Decoding Dot Grey

by Nicola Davison

Eighteen-year-old Dot Grey doesn’t hate people; she’s just
not especially fond of their company. It’s 1997, and she’s
just left home in favour of a dank, cold basement, where she
lives with several small animals, including a chorus of crickets, a
family of sowbugs (they came with the apartment), a hairless rat,
and an injured crow.
Her job at the animal shelter is her refuge—so long as she can
avoid her father’s phone calls. He’s trying to get Dot to visit her
mother, but Dot knows there’s no point. No one ever understood
her like her mum, who helped Dot channel her vibrating fingers
into Morse code, their own private language. But her bright,
artistic mother was terribly injured a year ago and Dot can’t
reach her, even with her tapping fingers. Left with only a father
who refuses to face the truth, she focuses on saving the little lives
at the shelter.
When Joe starts working there, everyone thinks he has a
crush on Dot. Dot thinks he’s just awkward and kind. He shows
his good heart when they rescue an entire litter of puppies
together, and Dot finds herself warming up to him. But Joe waits
too long to tell her his deepest secret, and soon she is forced to
deal with two losses. In the end, Dot’s weird way of looking at
the world is the one thing that will, against the odds, help her
connect with it.
With clever wordplay and the most motley of crews—human
and otherwise—Decoding Dot Grey is a tender and delightful novel
from the award-winning author of In the Wake.

288 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2022

About the author

NICOLA DAVISON’S first novel, "In the Wake," won the 2019 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award, the Miramichi Reader’s Very Best Book Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Dartmouth Book Award. A graduate of Dalhousie University and the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program, she’s an active member of the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia and the Writers' Union of Canada. A professional photographer, she lives in Dartmouth with her husband, son and a stubborn but delightful Basset Hound who is terrified of cats.

Reviews

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decoding Dot Grey by Nicola Davison is a charming story set in Halifax/Dartmouth in 1997. Dot is an 18-year-old girl who works at an animal shelter teeming with unique and diverse personalities, from the animals to the staff and volunteers.

At the beginning of the story, Dot rescues a crow that was hit by a car, damaging its wing. We then learn that her Mother was also hit by a car the year before and has not regained consciousness. This story is all about; relationships, the diversity in dealing with grief, healing both mentally and physically, and forgiveness. I plan to present this book to our book club as a recommended read.

[Bernice · Rating 1 out of 5]

bats eyelashes, blank stare

[sequoia gibson · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring bland basic

[Aren Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like a slow, meandering river that carries you to its quiet but meaningful conclusion. There is so much to enjoy, from the incredibly detailed development of the main character to the thoughtful exploration of loss, grief and recovery, to the supporting characters (both human and animal) that accompany Dot as she moves forward and grows. Beautiful storytelling.

[Jen Robley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dot Grey has had more than her fair share of grief in her eighteen years. Every facet of her life seems to include a dreary atmosphere, but it is amidst all this darkness that we see the light and love in her life. The frailty of it all. From the animals that make our hearts swell with overwhelming love and happiness , to the joy that comes from the connection of others and how important those people are in our lives. I read this book while going through some dreary times of my own . I had to step away from it and found myself coming back . If not for Dot , then for the furry and feathered company she keeps. It’s a book I’ll read again and again as a reminder of the goodness that lies within what seems to be our darkest moments.
In the immortal words of Leonard Cohen ;
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack , a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in…

-Leonard Cohen

[Rosina · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I felt there was no real point to this book. I also felt that way in the end. I’ll admit that the plot twist added some substance to the book but I still feel like I’m missing a reason for this book to have been written. Dot is “quirky”, angsty for no good reason and unlikeable. I had no sympathy for her character and this book only really works if you feel bad for her on some level. It’s very evident it was written by an older person pandering to teenagers with no real idea of what they want. There were so many plot points and I feel like not one was fully explored. This book is like eating a meal that only satisfied you halfway. I just don’t get the point. I think this book would have benefitted from an extra 100 pages, not that I would have enjoyed reading them, though. This book overstayed its welcome by being written in the first place.

