Praise for Hurry Up and Wait
Daily Mail: “With strong characters, a cleverly constructed story and masses of period detail, this vivid evocation of life in 1985 is a fine second book from a writer who first won The Mail On Sunday novel competition.”
Amazon: Named as one of Amazon’s Top 100 ‘Customer Favourites in 2011′.
Easy Living: “A powerfully compelling examination of the volatile and often toxic nature of adolescent relationships.”
Sainsbury’s Magazine: “Bursting with school-girl preoccupations of the 1980s … this lively journey through the embarrassments of growing up is tightly entwined with a darker tale.”
Heat Magazine: “The story addresses some pretty dark themes, but never strays into misery-lit territory. A slow-burner, which makes the revelation at the end even more heart-wrenching.”
Glamour Magazine: “Ashdown’s depiction of a vulnerable teenager and the magnetic pull of a toxic friendship will have you wincing with recognition.”
New Books Magazine: “Funny, insightful and often tragic. Ashdown is a perceptive and engaging writer.”
Bella Magazine: “Ashdown’s Glasshopper was one of our favourite books of 2009, and her second novel is another mix of compelling characters and 1980s nostalgia.”
Stylist: “Haunting fiction exploring the treacherous territory of adolescence.”
In Potentia Blog: “By turns touching and funny … the balance between the novel’s lighter and more sinister aspects is perfect.”
Bookersatz Book Blog: “A perfectly pitched trip back to the mid-eighties. I loved everything about it.”
Pameader Book Blog: “Deftly handles big themes of love, loss and misplaced guilt … Heartbreakingly perceptive.”
Jera’s Jamboree Book Blog: “I couldn’t put it down … this has to be my favourite read of the year.”
The Random Reader Blog: “Entirely convincing characters … beautifully written.”
Daisy Chain Book Blog: “Dark and edgy … a powerful coming-of-age read.”
Making it Up Blog: “Utterly authentic … once you pick this up, you aren’t going to want to put it down.”
Between the Lines Book Blog: “Ashdown shows us the delicate balancing act required to survive the teenage experience … enjoyable and engaging.”
Praise for Glasshopper
The Observer: “A wonderful debut – intelligent, understated and sensitive.”
Mail on Sunday: “By the worthy winner of the 2008 Mail on Sunday Novel Prize, Glasshopper is an intelligent, beautifully observed coming-of-age story, packed with vivid characters and inch-perfect dialogue . . . Ashdown’s storytelling skills are formidable; her human insights highly perceptive.”
Fay Weldon and Paula Johnson (Mail on Sunday Novel Competition): “Engrossing and moving.”
Waterstone’s Books Quarterly: “An immaculately written novel with plenty of dark family secrets and gentle wit within. Recommended for book groups.”
The Observer Books of the Year 2009: “A tender and subtle novel about alcoholism that explores difficult issues in deceptively easy prose.”
London Evening Standard Best Books of 2009: “A disturbing, thought-provoking tale of family dysfunction, spanning the second half of the 20th century, that guarantees laughter at the uncomfortable familiarity of it all.”
Sainsbury’s Magazine: “A brilliant debut.”
Glamour: “A heartbreaking redemptive tale of family secrets that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster.”
Easy Living: “Carefully observed, unexpected and mesmerisingly beautiful.”
David Vann, author of Legend of a Suicide: “I love it. It’s a book that’s very fast and really rewarding as a reader. There’s a wrenching end to the first chapter that switches the mood and absolutely hooked me for the rest of the book.”
Lemn Sissay on the Simon Mayo Show: “A great story. It is incredibly sad but it’s incredibly enjoyable, like watching a horror film; you enjoy being frightened.”
Joel Morris on the Simon Mayo Show: “It reminded me of Iain Banks. If you enjoyed The Crow Road, I think you’ll get lots out of this book.”
Boyd Hilton on the Simon Mayo Show: “It’s an incredibly powerful, intense book. Very, very real.“
Argus: “The prose is succinct and smooth, the dialogue crisp and convincing. An intriguing, atmospheric read with a healthy dollop of realism.”
The Kemptown Rag: “An outstanding debut novel.”
Drink & Drugs Review: “Glasshopper is skilfully written and hard to put down. A page-turningly good read . . . a perceptive insight into alcohol’s hidden harm.”
Amazon review: “Just about the most incredible book I’ve ever read.” “This will, in time, become a classic.”
Words in the Treehouse Blog: “A moving story that often grabs you at the throat, Glasshopper is neither morbid nor depressing. Delightfully fluid prose … Ashdown’s attention to detail is extraordinary.”
Bookbag.co.uk: “It’s hard to know who to recommend this to without encouraging everyone to go out and buy it. Such a great range of characters within such a small group of friends and family is enough to keep anyone turning the page. Ashdown is a definite one to watch for in British literature.”
Bookersatz: “A beautifully poignant, multi-layered family story.”
Lizzie’s Literary Life: “A great book group read – in fact, I’m going to recommend it to mine.”
The Hungry Reader Book Blog: “Glasshopper is the kind of novel that stays with you … the pain of growing up is captured beautifully .”
Pam Reader Book Blog: “A wonderful, sensitively written book … the story will stay with you long after you turn the last page.”
Fleur Fisher Book Blog: “The people, their relationships, the dialogue were so utterly real … times and places perfectly captured. I can’t think of one single false note.”
Libri Populus Book Blog: “Cleverly woven together … realistic and human … it is hard not to feel the joy and pain of the characters.”
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