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Dog Days
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel.
It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters.
In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fifteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy.
With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of the dog days.
It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters.
In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fifteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy.
With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of the dog days.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2014
8 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
Joe McKinney
112 books667 followersJoe McKinney has been a patrol officer for the San Antonio Police Department, a homicide detective, a disaster mitigation specialist, a patrol commander, and a successful novelist. His books include the four part Dead World series, Quarantined and Dodging Bullets. His short fiction has been collected in The Red Empire and Other Stories and Dating in Dead World and Other Stories. For more information go to http://joemckinney.wordpress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 4, 2014
Review copy
Dog Days was originally released as one of the stories in JournalStone's double down series. Since that release, it has gone on to win the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel. A well deserved accolade and a good enough reason to warrant a new release with a brilliant new cover. Plus, there's a bonus story, from Joe McKinney, called "Among Men."
Dog Days begins with a quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles. One of my favorite stories as a kid.
It's 1983 and the Gulf Coast is in the wake of Hurricane Alexis and a shrimp boat has wound up in an old Pecan tree at the end of the road. There are people aboard, dead people, eaten dead people.
Mark's dad, Wes, is a police officer with the Houston K-9 division, his dad's canine partner, Max, lives with the family which also includes his mom, who is a pediatrician.
The best way to describe this story and McKinney's writing style is that it's real. Real people in believable situations and from there the tension just builds.
I also enjoyed how the author made his ten-year old hero a reader. Great line, "But as I read about Tarzan's battles with Kerchak, a real battle, and one far more savage, was raging down the street. The real horror of that summer was just beginning."
Great story with some definite "Oh, Wow!" moments.
This special edition is available now as a hardcover, a paperback, and e-book through Amazon.com.
Highly recommended.
Dog Days was originally released as one of the stories in JournalStone's double down series. Since that release, it has gone on to win the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel. A well deserved accolade and a good enough reason to warrant a new release with a brilliant new cover. Plus, there's a bonus story, from Joe McKinney, called "Among Men."
Dog Days begins with a quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles. One of my favorite stories as a kid.
It's 1983 and the Gulf Coast is in the wake of Hurricane Alexis and a shrimp boat has wound up in an old Pecan tree at the end of the road. There are people aboard, dead people, eaten dead people.
Mark's dad, Wes, is a police officer with the Houston K-9 division, his dad's canine partner, Max, lives with the family which also includes his mom, who is a pediatrician.
The best way to describe this story and McKinney's writing style is that it's real. Real people in believable situations and from there the tension just builds.
I also enjoyed how the author made his ten-year old hero a reader. Great line, "But as I read about Tarzan's battles with Kerchak, a real battle, and one far more savage, was raging down the street. The real horror of that summer was just beginning."
Great story with some definite "Oh, Wow!" moments.
This special edition is available now as a hardcover, a paperback, and e-book through Amazon.com.
Highly recommended.
January 27, 2016
Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel
It’s the summer of 1983. Mark is a kid who lives in an affluent area of his hometown, with a police officer dad in the K-9 unit and a doctor mum, who have marital problems due to work patterns.
Mark is a typical teenager: he defies his parents, he likes adventure, has a close-knit group of friends, and he looks forward to integrating with the girls at high school after summer ends. There is some tension between him and his dad, after Mark borrowed his dad’s service gun to shoot an alligator in the swamp, after being spurred on by his friend Jeff.
A flood hits Mark’s town, putting many areas under up to 25ft of muddy brown water. A shrimp boat has been stuck in one of the pecan trees in his street, and there is a strange smell emanating from it. Mark’s dad is called to investigate, and finds mutilated bodies inside; a killer who appears to be human has murdered the crew of the boat. Mark gets a glimpse inside at the horrible scene, which even has his hero-cop dad nauseous.
“One small person can bleed enough to cover an entire living room floor, up to your shoelaces”
Mark, Jeff, Alan and Eric make use of the floods to paddle their canoe around the swamps, ultimately incurring – again – the wrath of a gang of older boys who have been bullying them for around 2 years. It was easy to connect with the boys, knowing there are always occasions where kids helplessly have to endure bullies for no real reason at all; there was a real "Stand By Me" vibe here.
As the bodies start to rack up, Mark’s former babysitter and teenage-crush Heather is a victim of the killer along with another friend. One of her girlfriends somehow survives and manages to tell of a grotesque “hairy man”, who ran off after mauling the girls.
