Set in Glasgow, we follow two main characters. There is Declan, an aspiring writer in his 20s and James who is a successful actor and who is from the street that Declan lives in now. Both are facing difficulties in their lives which leads to a chance meeting between the two.

I’m struggling with a review for this book. I liked the Characters, the plot/story was clever and some of Bridges one liners are hilarious! It’s a great comedic book. However there are also parts that feel drawn out and slow. It slows the pace of the story and might actually have been superb as a short story.

All in all, it’s still a good read.

The Black Dog is full of social commentary with Bridge’s comedic wit shining through every page. Darkly funny but brimming with life.

The Black Dog is written by an author that is known more for his comedy than his novel writing but that’s all likely to change – he’s added another string to his bow in a stunning debut by Glasgow’s household name, Kevin Bridges. Instantly you are transported into the streets of Glasgow, with authentic dialogue, a strong connection to the working-class plight, and a story that is full of grit and character. It’s a strong offering and the story gave me vibes of Gregory’s Girl – a coming-of-age tale about friendship, forgiveness, and self-awareness.

The Black Dog is a great piece of comedic fiction. It investigates the ordinary lives of ordinary people. There are no airs and graces, they don’t come from affluent backgrounds, they are just getting by – living day to day, I was really taken aback by the depth in which Bridges brought his characters to life. You might change your opinion about some and stay firm on others, but you will feel a connection to them – whether for good or bad reasons. It has all the nuances of a piece of Glasgow fiction – the language, the passion for football, drugs, and a dream of becoming something more.

We all know that Kevin Bridges can create characters, his comedy speaks of his talent for storytelling. The Black Dog takes all of that rolls it into a ball and kicks it into orbit. He has created something so outlandishly normal, with the trappings of dysfunctional families but with hilarity at its core.

Declan dreams of becoming a writer. He knows he has it in him, he’s even signed up to a local art centre to take a writing course. His version of writing isn’t well received by his peers, it’s too visceral and leaves him feeling downtrodden. So, in typical Scottish fashion, he gets completely wasted. This leads to dire consequences and like all Scottish people the morning after – they vow to never drink again.

James Cavani is a local that has managed to make something of himself – well that’s the public perception anyway. He’s living the dream, Hollywood, his writing has made him a household name, and married to his one true love, Lisa. He doesn’t have it all not by a longshot – the Hollywood dream has lost its allure and his agent is close to getting the sack. A home in London that allows him his anonymity, but he wants to go back to his roots, so they decide to move back home to Glasgow. He has to rush back home sooner than anticipated when his sister, Siobhan is rushed to hospital after another overdose. I loved his strength and his loyalty to his family before his career.

Based on the reviews avaliable so far, The Black Dog would appear to be a highly polarising read - it's either a 5-star book... or 1-star.

Unfortunately, and much to my surprise, given how much I enjoy the author's stand up work, I'm part of the latter camp. This book just didn't click with me at all. The writing style and pacing just aren't for me. DNF.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Wildfire, for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can sum The Black Dog up as follows. There's a story worth reading here but you have to wade through so much bad language and expletives that it very nearly made me give up. I know Kevin Bridges is using language he understands and his characters would use but it nearly strangled the story for me. It's like listening to a cross between Irvine Welsh and Frankie Boyle. Bridges may take that as a compliment. If you can handle the language then you'll find the story worth reading.

I really could not get into this book and I am so sad about that fact. There is nothing wrong with the writing, in fact I really liked the writing and although I found the bits of glaswegian dialect difficult to understand at times I loved the concept of it being involved in the novel and the atmosphere it brought! Unfortunately this is a novel that just wasn’t for me but I highly encourage people not to overlook this book or this author and I sincerely hope he keeps writing!!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this early!

Declan dreams of becoming a writer. It's a dream that helps him escape the realities of his life - going through the motions at college and stacking supermarket shelves part-time, whilst fighting a battle with the ever-darkening thoughts in his head.

He has his pet Labrador for companionship and his best friend-turned-mentor, a pseudo-intellectual who works as a greenskeeper at the local municipal golf course, both of which help keep the worst of his anxieties at bay. But following a drunken row with local gangsters, Declan's worries threaten to spiral out of control.

