Forty years ago, VC Andrews’ novel about incest, rape and murder-by-doughnut was declared ‘deranged swill’, but new books under her name still sell. Why?Forty years ago this month, Flowers in the Attic, the debut novel of one VC Andrews was published. A review in the Washington Post didn’t mince its words, describing it as “deranged swill” that “may well be the worst book I have ever read”.The plot is nothing if not deranged – but even 40 years later, utterly compelling. Cathy and Chris Dollanganger and their little brother and sister, Cory and Carrie, are beautiful, blond-haired and as happy as can be until their handsome father dies. Their destitute mother tells them that in order to regain the fortune from which she has been disinherited, they must hide in their grandparents’ vast attic for a few days so she can persuade their grandfather to reinstate her as his heir.The most terrible things about my childhood probably were those that I created in my mind Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-11-14 14:02:15 UTC ]
A debut novel reminds us that the earth itself is alive, and that even in our isolation we are members of a changing world. Continue reading at Guernica
[ Guernica | 2020-05-19 12:00:21 UTC ]
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At the beginning of 2020, well before my debut novel was published, I was invited to an evening soiree in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library – a kind of preview event for authors performing at a well-known literary festival. I changed quickly in the toilet at the car salesroom I worked in and navigated... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-15 16:53:37 UTC ]
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Francophone African books are still very often published by French imprints, which can make them hard to get at home. But there is a growing push for changeWhen Cameroonian author Daniel Alain Nsegbe first saw his debut novel for sale in his home city of Douala, the price was so high “you would... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-14 09:59:14 UTC ]
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It’s fitting—maybe even a little on-the-nose—that the last book I finished on my commute to work was Hilary Leichter’s Temporary. Now that my twice-daily train ride has been indefinitely suspended alongside the commutes of millions of others, it’s tempting to claim Leichter’s debut novel is even... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2020-05-13 11:00:00 UTC ]
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On this episode of Sheltering, Maris Kreizman talks with Kate Milliken, author of the debut novel Kept Animals, which centers on three teenage girls, a horse ranch, and the accident that changes everything. Milliken discusses the research that went into her knowledge of the Topanga Canyon biome,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-04 19:00:29 UTC ]
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“Strictly” judge Craig Revel Horwood's “fabulous” debut novel has been picked up by Michael O'Mara Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-30 12:35:01 UTC ]
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Welbeck Publishing Group has acquired Dark Horses, a debut novel from American author Susan Mihalic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-29 18:22:14 UTC ]
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Among the big deals this week are a six-figure preempt for a debut novel by a former Marie Claire staffer and a guide to relationship texting by Facebook’s in-house shrink. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BRAISED PORK, the debut novel by An Yu, opens with an ending. A young wife walks into the bathroom to ask which accessory her husband prefers and finds him sprawled ungracefully in the tub, drowned. Next to his body is a strange drawing: a fish with the head of a man, or a man with […] The post... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-04-21 17:00:17 UTC ]
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I read Jessi Jezewska Stevens’ debut novel The Exhibition of Persephone Q in a single sitting on the Sunday afternoon before the quarantine. I was magnetized not just by a great story, but one that felt uncannily timely. The novel is set in the days after 9/11, a period when America was... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-17 08:48:14 UTC ]
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Owen Nicholls’ debut novel is chock-full of movie references, but he delves deeply into the intricacies of maintaining a relationship. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-04-15 22:39:46 UTC ]
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Owen Nicholls’ debut novel is chock-full of movie references, but he delves deeply into the intricacies of maintaining a relationship. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-04-15 22:39:46 UTC ]
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Owen Nicholls’ debut novel is chock-full of movie references, but he delves deeply into the intricacies of maintaining a relationship. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-04-15 22:39:46 UTC ]
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Set in alternate Tudor England, “Sin Eater” by Megan Campisi is a riveting tale of female empowerment. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-15 06:00:00 UTC ]
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Check out the cover for E. Lily Yu's debut novel of magic and migration, ON FRAGILE WAVES. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-14 10:35:08 UTC ]
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In this debut novel by the Chinese author An Yu, male characters propel the heroine into a journey of self-discovery. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-04-14 09:00:21 UTC ]
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‘There was something Shakespearean about imperious men going down on you: the mighty have fallen.’ An extract from Naoise Dolan’s debut novel Exciting Times. The post Exciting Times appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta
[ Granta | 2020-04-14 08:55:03 UTC ]
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“How Much of These Hills Is Gold,” by C Pam Zhang, reimagines the region’s past as a Chinese-American tale. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-04-07 09:00:07 UTC ]
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At once subversive and searching, the debut novel focuses on two sisters on the run whose roots lie in an unnamed country “from beyond the ocean.” Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-06 20:54:23 UTC ]
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Chelsea Bieker's 'Godshot,' a surreal debut novel set in the parched Central Valley, depicts a fundamentalist rain cult and sex worker resisters. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-04-06 14:30:59 UTC ]
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