Nafeesa lives alone in a frantic London. Hyper-independent, or lonely, she can't quite decide. Change comes when her friend makes a curious proposal: he needs someone to dogsit his new pet, Benny. But 'Benny' is not a dog. He is a man, wearing a furry onesie and a dog mask from Amazon.
The agreement appears straightforward: Nafeesa must care for Benny as she would a pet, only talk to him as she would a dog. But nothing as strange as this is ever simple, and Nafeesa quickly finds herself obsessed with finding out the truth behind this experiment. Why is he doing this? And why is she getting drawn into the fantasy?
Now, with her parents over from Pakistan for her dad's medical treatment, her choices are under the spotlight. This is not the life they dreamed for her, and time is running out. Her dad is dying. There's a stranger dressed as a dog in her flat - and he needs her too.
It's all about to go horribly wrong.
Praise for Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi:
'An absolutely stunning and unique novel' - Gillian Flynn on The Centre
'I am obsessed with this book . . . I'm in awe' - Jennifer Croft on The Centre
'Siddiqi has the gift of maintaining propulsion and mystery, while keeping things human and realistic' - The Observer
'I was gripped . . . a debut of dazzling wit and insight' - Helen Phillips, author of Hum, on The Centre
'Ingenious' - The New York Times on The Centre