James Cavani - Declan's idol and his hometown's claim to fame - is a renowned writer, director and actor. But despite his success, his past hasn't relinquished its hold of him, and through his younger sister's battle with drug addiction, he finds himself returning to a world he thought he had escaped.

At face value, their lives couldn't be more different, but perhaps fate has a way of bringing kindred spirits together - and perhaps each holds the other's redemption in their hands.
This book is not only dramatic and engrossing, it is also insightful and wise. Well worth a read!

This was a thought-provoking, relatable read. As a Scot, I could relate to the culture around the central character Declan, who was destined for more than his working class upbringing would predict for him. I loved the weaving of the stories between characters and the character development was spot on! I'd love to read a follow up centred around the doof doof character as he was definitely my favourite and felt there was alot more to explore with him. Really good read and would definitely recommend!

I'm clearly in the minority here with my star rating for this book - but I absolutely hated this book.

I found the sections written in Glasgow dialect difficult to read.
I am not a prude, far from it - but the amount of swearing in this book is ridiculous. It's too much, and just doesn't add anything to the plot of the characters. In fact, it made me dislike the characters more!
The book is full of pointless waffle - dragging the plot out, making the pacing super slow. In fact, was there even much of a plot in the first place?!

I really hate slating a book - but i really really hated this, and it was a real struggle to get through!

Unfortunately I could not get into The Black Dog as it did not grab me so it became a DNF hence the 1 star review

Full of humour and character, you'll be drawn in from the first sentence.

Kevin Bridges' debut novel is a fabulous blend of heartwarming, hard-hitting and humourous. Oozing with Glaswegian charm, the book almost feels somewhat nostalgic.

I love how Declan and James develop as characters and you can see the point at which they learn things about themselves.

It's lovely to see how despite their completely different paths in life, Declan and James still cross paths and enrich each others lives for different reasons.

Be sure to get your copy!

I really wanted to persevere and find something positive to say about this book... however.
I couldn't even finish it. And trust me, I like to finish what I start. I just found it dull, with superficial characters and a nearly non-existent plot. Even the dialogues I find boring. I do like it takes place in Glasgow - the city I know fairly well.. but surely that's not a reason for me to continue the struggle with this 400-page book? I didn't think so either.
To put it in short - it's not for me, and no, I wouldn't recommend it.

'The Black Dog' is a great book about confidence, following your dreams and being resilient even when it seems as though the world is trying to kick you down.

Set in Glasgow, we follow two main characters - Declan, an aspiring writer in his early 20's who is living in a rougher side of town, and James Cavani, a successful international actor who grew up in the same area. Declan has gotten involved in some gang drama that he wants no part of and James is struggling to balance his fame with some family issues.

Both characters were really well developed and felt incredibly realistic to me. Bridges definitely put a lot of himself into both of them and I enjoyed seeing their stories overlap and eventually connect. I also liked how realistic their dialogue was and the acknowledgement of the code-switching that Scottish people have to do, which isn't something I have really seen discussed in a book before from what I remember.

All of the side characters were also great. Declan's best friend Doof Doof was exactly the type of friend we all need and his mum was so kind. James' sister is struggling with drug addiction and I thought that was all written really well, with a hopeful and loving tone to it. She wasn't shamed or looked down upon by him, everything was very thoughtful.

I actually can see this potentially ending up on my top ten books of 2022 list, I really enjoyed it a lot and will definitely be recommending to everyone. Also if you read the first few lines and think "Oh no, it's written in Glaswegian dialect" - don't worry, that is just a script and only lasts a few pages at the start.

As huge long time fan of Kevin Bridges I was buzzing to get approved for this ARC, I was worried that this book might be as often the case with big names turning into authors a big let down with the big name being the only reason for publishers commissioning the work, I am so glad to say this isn’t the case here, the book more than lives up to the big name behind it is brilliantly written, well structured, well developed, it is a cracker of debut that could be a fifth novel for a well established writer… Well Done Big KEV IN

The story is told in the first POV by Declan, a young man living in Glasgow dreaming of a worlds beyond, and James, a older man who has and is living Declan’s dream. It is hard to explain the plot without giving the plot away but basically the story is set in Glasgow over the period of a few weeks were both these men connect with each other, this done against the backdrop of lots of different things going on . I am aware haven’t summed this up great but believe me when I say the story is brilliant, simple but effective, it captures your interest and heart.