[risk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Even broken animals fight for what they have left. You owe her that much."

A journey of grief, personal attachments, and quirky crows.
Honestly? I underestimated this book. I thought it'd be the typical YA, where the girl goes through her coming of age story, and falls in love with the first guy that's similiar to her.

I was dead wrong. Yippee!!!
First off— thank you for not playing into heteronormative tropes. I'm glad Dot stuck to her thoughts and didn't get ~swept away~ by the mystical Joe/Moe.

Secondly? Holy shit. I did *not* see that coming in a million years. I could you not, my jaw dropped. I always saw that as figurative but no. It happens. It's real. Felt like the world came to a stop.

And Dot. She's quirky.
At the start of the novel I wasn't particularly invested. Nothing was bad, no, just mundane. I didn't mind that.

But the story became so much more. It bordered fiction with reality. Her life felt all so real, even with the drama of learning who the driver was. Her grief was real. It wasn't a scene, or a moment of dialouge. It was interwoven with the book, and flowed with her. How she struggled to let go of her friendly pet crow, the anger, at Moe, at her father, the loss that wasn't just a moment in time.

And the aftermath. Having to go through the motions of life after a life-stopping moment. Getting the funeral ready. Having to console everyone else, even though you're the one in the most grief. And getting your shit together, whatever that means for you. Life goes on. And you will too.

I appreciate Dot, for who she is. Her outlook on life, her respect for animals, and the work she puts in. I respect the work she puts in for herself, to *forgive*. To embrace it, and over time, be less pained. She won't let Moe drown himself in guilt, at least, not literally. If she has to keep on going, so does he. And I appreciate that.

Overall? A really, really good book. Super well written, and every scene brings it's own meaning. A work about grief and so much more. And kitty cats were mentioned.

[maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was clever and well-thought out. I felt like I was actually in Dot’s head.
However, the book took way too long to get started. The exposition was like half of the book and it was only after a certain event (*SPOILER* saving pups from Waylon) that the book got interesting. In other words, the plot was super slow and that kind of made the character development super slow as well. And you know me and my character development… I love to see it. What I don’t like is when I have to wait an entire 200 pages for it to happen.
As for the characters, I was always iffy about every single one of them. I didn’t necessarily click or relate to them because they were all so weird and quirky. However, this made the characters feel real and complex; I just found they had more unattractive qualities than attractive ones.
Oh, I think I should mention that I nearly cried at one point. When *SPOILER* Toby (the injured crow) was set free for the first time and he couldn’t fly. Gosh, that ripped my heart into pieces.
Overall, a decent read and thus, a decent rating.

[Amy McIsaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decoding Dot Grey by Nicola Davison was our 11th staff reads selection- I enjoyed reading this novel about a young woman trying to come to terms with a tragic accident that leaves her mother in a coma. She finds solace in helping to care for the animals at a local Rescue where she has been volunteering for several years. When Joe comes on as a new recruit Dot feels a connection to him. But Joe has a secret. A secret that will cause Dot to come to terms with her feelings over the accident and the power of forgiveness. With an assortment of characters both human and animal Dot Grey hits all the emotional highs and lows. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time. I started out thinking "what would I have in common with an 18 year old who works at an animal shelter and has a hairless rat as a pet?" Nothing, until I met Dot and her dad and her fellow shelter workers and Joe (Moe) and Mr. Magoo and Toby and Ori and they felt as familiar as family to me. The story is gripping, surprising, tender and joyful. I read it in two days! I couldn't put it down. Beautifully written IE: "But it's the timing of his arrival, like there's some fragment of the universe speaking through him and I have to listen"
This is a story for all ages. A story that gives voice to humans and to animals who only want to love and be loved.

