This has made me so, so excited for the release of Snowflake in May. Nealon's prose glows with empathy and humour, and after about 3 pages I was head-over-heels in love with Debbie. We're given a nuanced look at mental health issues, a true-to-life look at life on an Irish farm, and a very different outlook on the Irish college experience than we've seen on paper before. Fans of Michelle Gallen's Big Girl, Small Town and (of course!) Sally Rooney's Normal People will eat this up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sampler version of Snowflake and didn’t want it to end! I can’t wait to read the full version of the book to see how Debbie’s story continues.

So far the hype around this and the beginning of this, really has me hooked!

What a strong opening!

I can clearly see why there is a big hype being built around this one, I was genuinely disappointed when the sampler ended, I just wanted to keep reading!

I started the preview sampler of this book and it was a huge mistake as I am now desperate to read the full thing! Debbie is an eighteen year old heading off to Trinity college after growing up on a farm outside of Dublin. It's brilliantly written and totally gripping and I can't wait to have the full novel.

I enjoyed reading this sample of Louise Nealon’s Snowflake. Strong writing about a young woman starting university and her relationships with her peers and with her mother and her uncle on the farm where they live. I would appreciate the opportunity to read the whole book.

An intriguing sampler for a novel following a young protagonist who lives on a dairy farm in the Irish countryside starts at Trinity College Dublin and has to adjust to being a student alongside still living with her eccentric mother and uncle.

The style is distinctive and it took a moment to get into the prose, but soon I was drawn into the world of Debbie, her family dynamic, and her witty remarks mixed with naivety. From the sample so far, the novel seems to focus on the moment of growing up and feeling like an outsider, and the title suggests it might capture something about growing up in the present moment as well. I'd definitely like to read more and find out what's going to happen with Debbie and her family.