This book is a character lead novel,for sure, although the story/plot itself would still be good even without such well written characters the fact the characters are so well developed is a added bonus.

Both the main characters and the background characters are real to life, honest, funny, likeable you are rooting for Declan from page one. I would say there is a bit of Kevin in both main characters he manages to show the struggle many young men are experiencing with their mental health today with a heartwarming touching humour in a Declan( his story sounds very similar to Kevin’s own story) and the feelings of guilt, imposter syndrome etc in the character of a James again in a real heartwarming humorous way, I can see aspects of Kevin in this character too, James is a humble character, is very aware of how lucky he is and lives in dread as being as someone who has forgotten where he came from.

For me Glasgow is captured perfect in this book, it is not over the top with the no mean city stereotype or doesn’t romanticise places he just writes like it is, your slightly overbearing maw who loves you dearly but would boot your arse gladly.

The language used is very Glasgow but not over done, it is one the few books set Glasgow that uses language that is widely spoken in Glasgow.

Some the observations made are bang on and further show that Kevin has far from forgotten where he is from I particularly like the c##t comment and irony about the westend. The more deeper observations about the male mental health struggle, the social mobility in our society, the moral issues of crime and general state of Scotland are subtle but make the point clear, this for me a real skill and is hard to achieve for even well established authors.

This book is funny, heartwarming, touching, moving, smart and just brilliant in both terms of the plot and characters. I am still laughing at the ending, a true laugh out loud read.

For me it was Roddy Doyle meets Chris Brookmyre meets Graeme Armstrong with a touch of Chad Hogan

A truly brilliant book, the best ARC I’ve read this year, a sure in for my top 10 books of the year.

Five stars and another star just for the black dog called Hector who better have not been touched by a dodgy c##t

I did not finish this book, I only read the first part off it. While I loved the dialect in this book and found it to be one of the most Scottish books ive read in terms off language which is always a bonus for me I feel like the fact the book is in parts makes it feel very slow compared to chapters which would make it feel a bit faster and allow us to segway to different characters, storied ect instead of one long part mainly in Declan our MC's head. I felt like we didn't get alot of plot in the first part which is fair enough as you need time to build up to the story however I feel like none of this build up was focused on character development off Declan rather introducing us to a whole host of characters. If you haven't made me buy in to your main character don't introduce me to their deed grandas pal. I did enjoy the last scene in the pub and felt the tension of violence was spot on and could build to something I'd enjoy but the lack off caring about the characters made me not want to continue.

I have read quite a few books recently from celebrities, particularly comedians. It seems to be an assumption that someone who is funny in a stand-up routine can seamlessly transfer those skills to paper. I don't know where I stand on this phenomenon - part of me thinks its unfair on writers who must have an eternal struggle to get anything published. People who have worked and grafted tirelessly for years must be so frustrated to see someone famous come along and get their novel published on name recognition alone. Publishers must know that the name alone will sell books and it is much lower risk for them than taking a punt on someone unknown.

However, people like Richard Osman and now Kevin Bridges have convinced me that it is not always a bad thing. That some people's talents can move away from their day job into a new field and can be a success.

Here we have Declan growing up in Scotland, desperate to be a writer but stuck in a city which favours violence, alcohol and crime. We then meet James Cavani, a guy who has grown up near Declan but who has made it out of the city to become what Declan dreams of - a writer and an actor.

Both Declan's and James's lives are in trouble but maybe a chance meeting will give them both an opportunity to inspire each other to greatness.....

I was a bit hesitant coming into this book. With Scottish authors, particularly those from Glasgow, there can often be a tendency towards being overly reliant on Scottish vernacular. Whilst this can add to the authenticity of the story, ah hate when some wee writers hink its awrite tae write like this aw ra time. It can make a good story difficult to read, even those who have lived and worked in Glasgow.