Sister of one of the victims, Alan understandably becomes distant as the other boys speculate on the coincidence between the lunar cycle and the killings, and they reckon it could be a werewolf. Another full-moon is up-coming, and the boys await another appearance by the hairy man, who will no doubt seek more victims.
I read the book in one sitting, and I really enjoyed this book, which I received through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway. It is an easy but enjoyable read, though some themes are probably for the older end of the Young Adult spectrum. I liked the main character, seeing myself in his sometimes headstrong teenage ways, and I liked the tense atmosphere of a deranged killer being out in the swamps somewhere.
There was a twist I thought was coming which never did, and I felt the end was a little rushed, though there is a satisfying conclusion to it. The dog Max is a loveable character, as he alternates between loving family pet into protector, able to offer a dual purpose to the storyline.
The only question mark for me in the book was a tirade by Mark’s mother on the sins of the church, which I think seemed out of place and didn’t sit with the rest of the novel. I am not remotely religious, but felt the novel didn’t need it. It seemed more like a random outburst than really connected to the plot.
All-in-all though, a very good book, one which I will probably read again, and would recommend to other fans of the genre.
I received this book for free as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, in exchange for an honest review.
It’s the summer of 1983. Mark is a kid who lives in an affluent area of his hometown, with a police officer dad in the K-9 unit and a doctor mum, who have marital problems due to work patterns.
Mark is a typical teenager: he defies his parents, he likes adventure, has a close-knit group of friends, and he looks forward to integrating with the girls at high school after summer ends. There is some tension between him and his dad, after Mark borrowed his dad’s service gun to shoot an alligator in the swamp, after being spurred on by his friend Jeff.
A flood hits Mark’s town, putting many areas under up to 25ft of muddy brown water. A shrimp boat has been stuck in one of the pecan trees in his street, and there is a strange smell emanating from it. Mark’s dad is called to investigate, and finds mutilated bodies inside; a killer who appears to be human has murdered the crew of the boat. Mark gets a glimpse inside at the horrible scene, which even has his hero-cop dad nauseous.
“One small person can bleed enough to cover an entire living room floor, up to your shoelaces”
Mark, Jeff, Alan and Eric make use of the floods to paddle their canoe around the swamps, ultimately incurring – again – the wrath of a gang of older boys who have been bullying them for around 2 years. It was easy to connect with the boys, knowing there are always occasions where kids helplessly have to endure bullies for no real reason at all; there was a real "Stand By Me" vibe here.
As the bodies start to rack up, Mark’s former babysitter and teenage-crush Heather is a victim of the killer along with another friend. One of her girlfriends somehow survives and manages to tell of a grotesque “hairy man”, who ran off after mauling the girls.
Sister of one of the victims, Alan understandably becomes distant as the other boys speculate on the coincidence between the lunar cycle and the killings, and they reckon it could be a werewolf. Another full-moon is up-coming, and the boys await another appearance by the hairy man, who will no doubt seek more victims.
I read the book in one sitting, and I really enjoyed this book, which I received through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway. It is an easy but enjoyable read, though some themes are probably for the older end of the Young Adult spectrum. I liked the main character, seeing myself in his sometimes headstrong teenage ways, and I liked the tense atmosphere of a deranged killer being out in the swamps somewhere.
There was a twist I thought was coming which never did, and I felt the end was a little rushed, though there is a satisfying conclusion to it. The dog Max is a loveable character, as he alternates between loving family pet into protector, able to offer a dual purpose to the storyline.
The only question mark for me in the book was a tirade by Mark’s mother on the sins of the church, which I think seemed out of place and didn’t sit with the rest of the novel. I am not remotely religious, but felt the novel didn’t need it. It seemed more like a random outburst than really connected to the plot.
All-in-all though, a very good book, one which I will probably read again, and would recommend to other fans of the genre.
I received this book for free as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2014
Dog Days
By: Joe Mc Kinney Bram Stoker Award Winner
Pages. 139. Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: JournalStone Books July 2014
Copy Courtesy of: JournalStone
Reviewed by: tk
A one of a kind thriller that only Joe Mckenny can deliver!
A hurricane hits Brook Forest, Texas. A shrimp boat left in Tom Moores Pecan tree down the road from the Wes Eckert's home is only the beginning of this amazing story. Wes works for the Houston Police. His wife is a pediatrician, and his son Mark is known for getting into mischief.