[Erin O’Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a touching story with themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and kindness in a world filled with cruelty. The characters grow into themselves as the story progresses, accepting not only their own faults, but those of others. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself rooting for them all in the most unlikely of ways. Perfect for your next feel-good read!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had excellent writing and characters. While I did predict a major plot point, I found the story enjoyable and heartbreaking all at once. The writing made me feel the same things the protagonist, Dot, felt, which is my signal for examine the authors other books, because who doesn’t want to have their emotions tortured by good writing?

The side characters were great and I loved the ending. 5/5

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only got about halfway through the book, just found it a little too sad for me. I found myself imagining the story in black and white.
Hoping to pick it up again someday when I'm in a different mindset.

[koey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 (rounded up)

[Lisa's Book Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky, heartfelt, introspective coming-of-age novel for teens about grief, guilt and identity.

[Marianne Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well-crafted and entirely satisfying read. Buy this for everyone in your circle who loves animals (and great writing).

[Travel By Bookmarks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coming-of-age novel was set in 1997 when 18-year-old Dorothy ‘’Dot” Grey just left home in favour of a shabby basement where she lives with several small animals. Dot works at a local animal shelter and struggles to cope with her mother’s tragic accident and other heart-wrenching occurrences.

The book deals with many heavy topics such as grief, heartbreak, and betrayal. The reader comes along as Dot navigates her way through her chaotic world. Although I wasn’t particularly very fond of Dot’s characteristics, her growth as a character, throughout the book, was very detectable. I would have loved to get more insight into the other characters' lives as well, as each character also seemed to be on their own journey of self-discovery.

This book was cleverly written with subtle humour sprinkled within. It also contained many anecdotes, and I enjoyed reading the unexpected plot twists. However, the book contained sexually explicit and descriptive scenes that I disliked. I found the book to be quite wholesome otherwise, showcasing the diversity of dealing with grief and ultimately teaching that the power of trust is one of the most precious gifts people can have.

This is a perfect read for anyone looking for a bittersweet story about loss and forgiveness.

I rate this book 4/5 stars. ‘Decoding Dot Grey’ left me hoping for a sequel to find out what happens in Dot’s next chapter of life.

[Crystal Palmisano-Dillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1997, the story starts off with Dot rescuing a crow hit by a car. She works at an animal shelter and also has a hairless rat, two gerbils, and a lizard in her personal zoo. No dogs though, her landlord specified no dogs.

A year previously Dot's mother had been hit in a car accident and has not returned to consciousness. Dot avoids this reality, her dad, the sorry state of her apartment and most other people and things if she can help it.

Then enters Joe, a new volunteer at the shelter. He's overly interested in Dot. Most of her colleagues think it's a crush, but there's a different connection between the two.

When Dot's mother's health declines big secrets are revealed and heart break is front and center. Can Dot find a way to grieve and move forward?

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decoding Dot Grey, Nicola Davison’s beguiling novel (a follow-up to her suspenseful and moving In the Wake), takes the reader into the chaotic world of an unusual young woman on the cusp of adulthood, facing tragedy and learning how to cope with profound loss. Eighteen-year-old, socially awkward Dorothy “Dot” Grey prefers to spend her time with animals rather than people. It’s not that she dislikes people in particular, but she finds the social demands of human interaction frustrating and stressful. A huge part of her problem is that a year ago her mother was gravely injured in a hit-and-run accident—struck at the side of the road in the dark by a driver who didn’t see her—and is now lingering comatose in hospital. The sudden absence of her mother’s free-spirited influence from her life has left Dot confused and emotionally adrift. Despite her father’s urging, Dot cannot bring herself to visit her mother in the hospital, questioning the point of making such a gesture when her mother would not know she was there. Motivated by a need to exert her independence and to escape the smothering kindness of her grieving father, Dot has moved out of home into a shabby basement apartment, along the way amassing a collection of winged and multi-legged roommates: crickets, sowbugs, a domesticated rat, and the latest addition to the menagerie, an injured crow. Dot’s salvation at this time of great personal upheaval is her job at an animal shelter, where she has proven herself to be a diligent, resourceful and devoted employee. When an awkward young man named Joe shows up at the shelter wanting to volunteer, Dot believes she recognizes a kindred spirit, someone who is just as socially inept as she is. Despite some doubts, she begins to regard him as someone she can trust. In her second novel, Nicola Davison has written a captivating story from an eccentric young woman’s perspective, someone who is emotionally guarded and riddled with uncertainty about her place in the world among humans but is openly and impulsively affectionate when it comes to her animal companions. Dot’s bracingly snarky voice is a treat: engaging and entertaining, and thoroughly convincing. Dot Grey’s bittersweet story of loss and acceptance of life’s harsh realities touches the reader on many levels, and in the end teaches that the most reliable source of truth and solace is one’s own heart.

