Search results for ""Molly Aitken" "The Island Child""

Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD'Thrillingly original' Naoise Dolan'Exquisite' Daily TelegraphTwenty years ago, Oona left the island of Inis for the very first time. A wind-blasted rock of fishing boats and turf fires, where girls stayed in their homes until they became mothers themselves, the island was a gift for some, a prison for others.The Island Child tells two stories: of the girl who grew up watching births and betrayals, storms and secrets, and of the adult Oona, desperate to find a second chance, only to discover she can never completely escape. As the strands of Oona's life come together, in blood and marriage and motherhood, she must accept the price we pay when we love what is never truly ours . . .Trade ReviewAn exquisite debut from an exciting new voice in Irish fiction * * Daily Telegraph * *Like the casts of fairy stories, Aitken's characters can stand for as much as you want them to - but they're also fully realised individuals who come to you through peeks and glances, so that without being able to pinpoint how it happened, you know them, and feel you always have. This is a thrillingly original debut, and I can't wait to see what Aitken does next -- NAOISE DOLAN, author of EXCITING TIMESA haunting tale about the power and danger in a mother's love * * Irish Times * *It's a rare pleasure to come across quite such an accomplished novel as The Island Child. This is a work positively brimming with pathos and emotion, articulated in truly exquisite prose. Oona is a captivating narrator. She's alive on the page -- NATHAN FILER, author of THE SHOCK OF THE FALLAn intriguing debut about motherhood, the trauma we inherit and the inescapability of fate . . . The joy of this book is in Aitken's prose, which is exquisite . . . Aitken is an exciting new voice in Irish literature * * Irish Independent * *The Island Child is the story of a mother's relationship with a misbegotten daughter, sensitively and subtly told -- FAY WELDON, author of PRAXISAitken brings a gut-pummelling mix of folklore, feminism and psychological trauma to her wild debut tale of mothers impelled to take out on their daughters the sins committed against them * * Daily Mail * *A magical, elemental tale. Exploring loss and love, motherhood and freedom and the transformative power of stories, The Island Child is a wonderful debut -- JESS KIDD, author of THINGS IN JARSAitken stitches together many themes - folk legend, family saga, love story, coming of age tale. The result is the sort of book you want to sink into a hot bath with and not emerge until it's finished -- ROWAN HISAYO BUCHANAN, author of STARLING DAYSA confident tale of generational conflict and continuity * * i * *

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Book SynopsisA spellbinding debut novel--soaring and poignant--about passion, freedom, motherhood, and the power we have to shape our destinies.Oona grew up on the island of Inis: a wind-blasted rock off the coast of Ireland. There, the men went out on fishing boats and the women tended turf fires, the only book was the Bible, and girls stayed at home until they became mothers themselves. Even as a child, Oona knew she wanted to escape island life, but she never could have anticipated the tumultuous turn of events that would ultimately compel her to flee. Twenty years later, after Oona has forged a new, very different life for herself, her daughter vanishes, forcing Oona to face her past in order, finally, to be free of it. Heralding a singularly gifted new voice in fiction, The Island Child is a timeless story of birth and betrayal, storms, shipwrecks and fairy children, and the weight of long-buried secrets.