What Wes discovers inside this shrimp boat will lead to an macabre adventure for the young teens in this small town. Wes, Mark, his friends and foes, and last but not least his dog Max, will have stop the evil stalking the town.
This story will make you forget your reading. As you turn the pages, the story comes alive and wraps you so tightly you wont be able to put it down. The characters feel like your neighbors and friends, and the story line completely believable. I have a great imagination where anything is possible. I recommend this book for young adult to seniors. 5/5
By: Joe Mc Kinney Bram Stoker Award Winner
Pages. 139. Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: JournalStone Books July 2014
Copy Courtesy of: JournalStone
Reviewed by: tk
A one of a kind thriller that only Joe Mckenny can deliver!
A hurricane hits Brook Forest, Texas. A shrimp boat left in Tom Moores Pecan tree down the road from the Wes Eckert's home is only the beginning of this amazing story. Wes works for the Houston Police. His wife is a pediatrician, and his son Mark is known for getting into mischief.
What Wes discovers inside this shrimp boat will lead to an macabre adventure for the young teens in this small town. Wes, Mark, his friends and foes, and last but not least his dog Max, will have stop the evil stalking the town.
This story will make you forget your reading. As you turn the pages, the story comes alive and wraps you so tightly you wont be able to put it down. The characters feel like your neighbors and friends, and the story line completely believable. I have a great imagination where anything is possible. I recommend this book for young adult to seniors. 5/5
June 29, 2014
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel.
It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters.
In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fifteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy.
With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days.
It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters.
In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fifteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy.
With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days.
July 15, 2014
Don't let this book fool you. It says Young Adult fiction it should have said all people over 13 read this book. Super story about a boy and his friends and their experience after a hurricane disrupts things. The focus is on one young man his family and the people around them. Part murder mystery part coming of age story. This book was impossible to put down.I read it in one sitting. One of the best books of the year I have read. Right up there with Stephen King' s The Body and Robert McCammon' s Boy's Life. I loved this book. Highly recommended.
July 10, 2014
I read this book as part of JournalStone's DoubleDown series. It's fantastic. Intricately written and compelling, McKinney's take on the werewolf is one of the best treatments of the subject I've seen, period.
September 8, 2014
Could not put this book down once I started reading it. Loved the characters, especially the German Shepard, the story line and the fact that it was set during the eighties. I will definitely check out more from this author.
** I received this book in exchange for a review
** I received this book in exchange for a review
December 23, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It has some great quotes such as:
"There are very few feelings as bitter and as hateful as being at that stage in life when you realize you're not quite a kid anymore, but then something comes along and stuffs it back in your face that you're not really an adult either."
It also has good, complex characters, and a spooky and realistic setting. I liked Mark and thought the author did a great job of letting the reader get a clear sense of who he was and who he was trying to be. Mark's feelings are presented in a fresh and honest way without placing too much judgment on them. I think this would be a great book for teens to read especially reluctant readers. McKinney nicely feeds into the current YA desire for supernatural but also managed to write a bit for the often neglected mystery genre.
All that said, I did find a few faults in the story. It moved a little bit too fast and I think the final act played out somewhat unrealistically. 1983 is a bit before my time but I think even then, the cops would be patrolling the house 24/7. Also everything else Mark goes through is approached intricately with all sides to the story examined except what he does in the last chapter. Seemed like at that point the author was just trying to quickly get to the end for some reason.
Still, overall I really liked "Dog Days". It read like Stephen King's "The Body" and I'd be interested to read more from the author.
Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2014
“Dog Days” by Joe McKinney was awarded the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel. There is a very good reason for that award: “Dog Days” is an exceptionally fascinating story, and it is written impeccably well. Told in the first person format, “Dog Days” is a broad-ranging tale of 14-year-old Mark’s summer between 8th Grade and High School.
Beginning with his Galveston, Texas neighborhood being inundated by Hurricane Alexis, stopping just short of entering his house on a hill, this story includes a number of situations common to 14-year-old boys all over America. From “borrowing” his policeman-Father’s handgun to show off to a friend, to dodging bullies several years older than he, to his life-threatening encounter with an insane serial killer – okay, maybe that part isn’t common to all 14-year-old boys – Mark is at once a typical boy, and an extraordinary boy.
