School of Velocity (Paperback)

A hugely impressive first novel about music, friendship and obsession. Gripping and emotional -- David Nicholls Rubin writes with grace and exactitude, giving a tangible, animated quality to the sensual world of his story ... this is a luminous, quiet storm of a novel that resounds long after its heartbreaking coda. Guardian An elegant, synaesthetic tale ... Gatsby-like FT Overtones of Patricia Highsmith... the world of talented youth is a captivating backdrop... a very pleasant interlude Irish Times I adored this debut. It's a fascinating dissection of the power of friendship Irish Examiner The writing is poised and lyrical, with all the rhythm and some of the ache of the Faures and Debussys it dwells upon. Echoes of Gatsby are subtly embedded ... a writer to watch. Big Issue A beautifully written debut novel about obsession and repression Attitude Sophisticated European quality and intelligent writing style Nudge It's about huge and basic emotions: insecurity, friendship, need, sex. It delivers all of this in elegantly readable prose, efficient yet deeply moving. I loved it Elle Thinks (blog)