Saltwater: Winner of the Portico Prize

Raw, intimate and authentic . . . Andrews obviously has talent. * The Sunday Times *
Luminous * Observer New Review *
A stunning new voice in British literary fiction. * Independent *
Lyrically poetic * Evening Standard *
Andrews writes about life as we experience it in memory, melding trauma, joy and sensory half-recollections. Saltwater is a moving debut which portrays an ordinary young life in an original and refreshing way. * TLS *
This book is sublime. It dares to be different, to look in a different way. Andrews is not filling anyone's shoes, she is destroying the shoes and building them from scratch. * Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under *
Visceral, high-definition sections - which also record Lucy's growing awareness of, and estrangement from, her working-class background - are highlights . . . a sharply observed and poignant first outing. * Daily Mail *
The writing is disarmingly honest . . . I found parts of this novel intensely moving. I wish I had read it when I was 19. * Guardian *
Startling immediacy * Stylist Loves *
Saltwater moved me to tears on several occasions; here is proof of the poetic idiosyncrasies of every family, of every person's narrative being worthy of literature, of the fact that a good novel shouldn't bring voices in from the margins, but travel outwards towards them, and let them tell their own story, in their own voice, in their own, unique way. * Andrew McMillan *
Saltwater revels in the possibilities of its form, using fragments to shift tone and texture, reminding us of those pivotal moments that can upend a life . . .This book holds disparate elements in a finely wrought balance that is difficult to achieve at any stage of a writing life let alone in a debut. * Kayo Chingonyi, winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize *
A book of breathtaking beauty.Saltwater is a visionary novel with prose that gets deep under your skin. The short, sharp chapters thrum with life. Lucy is a memorable character, her journey one that is moving and totally compelling, telling a series of deep truths about the state of our divided nation. Andrews is a major new voice in contemporary British fiction. * Alex Preston *
Powerful * Observer New Review *
Captures that overwhelming sense of the possible and how daunting and disorientating it can be when the change you craved doesn't expand your horizons but instead hollows you out. **** * Sunday Express *
Lyrical . . . a carefully pieced-together exploration of the way we connect with a landscape, of how a place might help us to return to ourselves . . . a sensitive and intelligent exploration of the ravages of austerity . . . a book about belonging. * Irish Independent *
A distinctive new voice for fans of 'Fleabag' or Sally Rooney . . . Jessica Andrews's debut novel shimmers with promise: it's one of those books where, from the first pages, you're grabbed by a distinctive new voice. * Independent *
Mesmerising. Jessica is a brilliant, original writer. She's a name to watch. * Irish Examiner *
Fluid, crisp and bracing. Quietly experimental in form - short numbered snippets that recall the writing of Maggie Nelson and Jenny Offill - the book explores familial bonds, class identity, the longing for home and the simultaneous desire to escape it. * Irish Times *
Works perfectly...the astute observations of working class life pour off every page. * The Crack *
Tender and beautiful. * Bookseller *