“Dog Days” is not a book you will want to put down. Even after you finish reading it, you will wish it was longer. Perhaps McKinney will write a sequel someday, but until then you have GOT to read “Dog Days”. It can be purchased directly from JournalStone Publishing, or from Amazon and other booksellers. However you get it, just be sure you DO get it. This is one YA novel you will not soon forget. In fact, in my humble opinion “Dog Days” would make an excellent movie. I don’t often go to movies, but I wouldn’t miss this one, if somebody were to make it.
Be sure to tell your friends about “Dog Days”. They will be very grateful you did.
Beginning with his Galveston, Texas neighborhood being inundated by Hurricane Alexis, stopping just short of entering his house on a hill, this story includes a number of situations common to 14-year-old boys all over America. From “borrowing” his policeman-Father’s handgun to show off to a friend, to dodging bullies several years older than he, to his life-threatening encounter with an insane serial killer – okay, maybe that part isn’t common to all 14-year-old boys – Mark is at once a typical boy, and an extraordinary boy.
“Dog Days” is not a book you will want to put down. Even after you finish reading it, you will wish it was longer. Perhaps McKinney will write a sequel someday, but until then you have GOT to read “Dog Days”. It can be purchased directly from JournalStone Publishing, or from Amazon and other booksellers. However you get it, just be sure you DO get it. This is one YA novel you will not soon forget. In fact, in my humble opinion “Dog Days” would make an excellent movie. I don’t often go to movies, but I wouldn’t miss this one, if somebody were to make it.
Be sure to tell your friends about “Dog Days”. They will be very grateful you did.
August 15, 2014
Summer is not a good time to be in or near Houston, Texas. The low lands, mostly marsh, hold the heat like a steam bath, and it’s hurricane season, so it’s not really a good place for summer vacation. But, when you live there, you have no choice.
For 14-year-old Mark Eckert, who lives in a wealthy community halfway between Houston and Galveston, though, it’s a time of adventure and exploration. He’s looking forward to his first year of high school, and his summer is much as summer is for any teen in that part of the country – hanging out with his friends and dodging the older neighborhood bullies who’re determined to pound him into the sidewalk. A normal summer – until the hurricane hits and leaves a shrimp boat lodged in a tree near Mark’s house; a boat containing partially eaten corpses. Mark’s father, a Houston cop, discovers that the dead men have been eaten, not by animals, but by another person. As it that not horrible enough, more partially eaten corpses start turning up in the neighborhood and a torrid summer turns deadly in a hurry.
Joe McKinney’s Dog Days is a horror novel with a unique twist – it’s also a coming of age novel. A unique blend of genres that will leave you chilled to the marrow. McKinney knows his stuff, and he knows how to spin a great yarn. I received a free review copy of Dog Days, not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised – chilled – shocked – and entertained. I grew up just north of Houston, and I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable spending the night back in my home town ever again.
A five-star book in a class all its own.
For 14-year-old Mark Eckert, who lives in a wealthy community halfway between Houston and Galveston, though, it’s a time of adventure and exploration. He’s looking forward to his first year of high school, and his summer is much as summer is for any teen in that part of the country – hanging out with his friends and dodging the older neighborhood bullies who’re determined to pound him into the sidewalk. A normal summer – until the hurricane hits and leaves a shrimp boat lodged in a tree near Mark’s house; a boat containing partially eaten corpses. Mark’s father, a Houston cop, discovers that the dead men have been eaten, not by animals, but by another person. As it that not horrible enough, more partially eaten corpses start turning up in the neighborhood and a torrid summer turns deadly in a hurry.
Joe McKinney’s Dog Days is a horror novel with a unique twist – it’s also a coming of age novel. A unique blend of genres that will leave you chilled to the marrow. McKinney knows his stuff, and he knows how to spin a great yarn. I received a free review copy of Dog Days, not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised – chilled – shocked – and entertained. I grew up just north of Houston, and I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable spending the night back in my home town ever again.
A five-star book in a class all its own.
October 6, 2014
Have you ever been in a hurricane? If so, you know the damage they can cause. If not, you’ve likely seen TV reports and newspaper articles, which give you an idea of their ferocity. Hurricanes destroy property; they also destroy lives.
In Author Joe McKinney’s award winning YA novel, DOG DAYS, the year is 1983 and fourteen-year-old Mark just wants to hang with his best friend, Jeff, and his dog Max and enjoy summer vacation. But Hurricane Alexis has left its calling card in Clear Lake, a small town between Galveston and Houston, TX, and the boys soon discover that the hurricane is the least of their problems. Dead men are found in a shrimp boat that was washed ashore and landed in a neighbor’s tree. The men had been eaten. Other people are discovered dead and eaten. What sort of creature is terrifying the area? As if Mark doesn’t have enough to worry about with a monster running loose, he also has to face the bullies that never leave him alone.
