out meaningful relationships. Filled with infectious energy, Conaghan provides an enjoyable fresh take on the comforting coming of age tale.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
When Mr Dog Bites
Written by Brian Conaghan
Release date: 14 January
Softcover
ISBN: 9781408851586
384 pages
Bloomsbury