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Book SynopsisSet between two fateful summers, Jane Healey's The Ophelia Girls is a heady exploration of illicit desire, infatuation and the perils and power of being a young woman.'An immersive, intoxicating summer read with the long-lasting feel of a classic' - Molly Aitken, author of The Island ChildSummer, 1973. Teenage Ruth and her four friends spend the scorching summer days in the river, recreating tableaus of the drowning Ophelia and other tragic heroines. But as autumn draws nearer, real tragedy has found them.Summer, 1997. Ruth returns to her childhood home with her husband and three children, including her eldest daughter seventeen-year-old Maeve. However when Stuart, an old family friend comes to stay, the uneasy relationship between mother and daughter is pushed to its limit. For Stuart's arrival is a reminder of a death in Ruth's past, while Maeve is feeling more alive than ever . . .As the heat of the summer burns, how long can the family go before long-held secrets threaten to burst their banks and drown them all?'A vivid, sensuous novel . . . I can't recommend it enough' - Anna Bailey, bestselling author of Tall BonesTrade ReviewThis is a potent, mesmerising portrait of girlhood desire, betrayal, beauty and death, sensuously written and passionately told -- Emma Stonex, author of The LamplightersA knowingly put together page-turner; a potent blend of art, beauty, awakening desire and mortality that seduces the reader as much as the cast * Daily Mail *This is a vivid, sensuous novel that captures the feelings of passion and devastation of girls on the brink of womanhood and life itself, and I can’t recommend it enough -- Anna Bailey, bestselling author of Tall BonesA bruising and beautiful novel about girlhood and desire. Set over two heady summers, The Ophelia Girls perfectly captures the power and vulnerability of being a teenage girl. Within its flower-strewn pages, girls float carelessly down rivers and fall in love with devastating consequences. It's an immersive and intoxicating summer read with the long-lasting feel of a classic. I was captivated by it -- Molly Aitken, author of The Island ChildSet over the course of two stifling British summers, The Ophelia Girls is a dreamy exploration of the interior life of teenage girls and the tangled relationship between mothers and daughters. -- Ellie Eaton, author of The DivinesThe Ophelia Girls is a novel saturated with beauty, menace, longing, secrets -- and with passions deep enough to drown in. It's a sinister, suspenseful page-turner that gripped me tightly and still hasn't fully let go -- Clare Beams, author of The Illness LessonI absolutely adored this exquisite novel. It is dark and sultry and beautiful and terrible. All the good stuff. The characters get tangled in so many complex strands of love, secrecy and obsession. And it perfectly captures the brilliance and terror of being a teenage girl -- Hazel Barkworth, author of HeatstrokeA compelling story of teenage innocence and infatuation, blended with the illicit desires and murky intentions of adults * Woman's Weekly *This novel has a sinewy, enchanting style that draws us into the reverie-like world of the river and its dangers and, like the characters it has so bewitched, never lets us go: it's powerful stuff * The Big Issue *Deliciously atmospheric and brilliantly constructed, The Ophelia Girls tugs at the reader from the very first page until its satisfying finish. Engrossing and rich in imagery, Jane Healey writes the way dreams feel. I loved it -- Elissa R. Sloan, author of The Unraveling of Cassidy HolmesSensual and lush, The Ophelia Girls captures the dangerous power of approaching the world with an artist's eye, of seeing others and being truly seen in turn . . . a page-turning exploration of girlhood, secrets, desire, and art -- Sara Flannery Murphy, author of The Possessions

