"Buster is not a private eye story; it’s not even a crime novel. But D.C.’s mean streets are somehow never far away, as we follow the life and times of a feisty but proud boxer named Buster who narrates his own story . . . The novella follows Buster as he’s bounced from home to home . . . always with a sharp-edged matter of factness that recalls such other classics of doggie lit as Albert Terhune’s Lad: A Dog, and Jack London’s The Call of the Wild . . . Pelecanos offers a clear-eyed, surprisingly moving (and even occasionally funny) view of not just a dog’s life but of America itself, for better or worse, and as the novel draws to its inevitable conclusion, even the hardest of the hard may feel a little something."

"A tour de force, an epic novel . . . in dog years! George Pelecanos takes us inside a boxer's point of view to further explore the streets, houses, and alleys of his beloved Washington, DC. You've not read a book like this or met a character like Buster, but he'll soon be your new best friend."

"Everything George Pelecanos writes is an occasion. You can't wait to dive back into his world of hard truths, flashes of beauty, the crushing weight of sudden loss. With his latest, a deceptively simple story of a dog navigating his way through various homes and owners in DC becomes a much larger parable of urban survival (and occasional, fleeting triumph) among the disenfranchised, the forgotten."

"Buster: A Dog encapsulates Pelecanos themes regarding bad behavior and redemption, and references to DC streets like Georgia Avenue, but it is told—literally—by a dog who grew up in a public housing complex, and later is owned by both an abusive drunk and a drug dealer."

"An astonishing and imaginative odyssey from master storyteller George Pelecanos, Buster is more than the tale of a dog’s life. With its poignant twists and turns, joys and heartbreak, this dog’s journey mirrors much of what we all face in navigating the beauty and wickedness of our world. This novella is told with unforgettable wit and universal truths through the eyes of our fine boxer, and sparkles with DC’s magic."

"The novella is a quirky genre, and Mr. Pelecanos’s Buster stands out even within its peculiar ranks. There’s no slobbering desire to please from this dignified narrator, who proves a sleek contrast with the insipid froth of Lassie."

"This is great writing in every sentence. Yes, it's from a dog's point of view, and yes, we get the primary occurrences in any male dog's life. But this book is about America. You will read it straight through, then want to read it again. Buster is the dog we all want. Pelecanos is the writer we all wish we were."