DOG DAYS is the story of a boy and his family and how they deal with tragedy, each in their own way. It’s a story of fear and of love, friendships and understanding. The author has created characters that are real, with faults as well good points. Even the dog, Max, plays an important role in the story. Black- and-white drawings scattered throughout the story add a nice touch. I do recommend that you read this novel with your lights on. Enjoy.
The publisher sent me an ARC for my honest review.
In Author Joe McKinney’s award winning YA novel, DOG DAYS, the year is 1983 and fourteen-year-old Mark just wants to hang with his best friend, Jeff, and his dog Max and enjoy summer vacation. But Hurricane Alexis has left its calling card in Clear Lake, a small town between Galveston and Houston, TX, and the boys soon discover that the hurricane is the least of their problems. Dead men are found in a shrimp boat that was washed ashore and landed in a neighbor’s tree. The men had been eaten. Other people are discovered dead and eaten. What sort of creature is terrifying the area? As if Mark doesn’t have enough to worry about with a monster running loose, he also has to face the bullies that never leave him alone.
DOG DAYS is the story of a boy and his family and how they deal with tragedy, each in their own way. It’s a story of fear and of love, friendships and understanding. The author has created characters that are real, with faults as well good points. Even the dog, Max, plays an important role in the story. Black- and-white drawings scattered throughout the story add a nice touch. I do recommend that you read this novel with your lights on. Enjoy.
The publisher sent me an ARC for my honest review.
August 4, 2014
In a style reminiscent of "Stand By Me," this story focuses on the summer of 1983, shortly after Hurricane Alexis floods much of the neighborhood of 14 year old Mark. While assessing out the damage to their home, a neighbor comes to ask Mark's father, an officer with the Houston Police Department, to check out a beached shrimp boat near his home. The horrific murdered bodies found on the shrimp boat sets the stage for a summer Mark is unlikely to forget. As more deaths follow, Mark, having looked forward to this summer before the start of high school, learns about family, friendships and what it means to grow up. I really enjoyed this story and although listed as YA fiction can be appreciated by readers of all ages. The characters from the nerdy friend to the school bully to the quiet parental arguments are both familiar and new and the story moves forward at a nice pace. I definitely recommend this book as one not to be missed. Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2014
Dog Days is a YA novel set in the 1980's so no technology like cell phones or laptops. The kids actually go outside and do stuff!
I had high hopes for this award-winning book but it just never panned out for me. The book opens after a hurricane devastates Mark Eckert's Texas neighborhood revealing a wrecked shrimp boat with dead bodies inside!
Sadly, the plot takes a weird turn right there and we get into boys bullying & threatening other boys, and a gun 'borrowed' from Mark's cop dad that is used in a gruesome animal killing.
It never tied together for me; it wasn't scary enough to be scary, not coming-of-age enough to be that kind of book, and Mark & his friends were just annoying.
I had a 13 yr old boy take look at it and he thought it was "pretty good" if a little on the weird side with no computers! There is a reader for every book so obviously I just wasn't a good match for this one. I was given a copy of this book to review, the opinion is my own.
I had high hopes for this award-winning book but it just never panned out for me. The book opens after a hurricane devastates Mark Eckert's Texas neighborhood revealing a wrecked shrimp boat with dead bodies inside!
Sadly, the plot takes a weird turn right there and we get into boys bullying & threatening other boys, and a gun 'borrowed' from Mark's cop dad that is used in a gruesome animal killing.
It never tied together for me; it wasn't scary enough to be scary, not coming-of-age enough to be that kind of book, and Mark & his friends were just annoying.
I had a 13 yr old boy take look at it and he thought it was "pretty good" if a little on the weird side with no computers! There is a reader for every book so obviously I just wasn't a good match for this one. I was given a copy of this book to review, the opinion is my own.
July 25, 2014
It kills, it mutilates and it eats everything it sees.