Note: Decoding Dot Grey is marketed as YA, but there can be no doubt that adult readers will find much to enjoy in these pages.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT!!

I will admit that I found this very very very slow to get going… Indeed in my notes I have that it is a “slow boring start”... way too much about shelter policy and practices, it feels like a great big info dump right off the top. Neither does Dot’s voice draw me in immediately. But I’m so glad that I stuck with this title… had I bailed on it, well, that would have been my loss.

After the first ⅓ of the book I really started to warm up to it. Normally that would be enough for me to discount a title… But… by the time we get to the big rescue, I’m really quite enjoying it… and it's starting to have a little bit of the feel of The Agony of Bun O’Keefe. (It also reminded me somewhat of The Silent Summer of Kyle McGinley). By the end, I will even admit to a few near teary moments.

I think the author deals honestly and authentically with a whole bunch of issues… but really they all boil down to four fundamentals: compassion, forgiveness (for self and others), respect for life (all forms) and grief.

On the downside, I do find that there is a lot of ‘coincidence’ - Joe/Moe, Robert Latimer, comatose Mom v. animal euthanasia, neither Dot nor Joe wanting to look in the mirror, or Mom/Joe both expressing suicidal ideation. Normally it would drive me buggy, but I’m in a forgiving mood with this one.

On the upside I felt like the coding was adequately explained, but I will admit that it was a slow reveal. The author does explain how Dot and her Mom got into the habit and how her Mom used it to bury messages in her paintings. Indeed, I really liked the bit about not giving the paintings names and having to look at them from “many different angles” (p37) to really understand them… so that the paintings could “communicate with people on many different levels” (p37). It’s a nice - not heavy headed - way of closing the circle on the fundamentals of the book.

Definitely worth reading.

[Sarah Butland · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I found this to start slowly, once I got into it I loved it. The characters were quirky, including the animals, and the message of forgiveness so powerful.

I did immediately, or close to, know who Joe/ Moe was and hoped that would have been hidden a bit more, but it was good. Dot learned so much about herself with every page turn which made decoding her an adventure.

Typically with so many characters I find it hard to keep track or to like them all but Nicola mastered the story through the people and animals. This emotional ride of colour and shadows was made vivid with powerful messages, kept moving with a ribbon of hope.

Toby, the rescued Crow, is a story all himself and I adored Button. The details brought me right into ARS and into the heart and mind of morse-code expert Dot, aptly named.

A YA book that teaches the reader the importance of treating animals with care.

[Wendy Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dot is 18 years old, loves animals, and works at an animal shelter. She lives in a dingy basement apartment with her small menagerie. She makes excuses not to visit her mother who was left in a vegetative state due to a MVC. Her father's pleas don't change her mind, but she does go see her grandfather who is in care and living with dementia. Dot does not have any friends outside of the animal shelter - she was mercilessly bullied when she was a kid and has no use for others. She and her coworkers, Rachel and Joe, get involved over their heads with a litter or puppies, and find out that doing the right thing does not come without consequences.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This caught me off guard with how thoughtful and heartfelt it was. Dot is someone going through so much and her reactions are so realistic to her situation that I forgot I was reading a fiction book at times. This is one with so much energy put into it that I couldn't put it down, I would absolutely recommend this one. The grief throughout is something that's heartwrenching, but there's so much good here, and it ends in such a healthy way that I loved.