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable debut novel from critically acclaimed writer Huma Qureshi: an engrossing story of art and sisterhood, family, marriage and betrayal'Poignant and impressionistic . . . highly readable and relatable' Guardian'A gem of a novel' i'A beautifully written debut' RedHana has a perfect job, a perfect home, a perfect marriage. It is her younger sister Mira who is a mess. But Hana wants children and her husband is hesitating, and perhaps her control is slipping.Mira dreams of a creative life but she's stuck working at a local café. She hates her flatmate and Hana's dismissal of her writing but she can't find the right inspiration.One night, a fight between Hana and her husband sparks something in Mira: the words ring in her head and she starts typing. But what can you borrow from your sister? And what can be forgiven?'Warm and moving . . . Playing Games thoughtfully and elegantly considers what it means to be a sister, a mother and a writer' Chloë Ashby, author of Wet Paint'A riveting and evocative tale of two sisters navigating love, loss and desires' Zeba Talkhani, author of My Past is a Foreign Country'Reading Qureshi's crystal prose is a rare pleasure. I found Playing Games unputdownable' Molly Aitken, author of The Island ChildTrade ReviewPoignant and impressionistic . . . highly readable and relatable . . . It is filled with hard decisions and harsh truths, but also the softer and more tender moments of life and familial love. Above all, sisterhood is front and centre. -- Sana Goyal * Guardian *This beautifully written novel dives into the complex dynamic between two very different sisters . . . This is brilliant on siblings, secrets and the art of storytelling. I loved it. -- Sara Lawrence, Books of the Year * Daily Mail *With jeopardy that keeps you turning the pages, as well as both the acuity and tenderness for examining familyand forgiveness, this is a gem of a novel * The i *Conflict, misunderstandings and a rueful acceptance of their sisterly differences fuel an emotionally engaging plot, but it's Qureshi's lambent prose that makes her novel such a radiantly honest read -- Eithne Farry * Mail on Sunday *In beautifully light and charming prose, [Qureshi] gives the reader some deeply engaging romantic drama in the form of Hana's marriage and Mira's romantic encounters, which provide a deeply emotional and enjoyable backdrop for the philosophical musings. -- Edel Coffey * Irish Times *Observant, bluesy . . . an emotive meditation on the ethics of art and the resilience of family bonds -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *Huma Qureshi writes with wisdom and heart about two sisters in a fraught relationship * Pandora Sykes *Qureshi skilfully explores the dynamics of family bonds in this beautifully written novel -- Jacqueline Ling * The i *Qureshi brilliantly captures the complexities of sisterhood in this intimate novel -- Joanna Finney * Good Housekeeping *A beautifully written debut * Red Magazine *A warm and moving portrait of two women's desires, equally overwhelming, to create art and to become a parent. Playing Games thoughtfully and elegantly considers what it means to be a sister, a mother and a writer, as well as the fine line between truth and fiction and what happens when one brushes up against the other. -- Chloë Ashby, author of Wet PaintA riveting and evocative tale of two sisters navigating love, loss and desires -- Zeba Talkhani, author of My Past is a Foreign CountryA heartwarming tale of two sisters, and a bittersweet reckoning with what it means to make art; what we ask of and what we take from those we're closest to. Huma Qureshi is a writer with a beautiful lightness of touch -- Lucy Caldwell, author of These DaysPlaying Games is a tender, beautifully nuanced portrayal of sisterhood, of family, love and loss. Huma Qureshi has a rare ability to perfectly capture the details that make up a life, full of raw and real emotion. I adored it. -- Sara Nisha Adams, author of The Reading ListA book full of raw emotion, tension and, ultimately, sibling love -- Kirstyn Smith * My Weekly *Compassionate, thoughtful and thought-provoking -- Haleh Agar, author of Out of TouchPlaying Games is a poignant story about the complexities and beauty of the bond between sisters. Huma Qureshi lucidly examines the curdled emotions of family and illuminates the inner process of the writer. Reading Qureshi's crystal prose is a rare pleasure. I found Playing Games unputdownable. * Molly Aitken, author of The Island Child *A poignant tale of two sisters that illuminates the complexities of family ties * Harper's Bazaar *Reading Huma Qureshi's Playing Games is a comfort. Familiar and tender, the characters are both relatable and infuriating, as only sisters are. It discusses art, love, family, and the large non-negotiable life decisions we all eventually face. For everyone who is a sister, has a sister, or wish they had a sister. -- Jenny Mustard, author of Okay DaysI loved Playing Games. Huma