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Ostrich

Betty Trask Award, 2014

Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781780225159

Price: £7.99

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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’

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Reviews

A coming-of-age story of some brilliance. I laughed heartily, sobbed unexpectedly
Nathan Filer, author of THE SHOCK OF THE FALL
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
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
It is hard to do a child-narrated tale and make it sound fresh, but Greene's debut does manage to, with young Alex who suffers from seizures and whose parents' marriage is dissolving in front of him
GLASGOW HERALD
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
At once hilarious and heart-wrenching
Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
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
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 younger readers alike.
www.thebookbag.co.uk