[Carol Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a positive, humorous perspective on a life that has plenty of bad breaks. I love the writing style, and the plot also keeps the reader engaged. A few moral dilemmas are addressed satisfyingly. I highly recommend this book!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. It was persistent in my mind the entire time I read it. It had me up until well past midnight a few times. I also don't know if a book has ever made me tear up, but this one is the exception.

This book. It's perfection.

[Evora Couto Meszaros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, a couple big plot twists but very dense. Each page took about 5 mins (I also might have had a small font). Overall good, would recomend trying. :)

[hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had to read it for battle so 🤷‍♀️

[CAW · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a YA book. It was good - had a nice ending, and was well written. It was written in 2022 - coming from reading a book written in 1911, it was a bit of a shock!

[Mary-Esther Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likeable characters both human and animal.

[Digitally Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia's review:

This book follows our main character Dot as she deals with a devastating loss and how she works at an animal shelter with cats and dogs, but when she sees that there is more in this world then the animal shelter her life changes forever.

Not only is this book set in a small town in Nova Scotia but the publisher and author is also from Nova Scotia. The setting of Nova Scotia was the perfect place for this book to happen because of its beautiful description and how unique Nova Scotia is!

I personally liked how Dot loved animals of all kinds such as crickets and crows, to the more well known house pets such as dogs and cats. I found it interesting how Dot took care of the crow (named Toby) and how loving she was.

Overall, this book had very likable characters and an amazing plot but I did not the second person narrative, I found it extremely hard to follow and to keep track of all the characters. I liked how Dot’s mom was portrayed and was an authentic character.

Alicia - Decoding Dot Grey By Nicola Davison is a beautifully written story!

It’s about a 18 year old girl named Dot who works at an animal shelter in Nova Scotia; Dot left home to go live in a dank, cold, basement, with questionable plumbing. She deals with regular financial struggles (like that), but also she carries the weight of her mothers accident around on her as well.

I loved how nicely written it was, it was a lovely read. It was a nice, heartfelt, and laid back story that gave me a calm, tired feeling. I absolutely loved Dot, Rachel, Joe, Judy, Earl, Toby, Ori and Button. I'm so intrigued by some of the characters in this book, like Rachel, Judy and Joe. There's stories that haven't yet been told with these characters. I would love a sequel to this story from one of these characters' perspectives.

This book was a very nice read, I rate it 4.5/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐
_________
Hidayah:
This coming-of-age novel was set in 1997 when 18-year-old Dorothy ‘’Dot” Grey just left home in favour of a shabby basement where she lives with several small animals. Dot works at a local animal shelter and struggles to cope with her mother’s tragic accident and other heart-wrenching occurrences.

The book deals with many heavy topics such as grief, heartbreak, and betrayal. The reader comes along as Dot navigates her way through her chaotic world. Although I wasn’t particularly very fond of Dot’s characteristics, her growth as a character, throughout the book, was very detectable. I would have loved to get more insight into the other characters' lives as well, as each character also seemed to be on their own journey of self-discovery.

This book was cleverly written with subtle humour sprinkled within. It also contained many anecdotes, and I enjoyed reading the unexpected plot twists. However, the book contained sexually explicit and descriptive scenes that I disliked. I found the book to be quite wholesome otherwise, showcasing the diversity of dealing with grief and ultimately teaching that the power of trust is one of the most precious gifts people can have.

This is a perfect read for anyone looking for a bittersweet story about loss and forgiveness.

I rate this book 4/5 stars. ‘Decoding Dot Grey’ left me hoping for a sequel to find out what happens in Dot’s next chapter of life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5