Dog Days is the story of 15 year old Mark, whose mother is a pediatrician and his father, a high ranking K-9 police officer. Of course, we cannot leave out Max, a highly trained police dog that has bonded more with Mark than his Mark’s dad. Two parents with demanding careers can sometimes make it harder for Mark to know which way to turn. The story begins in the aftermath of a horrible storm that has left a neighbors boat in his pecan tree. That’s not the surprising part. The big news is what is found inside the boat. There are three bodies brutally torn apart, savagely eaten. As the book goes on, Mark secretly shows his friends his dad’s hidden files and pictures of what this creature has done. Mark is attacked by this creature who has been terrorizing the area. Find out who survives, if anyone and what happens to the creature.
Dog Days is the story of 15 year old Mark, whose mother is a pediatrician and his father, a high ranking K-9 police officer. Of course, we cannot leave out Max, a highly trained police dog that has bonded more with Mark than his Mark’s dad. Two parents with demanding careers can sometimes make it harder for Mark to know which way to turn. The story begins in the aftermath of a horrible storm that has left a neighbors boat in his pecan tree. That’s not the surprising part. The big news is what is found inside the boat. There are three bodies brutally torn apart, savagely eaten. As the book goes on, Mark secretly shows his friends his dad’s hidden files and pictures of what this creature has done. Mark is attacked by this creature who has been terrorizing the area. Find out who survives, if anyone and what happens to the creature.
August 21, 2014
I received a copy of Dog Days from Firstreads and the this suspenseful thriller is a wonderful young adult read. It involves a teenage boy and the relationship between his family and friends after a hurricane outside of Houston in 1983 and when their world is turned upside down by a mysterious killer stalking those in their neighborhood. It explores what happens when our world is intruded upon and we don't have a logical explanation for the supernatural/ unknown and where our heads take us. It also has the lesson that people will make up stories about what they do not understand. It kept me on my toes and made me wonder about how it would end up. Although it did seem to end a bit abruptly and leaving me wishing there was a bit more. But for the 200 pages it is a great story and any young adult would love it... it definitely scared me a little bit at first.
October 2, 2014
The author has a low-key, wonderfully readable style that immediately delivered me into the narrator's world. The characters are engaging and believable; and I loved the narrator's relationships with - and insights about -his parents. So, the book has many plusses, but I was dissatisfied with how the plot unwound. The resolution felt hasty and I was left unconvinced. More seriously, it really bothers me when characters put themselves in harm's way when they should know better and when there's no justification beyond plot convenience. In fact, that is a pet peeve of mine, and it happened more than once here. So my ultimate reaction to this novel was a shrug, although I liked McKinney's writing enough that I may seek out other books.
July 20, 2014
Summer 1983. It started with a hurricane and a flood, and turned into a summer young Mark would never forget. In Dog Days, Joe McKinney has created a thrilling suspense story, aimed at the young adult market, but mature and rooted in the horror genre. Strong on plot, detailed on characterisation and laden with atmosphere. Who - or what - was killing and eating all these people? Had me hooked from the beginning. I can see why Joe McKinney wins awards! The bonus of a short story at the end was an enjoyable surprise too.
August 10, 2014
Got a free copy by Journal Store. Just finished. This is a good teen pre-teen read. The mystery of who is killing people. A little occult and realism thrown together. I was right there with Mark hoping that he wouldn't be found and would make it back home from the Swamp. The relationships were interesting and let you in to know that life sometimes is not perfect. I would definitely read other stories by this writer. The plot was well thought out and had enough suspense to keep the reader interested from beginning to end.
August 10, 2014
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This novel follows events in the life of a 13 year old boy during summer vacation. The story line is engaging and fast paced. You have some of the typical interactions with parents, friends, and enemies as well as a series of murders in the neighborhood. While the overall arc is a little formulaic, the outcome is a nice, well written story. The young man has a few lines of thought that seem out of character for a 13 year old but not jarringly so. If you tend to like things in this genre, I'd give it a try.
This novel follows events in the life of a 13 year old boy during summer vacation. The story line is engaging and fast paced. You have some of the typical interactions with parents, friends, and enemies as well as a series of murders in the neighborhood. While the overall arc is a little formulaic, the outcome is a nice, well written story. The young man has a few lines of thought that seem out of character for a 13 year old but not jarringly so. If you tend to like things in this genre, I'd give it a try.
October 2, 2014
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book, the description mentioned werewolves and werewolves aren't really my thing but I really enjoyed it. The characters felt real, honest and three dimensional (all of them) and I thought it was a great coming-of-age / horror story. I read it in two sittings and enjoyed every word.