The opening paragraphs are very much like that, and I was initially hesitant, however I found out the reason why and breathed a sigh of relief when I realised this was not throughout the whole book. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of f***ing b******s and c***s in this book however it did not come across as gratuitous but in line with typical Glaswegian humour and language. This may not translate well further than our shores but it worked for me.

The story itself is well told and is full of Bridges' trademark wit and humour. I enjoyed the fact that, despite some of the language, it was a subtle story of one young man's search for himself in a place where he does not fit in with the crowd. There is no sensationalism or glorification of drugs, crime or violence in the way that some portray in Glasgow in film, TV and novels and there are some excellent characters in the book who act as true friends to Declan.

Also, the final scene is beyond words. An absolutely, unexpected but hilarious ending which is just what the book required.

This book was written, like many from people who are not considered novelists, during the pandemic when many people had nothing else to whilst at home so I am not sure whether we will get any more from Mr Bridges but I certainly hope we do and I would love to follow Declan on his journey ahead.

Massive thanks to Headline, Wildfire and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There seems to have been an influx of celebrity fiction recently, varying wildly in quality. I'm delighted to find that Kevin Bridges' debut novel is one of the best ones. It's written about a young lad who loves to write but is getting caught up in gang culture. He's prone to panic attacks which he tries to hide from his friends. It's told from the perspective of a Glasgow man who has made it to be rich and famous but has family problems back home that take him away from the glamorous lifestyle. It's partly written in Scots and is just a brilliant read, I loved it.

I’m a huge fan of Kevin Bridges’ comedy, which tends to feature comedic tales. Based on his stand up, I viewed him as a gifted storyteller. So I was beyond excited to read his first work of fiction and I was not disappointed!
The characters in this book were excellent.
Declan was just a wee lamb! Trying to hold it all together but struggling with anxiety and doubt. I loved his character growth. His mum and sister were amazing too. Doof Doof was the friend that everybody needs! He was just such an amazing character and supportive friend. I know he was more of a side character but he was my favourite character and I want only amazing things for him. Even the ‘baddies’ felt realistic. It would have been so easy to make them caricature gangsters.
I’ve never enjoyed a scene involving a running race quite as much as in this book! I genuinely cried with laughter.
This was such an enjoyable book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The only negative I have from this book was that I’d have loved chapters instead of parts. But parts instead of chapters made sense as there were very clear parts.

Declan dreams of becoming a writer. It's a dream that helps him escape the realities of his life - going through the motions at college and stacking supermarket shelves part-time, whilst fighting a battle with the ever-darkening thoughts in his head.

He has his pet Labrador for companionship and his best friend-turned-mentor, a pseudo-intellectual who works as a greenskeeper at the local municipal golf course, both of which help keep the worst of his anxieties at bay. But following a drunken row with local gangsters, Declan's worries threaten to spiral out of control.

James Cavani - Declan's idol and his hometown's claim to fame - is a renowned writer, director and actor. But despite his success, his past hasn't relinquished its hold of him, and through his younger sister's battle with drug addiction, he finds himself returning to a world he thought he had escaped.

At face value, their lives couldn't be more different, but perhaps fate has a way of bringing kindred spirits together - and perhaps each holds the other's redemption in their hands.

“The Black Dog” by Kevin Bridges - what a blast. Hugely unexpected - I wasn’t even aware that Bridges was debuting a fiction novel until
I saw it on NetGalley and I had to do a massive double take. When I confirmed that yes, it was THE Kevin Bridges, I hit that request button so fast. Why was I so excited? Kevin Bridges is (in my opinion) Scotland’s best comedian and if I may be so bold, is up there with the likes of the legend Billy Connolly. Now, if you’re not Scottish, you may be wondering what I’m twittering on about. So just forget all I’ve said above and pick up this book. A man of many talents indeed is Mr Bridges. Who knew?

A wonderfully entertaining story, it is so well written, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Mr Bridges has been authoring his whole career and not creasing people up with his comedy (which is good by the way - side note). I hope this is the first of many novels to come.

I’d highly recommend this book to everyone. And once you’ve read it, go check out his comedy. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an unbiased review.