I was slow to start this book because I wasn't sure what I should expect. The name and cover made me thing it might be a werewolf book. I enjoyed it for what it was..

Once I started it, I was pulled it, even when I wanted to look away. It is more than what I expected and I appreciated that out of it. Without going into spoilers, I can say it was brutal, violent, and most important, well written.

I have read plenty of exteme horror and I seldom enjoy them. The writing is weak and the violence feels shoehorned in. Gavin used his writing skills to tell a story that had violence. He didn't tell about violence with maybe some story around it.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the oppertunity to read this.

Chris prefers to be on his own. Unable to keep a job or maintain relationships has led to him living on his own in the woods either camping or sleeping in his car. He runs into three men. They take him and train him as if he were un animal. He is forced to fight in "dog fights" to the death. He is determined to survive and come out on top.

The sheer horror of this book will be with me for a long time! While reading this book I couldn't believe how dark and gruesome the events were that occurred non-stop throughout the entire book. It was absolutely non stop horror. AND it's based on a true story! I'm left wondering which part was true and which part was fiction. I'm completely blown away!
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Thank you @netgalley, Gavin Torvik, and Swan + Bedlam for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Chris is a guy living out of his car, living off of peanut butter and hot dogs, and enjoying the freedom of no responsibilities in the Canadian wilderness. He is enjoying his life, taking in the scenery, when a large black extended cab truck with three men pulls up, blaring music and disrupting his peace. This is a peace that Chris will never get back. As soon as he meets these men, his life is turned into a game of survival where he is treated more like an animal than a man and is competing for his life against other men who are doing the same thing. Gavin Torvik’s book is dark, brutal, and bleak, and in the beginning there is a note that says it is based on a true story. This fact reminds me of the way that The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum is based on a true story. Both stories are is proof that the biggest monsters are humans.

There are some aspects to this novella that make it work. One is the fear that is generated when we meet the villains in the middle of a pristine landscape. They are loud and disruptive, driving a loud truck and blaring EDM music out of the speakers. The halting to the flow of nature makes it obvious from the start that these are men are out to run someone's life. The masculinity of the truck with the artificial tones of the music completely take over the serenity of the scene immediately, and we can sense the danger that Chris is in as soon as the truck pulls up next to him. The “masculinity” of the three villains is attempted to be proven over and over by the way that they treat Chris and one another. They are brutal, antagonistic, and use homophobic slurs to "prove" how strong and “manly” they are. The fact that none of these characters ever get a real name, that they stay anonymous, keeps a distance between them and any sort of humanity, This wedge between human and animal grows wider and wider as the story moves on.

I like the setup of this novella, and even though some of it felt a little repetitive, particularly how many fights scenes there are in such a short book, it is compelling and disturbing. I would have liked to have more time with Chris in isolation, trying to connect with someone or something to help him a little more, not only to escape but to deal with the treatment and isolation that he is receiving. As it is, we just get him going to fights, recovering, and trying to escape. One thing is that a human will find a way to adapt to any situation, regardless of how horrific, and I do not see Chris doing this at all. I do like the ideas forged in Dog Men, but turning down some of the violence for more about Chris’s mental survival, would turned this book into a richer experience. As it is, I got the feeling while reading that I am just a spectator in cruelty and physical survival, another faceless man passively watching fights.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was visceral, dark, and disgusting—and I could not stop reading. I finished it in one sitting, constantly reminding myself that it was based on a true story, which made me repeatedly say, "WTF."

The story begins in a serene and touching manner but quickly transforms into something completely different. The tension and sense of danger kept me on edge throughout. With the amount of violence and cruelty depicted, some readers might find it difficult to get through or even stomach.

"Dog Men" is not only about depravity but also about the lengths one will go to survive. The decision to leave the assailants and creatures unnamed was very intentional, blurring the line between man and animal, human and beast. This anonymity serves as a chilling reminder that the perpetrators could be anyone, defined only by their features, and how easily victims can be dehumanized and forgotten.

The story explores how anyone can be broken or seen as disposable at a cost. Chris’s ordeal highlights the thin line between predator and prey, showcasing how the darkness within can surface when pushed to the limits. His internal struggle and the violence he ultimately resorts to are haunting, emphasizing that survival can demand unimaginable actions.

I wished there was more closure regarding his friend—perhaps she became one of the masked girls in the end. But we are left to assume the worst, which adds to the story's grim reality. The novel also serves as a nod to vigilance and trusting your instincts. Chris sensed something was wrong at the rest stop, but the story leaves us wondering if any different actions would have changed his fate.

