Dog Girl

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Pub Date 15 Nov 2020 | Archive Date 10 Aug 2022
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Description

Silver Medal Winner - 2020 Florida Book Awards honoring the best of Florida's literature Teen and Young Adult Contemporary Romance - Enemies-to-Lovers

A video of Kendall's harrowing rescue of an abused pit bull from the path of an oncoming train goes viral. Suddenly, everyone wants a piece of Kendall, making her social anxiety worse. But this is an opportunity to put the rescue in the spotlight and secure the donations needed to save it.

Delray Dog Rescue doesn't just rescue dogs, it's a second chance for felons, like her dad. Losing the rescue means losing Kendall's home, her sanctuary, the dogs she loves, her identity, and her dad, all over again.

Ryan, the new volunteer, soon becomes her best friend and worst enemy. His good looks and charm rattle her social awkwardness and threaten to dissolve all of her mental health progress. However, he also proves to be a much needed asset once she discovers the wicked truth lurking in her small town.

The pit bull's rescue has uncovered a sinister underworld, and now it's not only the dogs' lives that are in danger. Death threats and vandalism try to stop teen slueths, Kendall and Ryan, but they'll stop at nothing to save the rescued canines.

For fans of teen & young adult fiction such as What to Say Next, Fangirl, & Hot Dog Girl or fans of the show Pit Bulls and Parolees.

Silver Medal Winner - 2020 Florida Book Awards honoring the best of Florida's literature Teen and Young Adult Contemporary Romance - Enemies-to-Lovers

A video of Kendall's harrowing rescue of an...


Advance Praise

“Fast-paced and poignant, Dog Girl expertly conveys the anxieties of high school, the thrill of a first love, and how dogs transform our hearts in all the best ways. Kendall is the underdog you’ll love rooting for.” — Cheyanne Young, YA author of The Last Wish of Sasha Cade, The Breakup Support Group, If We Break Up

"Gabi has built vivid, complex relationships that are real and heartwarming. Dog Girl starts with a thrilling rescue that thrusts you into the story and has you rooting for Kendall from page one. Gabi seamlessly weaves tough topics like anxiety, death, and animal abuse, with light-hearted, laugh-out-loud, coming-of-age romantic comedy." -- Jaimie Engle, MG and YA author of Metal Mouth and Dreadlands

"A great YA for those who love romance, dogs, and a bit of mystery." -- Katie Kaleski YA author of You, Me, and Letting Go and Bookstores, Crushes, and Mortal Enemies

“Fast-paced and poignant, Dog Girl expertly conveys the anxieties of high school, the thrill of a first love, and how dogs transform our hearts in all the best ways. Kendall is the underdog you’ll...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781951710057
PRICE $3.99 (USD)
PAGES 250

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Average rating from 19 members


Featured Reviews

This was a beautifully done story about a girl and rescuing dogs, the characters were wonderfully done and I wanted them to succeed. I loved the mystery aspect of this series, it had a great tense atmosphere and I wasn't expecting that. I really enjoyed going through this book. Gabi Justice has a great writing style and I look forward to more from her.

"Rock lifts me up and places his massive arm around my shoulders. I may be tall, but he’s a giant, and there’s no escaping his bearlike grasp. “I guess I’m staying in the house tonight.” “That’s right, Peanut.”

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Dogs are my weakness. Justice does a great job of showing the realities of life with anxiety while not alienating readers who may not have personal experience with it. The romance and action was beautifully blended, and so much character development!

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This book takes on a lot of YA topics such as anxiety, bullying and social media exposure. It also addresses the terrible things that people can do to an animal. It sheds a lot of light on rescue life and the difference between a rescue that can't scrape together enough funds to do their good work vs a rescue who stumbles on good fortune when a video goes viral and the impact that those in positions of social influence can make if they set out to lend a hand to these organizations. They can do so much more good when that happens.

I applaud the author for succeeding in their mission to show these things to the world. She definitely accomplished that goal and I hope a dog lover who reads this considers making a donation to a worthy rescue after reading this book or lends their time to a rescue in need. It would be great to have the next generation pick up this book and be inspired to make a difference. As a person who as volunteered before, I know how much this book was needed.

It does feel like it was written by a newer author but I think it was a really good effort on her part.

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I really enjoyed this book, it was such a heartwarming and uplifting story that talked about anxiety so well. As an anxiety sufferer I really related to this book. This book has everything, action, romance, mystery and dogs what more could you need.

