Closed Doors

The dissonance between what a child narrator knows and what adult readers can make out is fully exploited here to great effect, and is reminiscent of Emma Donoghue’s Room … [A] compulsive read, grounded in a realism which, depicted through a child’s eyes – with that hint of a child’s surreal perception – gathers together violence, humour and love in a most believable way. * Scotland on Sunday, Book of the Week * O’Donnell makes you feel the frustration of an intelligent child who knows he's being kept in the dark … There’s loss of innocence here, but the overwhelming tone is warm and sparky; O’Donnell shows how a shattered family can remake itself, and Michael's narrative voice is delightful – observant, thoughtful, comical and thoroughly believable. -- Kate Saunders * The Times * Lisa O’Donnell’s dazzling new novel … Like Roddy Doyle’s Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and Black Swan Green by David Mitchell, O’Donnell’s novel effectively evokes the carefree joys of adolescence as well as all of its terrors, real and imagined … O’Donnell perfectly navigates the distance between what Michael understands and what her readers do … O’Donnell’s great talent is most apparent in her depiction of the gap between Michael’s thoughts and his actions … a moving story that stakes a lasting, and disturbing, emotional claim on her readers. * New York Times Book Review * [A] coming-of-age novel … Closed Doors provides an engaging child’s eye view of a working-class community that is nuanced and insightful. * The Herald * A sweet and uplifting read that celebrates the messy, complicated business of family. Michael is a lively and endearing narrator. * Daily Mail * This wonderful book explores the loss of innocence through a child's eyes. I loved it. -- Jenny Green * The Sun * Impressive … A hugely accomplished piece of storytelling. -- Doug Johnstone * Big Issue *