Dog-Faced Girl, Annie, is working at a burlesque club, known for dancing with her face covered with a dog mask. Her father has recently passed away, so she finds herself at a bit of an impasse, and then she receives a letter that her mother, Vera, is dying. Annie sets out with her meager earnings to meet the woman for the first time, and this book follows her feelings on the journey as well as her charming and beguiling run-ins along the way. Annie's moods seem sometimes tenuous at best, especially when she gets to America and sees her beloved form of dancing is much different and referred to as 'stripping' here. I adored the cultural references and being in the head of this character- I felt for her entirely, and got so nervous during some of her encounters. This one was definitely hard to predict what came next, in a great way. Thanks to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

The writing and character development in this novel is spectacular. It is a rare treat to read literary fiction about a sex worker and I hope this novel will prompt more representation of sex worker stories in literary fiction. There are parts in the middle that are not as strong as the beginning. I did put the book down a few times, but it is worth it to stick with it because it is a fantastic novel. An exciting debut from a writer to watch!

<i>Review of advanced copy from Netgalley</i>

Annie is not okay. She's a dancer struggling to make ends meet, with a perfunctory relationship, grieving the recent loss of her father and her absentee mother has written to say she's dying. So we're along for the ride as she drives across countries to Alaska to meet the mother she's never known, before it's too late.

Annie is a passive narrator, allowing her actions and those of people around her to tell the story. It's a beautiful technique as you feel the ennui and exhaustion of her every day life, whilst holding out hope that she has something good coming her way.

This was a beautiful slice of life but a little hard going so definitely make sure you're in the right headspace for it.

<i>Thanks again to Astra Publishing House and Netgalley for this ARC.</i>

This is a well-written and interesting story about complex women, trauma, sexuality, and travel. It starts out strong, but the middle lagged for me. I had to pick the book back up a few times, but I stayed the course, and it was worth it.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The characters here, especially the protagonist/narrator, are very intriguing, and are at the center of this novel. The writing is sharp and interesting, and the plot is as well. The ending of the novel felt too rushed and neatly wrapped up however.

Roadshow felt like one long exhausted breath in the best way possible. Annie is messy, lonely, grieving, and honestly kind of drifting through her own life, which made the whole book feel painfully real to me. There’s this constant sense of movement without actually escaping anything. Even when she’s crossing the country, she still feels trapped inside herself.
I really loved how quiet this book was. Not much “happens” in a traditional sense, but emotionally it felt heavy the entire time. The roadside encounters, the awkwardness, the loneliness, the complicated feelings around family and womanhood... it all felt very intimate and human.
Also, the atmosphere of this book worked so well for me. Sticky, tired, melancholic road trip energy. It made me feel weirdly hollow after finishing it, which I mean as a compliment.

A melancholy road trip, fleeting menacing encounters.

Annie struggles to make ends meet while dancing in character as dog-face girl, she’s grieving the recent death of her father when her mother, who’d abandoned her as a baby, writes to say she is dying at home in Alaska.

With no funds, a borrowed car and a friend to house sit, Annie makes the road trip from the mid west, through Canada and into Alaska.

As an incredibly passive narrator, Annie is a little frustrating, but stick with the book as a reader you will get into the groove of her mindset - and it’s a rewarding beautifully told story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Astra Publishing House for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.