Sadler's Birthday is as far from the stereotype of a young woman's first novel as it can be. It is a masterly study of a lonely but loyal man that is deeply felt, intelligent and often touchingly funny. I liked it very much

A first novel of remarkable talent; never a foot set wrong

Brilliant... A quintessentially English writer - her work has a charm and finesse, a civilised irony

This is a writer whose breadth of imagination and supple prose transcend the genre: she is one of the finest writers in English

She is a magical storyteller - it is as an artist that she excels

Clare Clark writes with the eyes of a historian and the soul of a novelist.

This densely textured story forces readers to ask: who are the savages?

As Clare Clark's third novel so lushly illustrates, Louisiana has never been the safest place to live... this eye-opening account of Louisiana's early history conjures up a nicely gothic landscape

Szalay is certainly a writer to look out for... The writer [he] most puts me in mind of is a young Julian Barnes

Szalay is immensely talented... [he] gets everything right: the atmosphere, the suspense, the inner lives of his characters. Absolutely superb

Intriguing first novel... The narrative voice floes with wit and vigour...his debut ties author and reader in engaging knots that echo the tangled webs connecting the gossipers and photographers and their privileged fodder

It's uncommonly well written, with a bountiful supply of manic energy... Would Paul Auster kill to write a book as playful, fast-paced and unashamedly populist as this? Doubtful, but somewhere there's a "Paul Auster" who might

Sparky debut

Benedictus takes us on a trail of the contentious highs and lows of the rich and famous in a mixture of dark humour and sharp dialogue. For Benedictus, and his valiant debut novel, more of the same please

The story of the ultimate celeb after-party, it's a knowing wink at publishing and celebrity culture - a high-concept first novel sitting just the right side of salacious

The Afterparty avoids smugness partly because it has more affection that vitriol for the culture that it mocks... It's very funny, but sad, too... Well-drawn characters, smart dialogue and a canny plot