Dog eat dog
Ted Diamond thought college would finally be his escape -- until everything unraveled. Set in the wild, weird 1980s, Dog Eat Dog is a darkly funny, painfully real coming-of-age novel about freedom, failure and finding your place before it's too late. Life was full of possibilities, and Ted Diamond was ready to take on the world. But just as he was finally feeling at home attending college at his dream school, fate had other plans. Dog Eat Dog is a gripping tale that will transport you to the vibrant and rebellious atmosphere of 1980s Arizona. With a mix of nostalgia, humor, and raw emotion, this is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Eighteen-year-old Ted Diamond had it all planned out – a year of freedom, self-discovery, and wild adventures at the University of Arizona. But when his family falls on hard times, Ted is forced to drop out at the end of his golden year only to return home to the suffocating suburbs for the summer. As he watches his friends and roommates continue their academic journeys without him, Ted turns to his journal to relive and make sense of the year that was snatched away from him. From the exhilarating highs of parties, the music, and desert skies to the heart-wrenching lows of first love and betrayal, Dog Eat Dog is a rollercoaster of emotions. But it's not just a coming-of-age story – it's a commentary on the stark divide between the haves and have-nots, set against the vibrant backdrop of the stunning Arizona landscape. Part On the Road, part Catcher in the Rye, with the tripped-out vibes of Dazed and Confused, Dog Eat Dog is a bold Young Adult story set in the early 1980s American Southwest. Told through the wry, unfiltered journal entries of Ted Diamond, a college freshman navigating freedom, heartbreak, and the existential hangover of growing up too fast, this novel takes you deep into one unforgettable year at the University of Arizona—a golden moment cut short by the harsh return to reality. Back home and stuck in suburbia, Ted relives the highs and lows: • Wild parties, desert skies, and psychedelic nights • The ache of first love and the sting of betrayal • The clash between wealth and working-class survival • A search for meaning in a world that doesn’t seem to care Dog Eat Dog is for readers who’ve ever felt out of place, left behind, or desperate to turn pain into art. It’s nostalgic, darkly funny, and emotionally raw—a time capsule of youth, cracked open and bleeding truth. If you enjoyed On the Road, Catcher in the Rye, or Dazed and Confused, you'll love this book. Don't wait, grab your copy of Dog Eat Dog now before the price changes. ------------------------------------- 🎬Hook #1: The John Hughes Connection John Hughes made movies about teens in the ’80s who looked like me and grew up where I did—not in Hollywood, but the Midwest. His characters always figured it out by the end. My book is about a kid who doesn’t. His problems are more complex, more real, and he doesn’t get that neat ending. That contrast is part of the emotional power behind the story. 🎤Hook #2: The Doors & Synchronicity In 1980, The Doors made a cultural comeback. Their music was everywhere—dorms, radios, posters in sandwich shops. Jim Morrison’s presence was haunting and constant. At the same time, I had just read On the Road and started exploring Carlos Castaneda—just like Morrison did. I was into partying—but not just for fun. It was more spiritual. It felt like I was being pulled into something deeper. These weren’t coincidences. They were synchronicities—and that’s a central theme in my book: the way the universe nudges you toward self-discovery if you’re open to it.