Qureshi writes about relationships, whether it is sisterhood or marriage, with such tenderness that it will break your heart. She steers us through Hana and Mira's chaos with compassion and kindness. There were many instances when I wanted to give the sisters a huge hug, but at the same time, I wanted to shake them because they frustrated me so much. And you only do that with characters you deeply care about. -- Sairish Hussain, author of The Family TreeA moving, sensitive portrait of siblings caught between art, ambition and loyalty * The Bookseller *One of the best writers exploring family connections today -- Jen Campbell * TOAST Magazine *Well-crafted . . . Playing Games is all about sisterhood, in all its gnarly glory -- Alexandra Peake-Tomkinson * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis*An Evening Standard Must Read, Grazia Best Book of 2021 and Independent Debut Not to Miss*''Beautifully written, this is a book of real hope and connection'' StylistDid you ever have a friend who made you see the world differently?Stan did, and his name was Charlie. They crossed paths by chance one day, cycling on Goshawk Common. Fearless, clever, older, Charlie was everything Stan - bullied and adrift after his father''s death - wanted to be. Charlie taught Stan to ask questions, to stand on his own two feet. But could their friendship endure in a world that offered these two boys such different prospects?When the two meet again, as adults, the tables have turned, and while Stan is revelling in all the city has to offer, Charlie is the one struggling. But will Stan be there for the man who once showed him the meaning of loyalty?Trade ReviewAn attentive and considered tribute to friendship, reminding us that, for all our human messiness, to have a friend is to enter an enduring pact to face the world together -- Ronan Hession, author of LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAULA generous and disarming tale of loyalty, injustice and hope * New Statesman *Tender and savvy... engrossingly old fashioned * Daily Mail *Captured our imagination from the outset... thought-provoking, and beautifully observed * Independent *Her writing is so brilliant * Evening Standard *A heartwarming tale of a passionate and beautiful friendship * TLS *Long after finishing, Charlie and Stan refuse to be forgotten. I couldn't put this one down -- Molly Aitken, author of THE ISLAND CHILDA heartfelt, moving depiction of growing up in a complex world together. A joy to read -- Nick Bradley, author of THE CAT AND THE CITYI loved it. When so many of us are missing friends and feeling isolated, this novel feels like balm on a wound -- Megan Bradbury, author of EVERYONE IS WATCHINGA timely and bittersweet novel, full of hope -- Helen Cullen, author of THE LOST LETTERS OF WILLIAM WOOLFA bittersweet perspective on the importance of friendship across cultural lines and a magnified glimpse into some of Britain's most glaring social issues * Bad Form *Immersive... here is a writer whose imagination is propelled by compassion, but who underpins her fiction with steely realism * Herald *I adored this book. Quietly stole my heart, and the ending was breathtaking., It left me with so much to think about. A beautiful novel -- Ericka Waller, author of DOG DAYSTender but never sentimental, COMMON GROUND is a glorious novel about friendship, prejudice and injustice, which exposes the common threads that bind us together -- Gemma Reeves, author of VICTORIA PARK

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Book SynopsisA mother's secret past collides with her daughter's present in this intoxicating novel from Jane Healey, the author of The Animals at Lockwood Manor.In the summer of 1973, teenage Ruth and her four friends are obsessed with pre-Raphaelite paintings, and a little bit obsessed with each other. They spend the scorching summer days in the river by Ruth's grand family home, pretending to be the drowning Ophelia and recreating tableaus of other tragic mythical heroines. But by the end of the summer, real tragedy has found them.Twenty-four years later, Ruth is a wife and mother of three children, and moves her family into her still-grand, but now somewhat dilapidated, childhood home following the death of her father. Her seventeen-year-old daughter, Maeve, is officially in remission and having been discharged from hospital can finally start acting like a 'normal' teenager with the whole summer ahead of her. It's just the five