Compassionate, emotive, masterly . . . draws on the tradition of the classic detective novel but also operates on a deeper, metaphorical and philosophical level

A lean, evocative novel - part thriller, part meditation on the deadly cost of the region's under-reported oil politics . . . a classic coming-of-age narrative

Powerful, accomplished . . . Oil on Water lays bare the real-life tragedy of the Niger delta, in which petrodollars warp human relationships as surely as leaking crude poisons birds and fish

Habila's writing has that combination of elegance and rattling-good-yarn that we associate with Conrad and Graham Greene . . . Terrific

Habila is a master at evoking the plight of characters who ask for little, and end up with even less . . . this is a book you can't put down

In a beautiful, almost cinematic style, Habila moves back and forth in time to tell a story swathed in the cynicism of modern global development and the mysteries of human longing

This is a powerful novel that is both creepy and engaging

A lovely book, warm and comforting with moments of sadness and brilliantly written

Haunting... Bender's prose delivers electric shocks... Moving, fanciful and gorgeously strange

[A] transformative narrative... powerful

Extraordinary

[Bender] careens splendidly through an obstacle course of pathological, fantastical neuroses... brimming with a zesty, beguiling talent

Bender is the master of quiet hysteria... She builds pressure sentence by sentence

As delightful as its title suggests.

A truly unique exploration of turbulent family relationships and a young girl on the cusp of adulthood grappling with grown-up emotions.

The book initially reads like the familiar tale of a cosy, suburban middle-class LA household concealing frustrated lives behind an outwardly-cheery veneer. But by kicking the narrative left with the surrealist twist of Rose's psychic tastebuds it becomes so much more: an unpredictable meeting of modern magic and melancholic realism.

The book I wish I had written ... it's so clever

Aimee Bender has got that cool, quirky American thing going on. Taking an unlikely premise - a girl who discovers she can taste emotions in food - she transforms it into a lovely, lonesome universal tale.

This is a moving and fantastical tale of the secrets and lies that lurk beneath the surface of a seemingly happy family.

Ultimate weepy foodie book ... fabulous

It's a charming, funny, wistful novel, with serious things to say about feelings people hide and the nature of true nourishment

Lose yourself in a fantastical gastronomical journey ... This novel explores familial love in an unexpected way, and you'll be hooked from the first taste

This emotional and moving tale blew us away with its beauty

It's as beautiful as it is strange. Bender writes such lyrical sentences, you pause over them in wonder. She has an unusual take on life; and makes even the ordinary extraordinary. It's a compulsive page turner. This book is already a best seller in America, and has been embraced by book clubs. I loved it. It's one of those books you don't want to finish - and even when you have - it stays in your mind. Bender has written three previous novels. I intend to savour them all

This novel, in the style of stories like Chocolat, is a dreamy feast of gorgeous writing ... Gently, beautiful, odd, this is a story to sip and savour

An intriguing premise for an original novel about a family and its relationships

Moving and highly original, this book will make you look at food in a whole new light

Erin Morgenstern's astonishingly vivid imagination made the unbelievable believable...in other words I fell for it all... There is illusion and delusion, shape-shifting, manipulation and deceit, misdirection and more often than not all is definitely not what it seems as the story unfolds, and if you are as unforgiving as I am of entire books written in the present tense, in this case, as you read you will see why it is necessary. The present tense embraces shifting time whether past or future, it is actually always the present ..see I can hardly make sense of it myself, you need to read it to see how well it works. And yes, I was enchanted, and I did run away with the circus as young Bailey does, and as I closed the book of course I came back to reality gently wondering whether I was supposed to be thinking, how long before Bailey meets Mr Barnum

An enchanting tale of forbidden love, set against the spectacular backdrop of the circus

A recommendation by Audrey Niffenegger...should ensure this amazing debut novel gets the attention it deserves

Fantasy lovers, here comes Harry Potter for grown-ups... The story is already en-route to Hollywoood so snap up the original tale first

It is rich, evocative, compelling, enchanting, whimsical, breath-taking, playful, imaginative, marvellous, and quite simply beautiful in every single way. I love it

An epic fantasy novel, which will leave you craving a sequel. Morgenstern creates an entire world of mystery and wonder… With complex and intriguing characters, an interwoven and completely satisfying storyline, and unrivalled imagination bursting through the seams, The Night Circus ticks all the right boxes, and guarantees to keep you captivated and mesmerised from the first page to the last.

The story is compelling, and the gorgeous descriptions of the circus make you wish it was real

The Night Circus made me happy. Playful and intensely imaginative, Erin Morgenstern has created the circus I have always longed for and she has populated it with dueling love-struck magicians, precocious kittens, hyper-elegant displays of beauty and complicated clocks. This is a marvelous book.

Pure pleasure...Erin Morgenstern is a gifted, classic storyteller, a tale-teller, a spinner of the charmed and mesmerizing - I had many other things I was supposed to be doing, but the book kept drawing me back in and I tore through it. You can be certain this riveting debut will create a group of rêveurs all its own.

A riveting debut. The Night Circus pulls you into a world as dark as it is dazzling, fully-realized but still something out of a dream. You will not want to leave it.

Every once in awhile you find a novel so magical that there is no escaping its spell. The Night Circus is one of these rarities - engrossing, beautifully written and utterly enchanting. If you choose to read just one novel this year, this is it.

'Dark as soot and bright as sparks,' The Night Circus still holds me willingly captive in a world of almost unbearable beauty. This is a love story on a grand scale: it creates, it destroys, it ultimately transcends. Take a bow, Erin Morgenstern. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

The Night Circus is a gorgeously imagined fable poised in the high latitudes of Hans Christian Anderson and Oscar Wilde, with a few degrees toward Hesse's Steppenwolf for dangerous spice. The tale is masterfully written and invites allegorical interpretations even as its leisurely but persistent suspense gives it compelling charm. An enchanting read.

I'm not often lost for words, but I'm struggling to find the words to describe just how good this book is and how it made me feel, so I'll just say this: if you are only able to read one book for the rest of your life, make sure it is 'The Night Circus'. You won't regret it