Ostrich - Softcover

Matt Greene

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1780225156 ISBN 13: 9781780225159

Publisher: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 2015

Synopsis

Growing up is hard enough without a deadline

Alex's parents know something he doesn't.
They know what's happening inside his head.
Alex is more interested in what's happening outside it.
He has homework to do and a marriage to save*.

The clock is ticking. But there's still time to win the heart of Chloe Gower

Laugh-out-loud funny and cry-out-loud sad, Ostrich is a book about what happens when you have to lift your head from the sand.

* His parents'

About this title

Review:

A coming-of-age story of some brilliance. I laughed heartily, sobbed unexpectedly (Nathan Filer, author of THE SHOCK OF THE FALL)

Ostrich has given me the most enjoyable reading experience I've had all year and has one of the funniest and most engaging young narrators I've had the pleasure of reading. Matt Greene is seriously funny and in Ostrich proves comedy can be the finest of arts (Matt Haig, author of the Radleys and the Humans)

Irresistible! Ostrich is loaded with wit, charm and wisdom. Alex is one of the sweetest and most inspiring narrators I've ever encountered. I dare you not to laugh, cry and fall utterly in love (Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette)

One of the bravest novels I've read in a very long time. Greene lets the reader become detective and clue by clue we uncover not only the truth of Alex's world, but the deepest truths of what it means to love and lose (Carol Rifka Brunt, author of Tell the Wolves I'm Home)

Alex is a memorable narrator with a unique perspective on life and this is a highly engaging and funny coming-of-age story that becomes all the more poignant as we begin to wonder how much coming-of-age Alex is going to get (THE BOOKSELLER)

Reading Ostrich is an experience that your emotions will thank you for. It has sad, sweet and funny moments all at once and an ending that takes the breath away. It's close to being the perfect book for adults and young readers alike. (www.thebookbag.co.uk)

it is impossible not to compare Ostrich with another - very well known - book; The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time... well written and well paced, so if you enjoyed the bestseller that inspired Ostrich, you may well enjoy this, too (Christena Appleyard DAILY MAIL)

This is an endearing debut novel from Matt Greene, with an inspired and hilarious take on adolescence...Greene's unusual style and his enchanting wordplay will not only gain him favourable comparisons to Mark Haddon, but potentially earn him a place in the bestseller's list. (TIME OUT)

At once hilarious and heart-wrenching (Robert Douglas-Fairhurst THE DAILY TELEGRAPH)

This is a classic case of the unreliable narrator, and the result is both hilarious and heartrendingly poignant. The most powerful aspect of the story is what is not mentioned, and how Alex's parents treat him. They are magnificent. The character portrayals, revealed mainly through dialogue, are so magic I'm going to reread this book immediately...before I pass it on to my son. Read this, and like. And share (Afric McGlinchey IRISH EXAMINER)

From the Author:

Matt Greene was born in Watford in 1985 and studied English language at the University of Sussex, where he edited THE BADGER newspaper and first became interested in writing for the stage. He has co-written four plays for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, including the sell-out farce THE STRAIGHT MAN. OSTRICH is his first novel.

About this edition

• Publisher: Weidenfeld and Nicholson
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1780225156
• ISBN 13: 9781780225159
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320