of them until Stuart, a handsome photographer and old friend of her parents, comes to stay. And there’s something about Stuart that makes Maeve feel more alive than all of her life-saving treatments put together . . .As the heat of the summer burns, how long can the family go before long-held secrets threaten to burst their banks and drown them all? Set between two fateful summers, The Ophelia Girls is a visceral, heady exploration of illicit desire, infatuation and the perils and power of being a young woman.Trade ReviewThis is a potent, mesmerising portrait of girlhood desire, betrayal, beauty and death, sensuously written and passionately told -- Emma Stonex, author of The LamplightersA knowingly put together page-turner; a potent blend of art, beauty, awakening desire and mortality that seduces the reader as much as the cast * Daily Mail *A bruising and beautiful novel about girlhood and desire. Set over two heady summers, The Ophelia Girls perfectly captures the power and vulnerability of being a teenage girl. Within its flower-strewn pages, girls float carelessly down rivers and fall in love with devastating consequences. It's an immersive and intoxicating summer read with the long-lasting feel of a classic. I was captivated by it -- Molly Aitken, author of The Island ChildSet over the course of two stifling British summers, The Ophelia Girls is a dreamy exploration of the interior life of teenage girls and the tangled relationship between mothers and daughters. In her hypnotic prose Jane Healey captures the slipperiness of the adolescence experience, the thirst young women have for independence, and the sometimes perilous ways they attempt to define themselves. A siren song of a novel, The Ophelia Girls seduces as much as it disturbs -- Ellie Eaton, author of The DivinesThe Ophelia Girls is a novel saturated with beauty, menace, longing, secrets -- and with passions deep enough to drown in. It's a sinister, suspenseful page-turner that gripped me tightly and still hasn't fully let go -- Clare Beams, author of The Illness LessonThis is a vivid, sensuous novel that captures the feelings of passion and devastation of girls on the brink of womanhood and life itself, and I can’t recommend it enough -- Anna Bailey, bestselling author of Tall BonesI absolutely adored this exquisite novel. It is dark and sultry and beautiful and terrible. All the good stuff. The characters get tangled in so many complex strands of love, secrecy and obsession. And it perfectly captures the brilliance and terror of being a teenage girl -- Hazel Barkworth, author of HeatstrokeA compelling story of teenage innocence and infatuation, blended with the illicit desires and murky intentions of adults * Woman's Weekly *This novel has a sinewy, enchanting style that draws us into the reverie-like world of the river and its dangers and, like the characters it has so bewitched, never lets us go: it's powerful stuff * The Big Issue *

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Book Synopsis''The book of the summer ... Kept me rapt until the final page'' THE TIMES''A sharp, smart, witty modern love story. I loved it'' David Nicholls, author of ONE DAY''More than lives up to the hype ... Likely to fill the Sally-Rooney-shaped hole in many readers'' lives'' IRISH TIMES''Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut'' Hilary Mantel, author of WOLF HALL''I''ve been pushing Exciting Times on everyone I know. Some of Dolan''s pithy observations of her characters are the best I''ve read since Edward St Aubyn'' OBSERVER''A frankly sensational book'' Pandora Sykes on THE HIGH LOW''In the tradition of Dorothy Parker, Joan Rivers and Nora Ephron ... I found myself purring with pleasure. ...ThisTrade ReviewI had real fun with EXCITING TIMES. It is a very funny, spiky, Marxist, feminist comedy and it's really mean. * Zadie Smith *Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut * Hilary Mantel, author of WOLF HALL *Fiercely intelligent, brutally funny and written with such heart, EXCITING TIMES announces an impressive new voice in literature.Witty, compelling and with a razor-sharp social commentary. I guzzled it. -- Pandora SykesA modern love story ... astute, sardonic and highly emotionally aware ... Heralding for sure a new star in Irish writing * Irish Times *EXCITING TIMES more than lives up to the hype ... Likely to fill the Sally-Rooney-shaped hole in many readers' lives. * Irish Times *Dazzling ... So brilliantly executed ... Coming-of-age love is told in technicolour ... Banging lines follow banging lines. Your underlining pen destroys the pages ... With EXCITING TIMES comes a rare and indeed exciting talent, a cacophony of our times, a treat for the socially distanced * Irish Independent *Lucky us ... EXCITING TIMES will brighten lockdown ... Very funny ... Extremely sharp ... Insightful and raw * Observer *A funny, smart, contemporary love story. Perfect for fans of Sally Rooney and Emma Jane Unsworth * Sunday Times Style *The funniest writer you will read this year... Every page crackles ... Very funny ... Ultimately a very moving story, one that occupies a small sliver of time and space, but manages a lasting emotional tinnitus ... Naoise Dolan is not the new anyone. She's entirely herself, and that's plenty * Sunday Life, Irish Independent *A sharp, funny account of a contemporary relationship, told tenderly and with biting, bright insight.Hands down one of the most anticipated debuts of the year ... A piercingly provocative look at modern love and power games. * BookRiot *A funny, smart and sensitive exploration of love, privilege and bisexuality that had me gripped from the first page. Dolan's sentences are like a splash of cold water to the faceDevastatingly perceptive and articulate. It's a joy to encounter a book so compulsively readable and painfully funny while simultaneously deeply insightful on love, on sexuality, on social class, on their links as terribly inextricable in the 21st century as they ever were. Dolan is a major talent and this is a formidable debutThis is icily brilliant stuff. A poised and surgical examination of class, sex, language and self-making, with some flat-out enviable jokesRead if you like ANIMALS by Emma Jane Unsworth, TRICK MIRROR by Jia Tolentino, THE BELL JAR by Sylvia Plath * Sunday Times Style *Brilliantly funny, surgically sharp, furiously political. Expect to hear lots about EXCITING TIMES next yearForensically brilliant - an elegant and painfully funny portrait of greed and hunger, love and indifferenceSo wry, witty and insightfulDolan's debut lives up to the hype, a hypnotic tale -- Sarah Hughes * The i newspaper *We're really, um, excited about this sharp, smart debut * Red magazine *A modern love story that will live with you long after you've finished it -- Molly Aitken author of THE ISLAND CHILDFollowing the love triangle between three expats living in Hong Kong, EXCITING TIMES dissects the financial and personal transactions that make up life * Platinum magazine *This debut from Dolan explores a love affair between an English teacher and a banker in Hong Kong and the lawyer who blows the whole thing sky-high. Definitely one to watch. * Stylist, 'Best new books for 2020' *Finance, sex, cynicism and unspoken feelings are swirled together in a can labelled 'Hong Kong' in this modern love triangle * Irish Independent *Among the most hotly tipped debut authors for 2020 * The Bookseller *EXCITING TIMES is more caustic and cynical than Rooney's writing, if just as clever ... All the fretting over love and class could be compared to Austen or Wharton, but her light treatment of bisexuality and polyamory is utterly 2020 * Guardian *Meet the new Sally Rooney... That might sound like hyperbole but this tale brings fresh and on-point insights into modern love that'll make it a hit with lovers of NORMAL PEOPLE * Stylist *2020 is set to be a huge year for Naoise Dolan * Irish Examiner *Echoes of Sally Rooney's CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS resound in this exacting debut novel * Oprah magazine *Ice cool, self aware and very funny. Shades of Lorrie Moore and THE BELL JAR. * Graham Norton *Dry, sharp, meticulously observed ... A frankly sensational book that's flawlessly executed * Pandora Sykes on The High Low *Half Sally Rooney love triangle, half glitzy CRAZY RICH ASIANS high living - and guaranteed to please * Vogue, 'Books We Cant Wait to Read in 2020' *An effervescent snapshot of millennial, attachment-avoidant dating * Daily Mail *Constant, breezy fun * Telegraph *A love story about three expats in Hong Kong - teacher Ava, banker Julian, and the alluring Edith - and explores the nuances and uncertainties of modern love * Cosmopolitan, 'Best Books of 2020' *EXCITING TIMES is a joy from start to finish, and the perfect balm for these times-fresh, funny, sharp. Everyone should read it right now. A literary and hilarious tour de force. * Katherine Heiny, author