I hope there's a sequel though, there's one minor storyline that, if it was resolved it was done in a way that went over my head, so I'd like to see how that works out :)
I hope there's a sequel though, there's one minor storyline that, if it was resolved it was done in a way that went over my head, so I'd like to see how that works out :)
October 10, 2014
Rating: 3.5 of 5
A pageturner for young adult readers. Especially perfect for teen boys under 15. The horror elements were quite mild, but there was some creepy atmosphere in the Swamp, and enough suspense with the "werewolf" that I jumped in one scene. I loved all the references to horror movies and dark fiction classics.
Received ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A pageturner for young adult readers. Especially perfect for teen boys under 15. The horror elements were quite mild, but there was some creepy atmosphere in the Swamp, and enough suspense with the "werewolf" that I jumped in one scene. I loved all the references to horror movies and dark fiction classics.
Received ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2014
In the aftermath of a hurricane, storm victims are terrorized by what appears to be a crazed, cannibalistic killer on the loose. This was a thrilling, fast-paced read unlike anything I've read before. From the first sentence I was intrigued and kept guessing until the end. It was very well written and I enjoyed it very much!
August 9, 2014
Great YA guy book. The characters are authentic and very believable. The story takes place in Clear Lake right after hurricane Alisha hit in 1983. I remember that storm and the damage very well. The author did his research and stays true to the times in his story. Teenage guys will enjoy reading this book.
May 5, 2018
It is the summer of 1983 as small, but powerful, Hurricane Alicia makes landfall at Kemah and Clear Lake City near Houston. But for Mark Eckart and his friends it is not the hurricane that blows an ill wind, but what comes with it. For the storm leaves a mystery that begins with dismember and partially eaten dead bodies. Is it a supernatural being or a very real and human mass murderer? These events begin a summer that will change the Mark and his friends forever. The book is a quick read with a good plot and plenty of action to keep the reader moving. The characters are well developed and the story will keep you engaged. For me, though, having lived in this area during Alicia, it is the setting that makes the book and the story real. McKinney has done a great job capturing the essence of the Texas Gulf Coast and that makes the story more convincing.
May 31, 2019
This was a pretty quick little read, but I REALLY enjoyed it! I loved McKinney's writing style, and just the way the story played out. Plus I'm a sucker for coming of age type stories set in the 80s. I mean who doesn't love that!?
Werewolves have always been my favorite supernatural creature, and I suspect they always will be. It's just hard to find a truly GOOD werewolf book or movie, but this one delivered. It had mystery, it had gore, it had a crazy killer who may or may not be a werewolf. It just really gave me all the things I love in a story like this, and I walked away immensely pleased!
Werewolves have always been my favorite supernatural creature, and I suspect they always will be. It's just hard to find a truly GOOD werewolf book or movie, but this one delivered. It had mystery, it had gore, it had a crazy killer who may or may not be a werewolf. It just really gave me all the things I love in a story like this, and I walked away immensely pleased!
January 15, 2015
Book Info
Kindle Edition
Published by JournalStone (first published July 9th 2014)
ISBN 139781940161792
edition language English
other editions (3)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library
Book Buy Links
Amazon
B&N
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel.
It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters.
In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fourteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy.
With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days.
The target demographic of reader may be classified as YA but truthfully unless your reader has a fairly strong stomach some of this may be a little too graphically described, maybe best for those older teens onto adults who enjoy their horror with a bit of teen drama mixed in.
Mark is 14 so it is not far fetched that he makes decisions based more upon emotion than common sense, however in a couple of instances his luck far outweighed his ability to reign in his tendency to act before thinking it through.
I chose to read this book because of the Texas location but after finishing found myself by turns amazed and bemused that the aftermath of a devastating hurricane could be incorporated with this type of suspenseful coming of age story in a way that allowed one to take away the power of courage when fear could have held sway and caused a different outcome altogether.
An interesting look at a boys journey into young adulthood, one that not only Mark will never forget but neither will the reader who engages with this vividly descriptive turning point in time.
Kindle Edition
Published by JournalStone (first published July 9th 2014)
ISBN 139781940161792
edition language English
other editions (3)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library
Book Buy Links
Amazon
B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel.
It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters.
In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fourteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy.
With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days.
My Thoughts
The target demographic of reader may be classified as YA but truthfully unless your reader has a fairly strong stomach some of this may be a little too graphically described, maybe best for those older teens onto adults who enjoy their horror with a bit of teen drama mixed in.