Overall, "Dog Men" is a harrowing tale that explores the depths of human depravity and the brutal fight for survival. It’s a gripping, albeit disturbing, that will keep me out of the woods for a while.

Thank you Netgalley, Swann + Bedlam, and Gavin Torvik for the chance to read this DRC!

There's some interesting ideas with "Dog Men", particularly the drive to survive, despite the challenges that you are faced with. The lead character, Chris, is put through literal hell throughout this novel, highlighted by the brutality that these men are willing to inflict on a total stranger. The characterization of the brutes throughout the novel is interesting, focusing on their physical attributes to define them, sacrificing their names to become pieces of meat, rather than genuine characters. That was one of my biggest issues with this novel - none of these characters felt remotely like anyone you'd experience on a day-to-day basis. Granted, this is an extreme horror novel, but even from the others that I have read, there is some grounding in reality with the characters, even if they're some of the most despicable people around. Chris is the only character that has any sort of backstory, and even that story isn't fully fleshed out, as we're given bare-bones details of his life before entering into this hell. As the story went along, I found myself unfortunately getting a little tired of the redundancy. Every chapter seemed to have a "villain-of-the-week" vibe, where you knew something else was likely coming in the next chapter, which he'd prevail through, then have to go through another trail. It became a bit exhausting to know what might come next, rather than be surprised at what was to come. The only thing that kept this novel truly interesting was the last quarter, which explained what was happening, making the rest of the events feel a bit more connected. Still, it took a majority of the novel to genuinely become interesting, and was something that I personally saw coming. Overall, "Dog Men" has an interesting premise, and does have potential with the concept, but the final outcome left a bit to be desired. I'd still love to read more from Torvik, since he does have interesting ideas, they just unfortunately did not seem to come to fruition here.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. Is this a debut? I must admit, while parts read fast, this felt like a feeble attempt.

This book started with a good premise and I enjoyed the first third. It's a story of a man who gets kidnapped, brutally tortured, and I was thinking it was going to be a revenge horror story.

And, for awhile, that's what it is. This is a bloody, gritty, vicious novella that gives those awesome revenge tale vibes. Until...

It turns into a fight club meets dog worshipping cult meets one man against dozens and it just...falls into superhero like tropes with no real resolution.

I love a good extreme horror book but this one focused so much on the various torture techniques that the narrative suffered for it. Our protagonist meets a female friend at the beginning and she is in the truck with the men who eventually kidnap him. But we never hear from her again. I was waiting for a twist with her at the end, but nothing.

The author uses homophobic slurs throughout the book. And, yeah, I get it. They're bad guys and they're supposed to say messed up things. But those particular slurs were overused and unnecessary most of the time. It just felt lazy going to the same well over and over.

This book has a great set up, works well for the first third, but ultimately wanders off into violence for the sake of violence and tropes with no real ending.

I finished this in one sitting and really enjoyed it. Excellent, brutal horror, soberly written and deftly plotted. It's mainly a portrayal of the violence visited upon a man who gets kidnapped and used for very sinister purposes. The emphasis, however, should be on "portrayal": do not expect so much a story with closure, as a description of what this man has to endure, till what's really going on is finally revealed. And that's it: the author pushes no boundaries, this is the kind of humorless, extreme horror experienced readers of the genre have seen before, though without all that much gore but with much better writting than usual, with nuance and attention to detail.

I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary.

From the get-go we meet Chris, learning about his travels in vagabond fashion. Misfortune has followed him since he was a teen, and even now, there isn't much direction for him. On this particular night, an invite to a cabin from a friend is on the top of the list, but the three men he met earlier - only identified by their appearance, linger on his mind. Not so much sketchy behavior, but an encounter that was a little weird. Upon arriving at the cabin, he does not see his friend, but sets up camp anyway. She never arrives, but these three men do, claiming she's been injured and needs medical attention. After some brief conversation, the men leave, while Chris stays behind. Those men come back later on in the night, their behavior now sketchy, with Chris making a plan to defend himself, and escape. He is captured instead, and what transpires from this point in the story, to the very end, is a new struggle for Chris, one of deadly proportions.

While I cannot say what these three individuals are up to because that would be a spoiler, and I don't do spoilers, what I can say is that Chris is presented with danger not known to him before. Forced into this situation, having to fight for his life, while his captors torment him on the daily. What unfolds is a slow burn story of survival, and how far one man will go to protect his life.

With tension as the story ticks along, it is violent, and brutal, and there are lulls between the action, but the ending, and it's savagery, brings everything full circle for the reader.

Decent revenge thriller, but really you have to get a new description writer or if you wrote it fix your ego. Cormac McCarthy or Quinton Tarantino level this definitely isn't. Still a good quick read.