Done more for the Entente Cordiale than any of our politicians

Must-have comedy-of-errors diary about being a Brit abroad

Edgier than Bryson, hits harder than Mayle

A story that will have you in tears of laughter as well as sadness

A story full of humour and affection

'You'll be flipping pages so fast, the breeze will keep you cool on the beach'

'Fast paced and funny...the perfect summer read'

A caustic comedy, and doesn't mark the arrival of a new provocateur but of a promising satirist

Joe Stretch takes no prisoners with this debut, presenting a distorted reflection of 21st century Britain that's as black as it is bracing... Friction succeeds as a highly charged vision of modern society's moral decline - it's a novel that may well achieve the cult status it's striving for

Friction is a bellow of rage and disgust at the eagerness with which the 21st century soul attenuates itself. That this trivia-obsessed, pornography-fraught and digitised-to-death world that we have made for ourselves can produce such high art, and with such slicing satirical humour, is one of the central paradoxes, and causes for celebration, of our age

Book of the week

Author pictured at the launch party.

Pratchett's searing novel for teens combines his unique brand of humour with a classic survival adventure to become a piercing inquiry into the nature of faith.

Without pretension or crusading auto-didacticism he has spent a quarter of a century creating a fantasy worl that does its bit to make this world a better place. It is a splendid achievement.

This is Pratchett operating at the peak of his powers. Nation's often very funny, the characters are adorable, the plot intriguing... Nation is wryly hilarious throughout.

It's a wonderful story, by turns harrowing and triumphant, and Mau and Daphne are tremendously appealing characters. It's a book that can be read with great pleasure by young readers-and not a few of their parents, I suspect-as both a high-spirited yarn and a subtle examination of the risks and virtues of faith.

Gr 7-10-A tsunami has hit Mau's island home and washed away everyone he has known. Daphne is from the other side of the globe and is the sole survivor (or so she thinks) of a shipwreck on the island. The two come together and each of them brings wisdom, intelligence, and sense of humanity to their dire situation. An absorbing novel of survival and discovery liberally infused with Pratchett's trademark wit.

This culture clash comedy gives way to growing understanding and there is much to ponder on the merits of faith and tradition.

... a unique, exhilarating tour de force

... a very funny and well-written story. The characters and plot are both imaginative and thought-provoking.

A South Seas island adventure with an assured comic edge from Pratchett... This culture clash comedy gives way to growing understanding and there is much to ponder on the merits of faith and tradition.

I think this is - just possibly -the best book Pratchett has ever written.

This is a novel for all ages from (say) 11 to (say) 90, and its narrative exuberance will lure its younger readers to 'strange seas of thought'.

Pratchett writing at the height of his powers.

A serious work, but one written with humour and a lightness of touch that embraces big questions...it is a book about the faith of our times.

Terry Pratchett's use of language here is funny and exciting. This book delivers adventure, philosophy and satire. Pratchett has written of a very different world from his Discworld series. This is one of the cleverest novels I have read in years.

Nation is a modern tale of enlightenment that can be enjoyed by teenagers and aduls alike. An exceptional read, highly recommended.

An ebullient and entertaining novel of ideas.

Nation, published in 2008 (this year's award catchment runs from August 2008-September 2009), is an extraordinarily complicated tale about God, tradition and loss. Yet it is told with beautiful simplicity and rollicking readability.

Funny and profound, Nation is much more than an adventure story, pitting reason against religion and offering an alternative perspective on world history and culture.

As Pratchett says: "Thinking. This book contains some. Whether you try it at home is up to you." His wit is on every page; his world surpasses ours, his writing is weird and wonderful. No, weirdly wonderful. It is gripping but put the book down to ponder the thoughts inside to unearth a parallel universe. Terry Pratchett is worth more than his idiom; his teachings contain more philosophical thought than I would have ever thought possible.