Summerwater by Sarah Moss
‘Time, Moss tells us, is not on our side. Our lives are all as simultaneously precious as they are meaningless. Somewhere within that revelation lies a beautiful paradox that floats just out of reach, like a summer storm cloud reflected on a silver loch.’
Mordew by Alex Pheby
‘Ending on a perfectly delivered cliff edge, Mordew is a dark wonder: an epic tale, as thematically rich and as it is politically astute.’
Mordew by Alex Pheby
‘Mordew is a dark wonder: an epic tale, as thematically rich and as it is politically astute. Less an exercise in escapism, more a potent and prescient reminder that, in this world or not, power continues to corrupt, and that those who dare to oppose that power are forever the best kind of hero.’
Scenes of a Graphic Nature by Caroline O'Donoghue
‘Charlie Regan, in all her messy glory, is a protagonist we are willing to follow, from England to Ireland, from the past to present, and everything in between this world and the next.’
Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan
‘Like its protagonist, the story is what it is and, thankfully, it makes no apologies for it. To that end, it is reminiscent of Eimear McBride’s Strange Hotel from earlier this year: a similarly sharp and humanistic tale of grief and self-discovery in middle-age, that re-casts motherhood as an off-shoot of the female experience, rather than its traditional place as the central pillar. ‘
Why Visit America by Matthew Baker
‘Gripping, mind-blowing, devastating. It is immediately obvious why many of these stories have been optioned for film by Netflix, Amazon, and Fox Searchlight. Yes, there are Black Mirror, Atwood, and Orwell connections, but this is the first of its kind, a work born of a deep understanding and a philosophical awareness of how things are.’
The Day My Grandfather Was A Hero by Paulus Hochgatterer (tr. Jamie Bulloch)
‘A single word makes the difference between life and death. It’s a compelling testament to the notion that we all have a choice: one that seems especially relevant seventy-five years on.’
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
‘Through Clark’s craft and dexterity, and the sparse whisper of something more tender, there is a reason the reader reads on: this is an assured and complex debut that tempts and teases you always a little deeper, your eyes unable to be drawn away.’
Rave by Rainald Goetz
‘Rave is an all-consuming experience. It’s a challenging read. For anyone who was there, though, it will most likely be worth it.’
The Wild Laughter by Caoilinn Hughes
‘At its heart, this story is a stark, nuanced take on grief and compassion, the paradoxical coexistence of love and bitter resentment, and a caustic indictment of familial rivalry and cruelty. It is a punch in the gut.’
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
‘Mexican Gothic promises much but it fails to deliver on a number of counts. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s 2015 debut novel Signal to Noise was a classic case of a strong concept with similarly imperfect execution. This novel’s premise was, to me, even more intriguing and unique, something that makes its lacklustre delivery an even greater disappointment.’
Ankomst by Gøhril Gabrielsen
‘The novel’s ending, frustratingly open-ended yet masterfully suspenseful, is the culmination of the gradually rising tension, our narrator’s deteriorating state of mind, and the omens written in the skies over the frozen tundra.’
Sorry For Your Trouble by Richard Ford
‘With Ford, certainly in the short form, familiarity is to be treasured, as he continues to hone and explore his mode: that fragmentary staging of lives at a distressed, pointed moment.’
The Lizard by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart
‘But, true to its name, The Lizard is a cold-blooded thing— monstrous and sly, and not quite done with you even as you turn the last page. Be careful with this one—it’s a beast.’
Restless by Kenneth Moe
‘Restless is slim at barely a hundred pages, but its weight is inarguable.’
The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
‘Full of both dry and black humour, The Adventures of China Iron is a novel that speaks of the human experience convincingly and with great courage throughout.’
Marram by Leonie Charlton
‘Still, even if, at journey’s end, it is an uneasy acceptance of the life and behaviour of her mother (and their fractured relationship) that Charlton finds, the real achievement here, you suspect, is not so much the outcome as the journey itself.’