Erica Kent’s Black Dog takes the reader on a truly terrifying journey, but guess what?  I’m so, so glad I fastened my seatbelt, gritted my teeth, and climbed aboard.

— Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and the North Bath trilogy. of “Fool” novels

Black Dog is a stone-cold miracle, a short, sharp novel about adolescence, addiction, faith, and survival. Our heroine, Jess, is a drugged-out descendent of Holden Caulifeld, soft-hearted, foul-mouthed, insightful to the point of pain. Her language is the language of rage, confusion, and endless yearning, a punk rock poetry that I could listen to forever. Strap in and prepare to thrash.

— Steve Almond, author of All the Secrets of the World, and Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow.

In Black Dog, Erica Kent gives us fresh, compelling takes on the family novel, the addiction novel, and the coming-of-age novel. Jess’ story is at turns harrowing and funny, and I didn’t want to say goodbye to her at book’s end. Kent is a brilliant storyteller, and I can’t wait to read what she does next. A fantastic debut!

— Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.

Black Dog is a story about growing up hard—no punches pulled, no quarter given. Phantasmagoric yet utterly lucid, horrid yet hopeful, it’s the most honest story about being a kid that I’ve read in a very long time, maybe ever.

— Ron Currie, author of The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne.

With electrifying, unsentimental prose, Black Dog tracks the heartbeat of an 80s childhood—from innocence to addiction, hopelessness to recovery. At the center of this immersive novel is Jessica, who we follow from one harrowing moment to the next, and the resulting portrait is dead-on, persuasive, and heartrending. Erica Kent is a terrific writer.

— Lewis Robinson, author of The Islanders

This novel sparkles with all the dark magic of a 1980s ‘zine–it’s zany, brave, fierce and provocative. Erica Kent has written the definitive bildungsroman for Gen X.

— Pagan Kennedy, author of The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story.

This rich and unsettling coming-of-age novel has found an ideal chronicler in Erica Kent. In her lush, distinctive prose, I found a surprise in nearly every line.

— Monica Wood, author of How to Read a Book, The One-in-a-Million Boy, and When We Were the Kennedys.