Mark is 14 so it is not far fetched that he makes decisions based more upon emotion than common sense, however in a couple of instances his luck far outweighed his ability to reign in his tendency to act before thinking it through.
I chose to read this book because of the Texas location but after finishing found myself by turns amazed and bemused that the aftermath of a devastating hurricane could be incorporated with this type of suspenseful coming of age story in a way that allowed one to take away the power of courage when fear could have held sway and caused a different outcome altogether.
An interesting look at a boys journey into young adulthood, one that not only Mark will never forget but neither will the reader who engages with this vividly descriptive turning point in time.
[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]
December 20, 2014
From the Description:
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel. It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters. In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fifteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy. With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days.
A new look at an old legend. Joe McKinney has managed to breathe new life into the coming of age tale, and an interesting take on the werewolf legend. With great characters and a fast paced story line this novella is a very enjoyable read. A solid 4 stars.
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel. It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters. In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fifteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy. With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days.
A new look at an old legend. Joe McKinney has managed to breathe new life into the coming of age tale, and an interesting take on the werewolf legend. With great characters and a fast paced story line this novella is a very enjoyable read. A solid 4 stars.
December 21, 2014
I received a copy of Joe McKinney’s Dog Days through LibraryThing‘s Early Reviewer program. The book got my hopes up with a strong start, introducing us to Mark, a Texan teenager at the beginning of his summer vacation, who wakes up to the aftermath of a hurricane that has struck his wealthy Houston suburb of Clear Lake (where my dad’s sister used to live, for what that’s worth). A shrimp boat stuck up a pecan tree with a pile of half-eaten corpses inside promised a rollicking old horror story.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way for me. I found McKinney’s prose and storytelling to be pretty stiff after such a rousing beginning, and I didn’t find his narrator’s voice very believable. Mark sounds like a grown man, not the teenaged boy he’s supposed to be. There are also a lot of loose ends left floating in the breeze by the end, none of the characters are very interesting, and I didn’t find the mystery of the Hairy Man, or the man himself, to be compelling. McKinney’s attempt at an explanation is sorely lacking. I expect more from good YA fiction, especially stories that start off as well as this one did. 2.375/5
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way for me. I found McKinney’s prose and storytelling to be pretty stiff after such a rousing beginning, and I didn’t find his narrator’s voice very believable. Mark sounds like a grown man, not the teenaged boy he’s supposed to be. There are also a lot of loose ends left floating in the breeze by the end, none of the characters are very interesting, and I didn’t find the mystery of the Hairy Man, or the man himself, to be compelling. McKinney’s attempt at an explanation is sorely lacking. I expect more from good YA fiction, especially stories that start off as well as this one did. 2.375/5
August 5, 2014
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review. I found it to be a new and refreshing look at the werewolf mythology and appropriate for younger readers, though not too young as there is some bad language in some spots.
The story is from the perspective of a teenage boy and is set in the 1980's. I did enjoy the references to the 80's since I, too, was a teenager during that era. It was refreshingly free of cell phones and computers.
There were some jarring moments in the story, where the parents were fighting one moment and then everything seemed fine the next moment without any transition between the two states. However, relationships in the story were believable and the characters were engaging.
There were a lot of deaths in the story and some were more noteworthy than others. But the suspense of finding out who the real killer is and following the adventures of Mark and his faithful companion Max the police dog makes this worthy of reading for young and old alike.
The story is from the perspective of a teenage boy and is set in the 1980's. I did enjoy the references to the 80's since I, too, was a teenager during that era. It was refreshingly free of cell phones and computers.
There were some jarring moments in the story, where the parents were fighting one moment and then everything seemed fine the next moment without any transition between the two states. However, relationships in the story were believable and the characters were engaging.
There were a lot of deaths in the story and some were more noteworthy than others. But the suspense of finding out who the real killer is and following the adventures of Mark and his faithful companion Max the police dog makes this worthy of reading for young and old alike.
December 22, 2023
A coming of age story set in the wake of a disastrous hurricane, Dog Days follows teenaged Mark and his friends in the oppressively hot days of a Texas swampland summer. A series of bizarre, grisly crimes has everyone on edge, and Mark struggles to make sense of them and of his shifting relationships with his parents, friends, and neighbors. The setting is so carefully rendered, and the periodization (1983) helps frame the events (no cell phones, relatively little oversight for the pack of suburban kids). A great YA horror read that is worth reading regardless of age but perfect for teen horror fans.
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