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YA lit for girls who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.... or risk their hearts.

Everyone calls Kendall "Dog Girl" because she works at her mom's animal rescue. Kendall mostly doesn't mind; she prefers dogs to people anyway, and between the dogs and her close-knit rescue family, she doesn't really need anyone or anything else. Which is good, since Kendall's anxiety disorder -- which she dourly named after Peter Parker -- makes interacting with anyone besides her besties a nightmare. But when one of Kendall's rescues goes viral on the internet, she's sucked into a whirlwind of social media attention that takes her life in surprising -- and occasionally dangerous -- new directions.

There's so much to love in this book. Most YA lit -- even the so-called "realistic" stories -- deals with situations only middle-to-upper class teens can relate to. Justice's story puts class consciousness front and center as Kendall navigates interactions with fame, wealth, and power in a down-to-earth way that poor and working-class teens will understand perfectly. It seeps over into every part of the plot, from the mystery of who is torturing the dogs to how Kendall navigates her romantic life. Ryan, Kendall's love interest, has his own crosses to bear, and the slow growth of their relationship, as Kendall struggles to let down her walls and Ryan quietly, persistently tries to get close, is extremely touching.

The impact of social media on today's teens is another important plot point, and cell phones, Twitter, and YouTube play important roles in Kendall's journey. As a Gen-Xer who can't imagine going through high school like that, I was impressed with both Justice's rendering of how hellish cyberbullying can be, even as it made me cringe for both Kendall and teenagers at large. When Kendall finally has the courage to face the media on her own terms, it's a beautiful thing to see.

There's a lot of animal cruelty in these pages, but it's for illustrative, not manipulative purposes or shock value; readers who love dogs will have some harrowing moments but will be relieved to know that all ends well for Kendall, Ryan, and all the puppers. Highly recommended for fans of YA lit looking for something more interesting than the average YA mystery, romance, or thriller.

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Dog Girl is a fantastic YA book about a girl named Kendall who saves a pitbull from a train and gets thrust into the spotlight. She suffers from anxiety so the attention she and her rescue center are getting is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the money is much needed, on the other she is being tormented and trolled online. As Kendall tries to figure out who is attacking the dogs, she also is introduced to a new volunteer Ryan. There is an instant attraction on her part but her inner self is always saying she is a loser and setting her up to fail. As her relationship with Ryan deepens she finds a friend and confidant. The two of them work to figure to save the wolf she wants to rescue and to keep the rescue center safe. The characters are just great, I really rooted for Kendall and Ryan as well as the dogs. The author has a smooth writing style that you fall into and the book flies by. I did not want this one to end. I look forward to reading more by this author.

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I loved this book. I thought I might be disappointed but I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. It has the usual teenage angst and relationship sagas but it’s nice that “good” triumphed and that the underdog (pardon the pun) got the guy. A great read and a feel-good book.

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As an anxiety sufferer I really related to this book. This book has everything, action, romance, mystery and dogs what more could you need. Definitely recommend this one!

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Feel-good books with heart-warming stories isn’t really my usual type. My usual is anything that makes me cry my eyes out, I don’t do it on purpose but that’s just what happens ALL THE TIME. And yet, this books absolutely pulled me in and I loved every minute of it.. Dog Girl is a fun read. It covers lots of topics, including bullying, grief, social anxiety, the power of social media (both good and bad) and the evils of animal abuse (though this topic is handled with reader sensitivity in mind). There is romance as well as page-turning suspense

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This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

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Fast paced, heartwarming and uplifting. This book had me in tears and I don’t normally cry when I read. What a brilliant book.

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At Dog Girl we find a series of social problems such as adolescent anxiety, bullying, cyber bullying, animal abuse, among others. But none of the above obscures the fact that we have here a charming story of teenage love and love for animals.
There's a perfect balance between Kendall and Ryan's love story and all the problems facing Kendall's family's dog shelter.
A strong and current story, perfectly written in an agile and attractive style. I hope this story helps raise awareness about the need to stop both bullying and animal abuse, to create a better society.
I wish this book would become a series!
I loved this story and I thank the author Gabi Justice, Swoon Romance and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

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A fun and rollicking read that also tackles more thoughtful topics like anxiety, class and mental health. Highly recommended for a light and reassuring comfort YA romance.

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