of Standard Deviation * From the opening page, Ava's voice is electrifying and frequently very funny; Naoise Dolan's debut novel really is as good as everyone says it is. * Irish Times *I wouldn't be surprised if it emerges as the book of the summer... A rich, sharply witty story made out of the frictions and complexities of young love ... Kept me rapt until the final page * The Times *I've been pushing Exciting Times on everyone I know: it is the perfect blend of caustically clever and emotionally engaging. Some of Dolan's pithy observations of her characters are the best I've read since Edward St Aubyn * Observer *I tore through EXCITING TIMES, a sharp, smart, witty modern love story. I loved it * David Nicholls *THIS BOOK!!!! It's as BRILLIANT as everyone says!!!! I DEVOURED it and it delighted me with its ideas and made me LAUGH so much and gave me hope. Naoise Dolan is thrillingly honest about class iniquity, sexism, poverty, the after-effects of colonialism - it's so REFRESHING. I kept seizing on paragraphs and shouting, THIS!! THIS IS THE THING I WAS THINKING BUT COULDN'T ARTICULATE!!! * Marian Keyes *A wonderfully sharp, comic writer, adept at making wisecracks in the caustic, knock-em-off, knock-em-down tradition of Dorothy Parker, Joan Rivers and Nora Ephron ... [Ava] is Bridget Jones's sour sister, or Bridget Jones marinaded in vinegar... I found myself purring with pleasure. I loved EXCITING TIMES's snap and its bite ... This is comic writing at the highest level, created with such apparent ease that it seems to dance across the page ... At its best, EXCITING TIMES reminds me of Martin Amis's first novel, The Rachel Papers. In its icy take on consumerism it's also reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho. Like both those novels it seems to be brilliantly in tune with its times. * Daily Mail *A Book of the Year in The Sunday Times and a Best Book of the Summer in The i newspaper. A wily, caustic story about young love ... Sentence-by-sentence, EXCITING TIMES is both a joy and a triumph... I delighted in the brilliance of Dolan's deadpan style. * The i newspaper *The most talked about novel of the summer * The Sunday Times Style *A dazzling debut... Dolan's writing is precise, acerbic and enviably good, and her characters are perfectly drawn * Evening Standard *Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking... Ava is a most interesting literary heroine ... I rarely find myself rooting for a character as much as I did for her ... A whip-smart, funny and poignant story of modern love, accessible to all. It should be on everyone's 2020 must read list * Irish Sunday Independent *A fresh and funny debut about love and self-knowledge ... affecting and powerful * Guardian *What sets Dolan apart is her humour. EXCITING TIMES is riddled with snappy one liners and witty interplay. A fantastic first novel * Metro *Dolan is a writer entirely in command of her craft ... The writing fairly sizzles on the page... EXCITING TIMES is an acerbic tale of sex and love, set in the social media age * The Herald Scotland *Incredibly readable * Belfast Telegraph *With Naoise Dolan on the literary scene, there are EXCITING TIMES ahead * i-D *The Irish debut novel everyone is talking about * The Gloss *I savoured every shrewd line * Dazed *A sharp, witty and ultimately moving debut ... Dolan brings a fresh insight into modern love that will inevitably make this a hit among those who love Normal People * Independent *A wry, stylish debut ... In this witty satire of the haves and have nots, Dolan explores tender, insightful truths about the vagaries of modern love * Esquire *Snappy, sharp and smart [with] painfully funny insight that has drawn justifiable comparisons to Sally Rooney * Sunday Express *Naoise Dolan's debut is whipsmart, sharp and full of delightfully perceptive observations * Daily Express *A bracing book that cuts through the burdens and excesses of the typical love story to deliver the reader to that rare, real thing: raw thought. Naoise Dolan has an uncanny talent for interiority, and her cool prose accommodates equally well a quickening heart and a mind on fire -- Joshua FerrisA sharp, witty debut. * Stylist *We loved Dolan's evisceration of Insta culture - SAVAGE. -- Cosmopolitan * Cosmopolitan *Withering, stylish prose that is at times deceptively simple but always flush with caustic wit, I savoured every shrewd line. * Dazed *

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