One of the most startlingly original children's books I've read in years. It feels like Padraig Kenny with Edward Bettison's mesmerizing illustrations, has created a whole new genre -- Piers Torday
A stunning book . . . a brand new take on the monster story * Eoin Colfer *
A magnificent, shadowy, gothic adventure full of heart, with the best first and final sentences in any book you'll ever read. * Emma Carroll *
Unique, thrilling and moving . . . with its timely - yet timeless - message of choosing empathy over fear, The Monsters of Rookhaven is proof that Padraig Kenny is one of the best children's writers around
-- Shane Hegarty, author of
DarkmouthConfidence, imagination and an ability to pluck the reader's heartstrings confirm confirm Kenny as a writer of serious talent * Guardian *
A totally absorbing tale . . . magnificently illustrated by Edward Bettison * Guardian *
A wildly imaginative story . . . And if the opening sentence is extraordinary, the last line is a triumph * Irish Examiner *
Original and inventive, this fantasy adventure with a touch of the macabre features some of the most unusual monster characters I've ever come across in children's literature. Written with such confidence and delight, it's the perfect read for fans of
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. * Sarah Webb *
Kenny embraces a new Gothic sensibility in this memorable, nuanced novel that pairs real chills with empathy and emotion. He's certainly a name to watch. * Bookseller *
I loved this quirky tale of family and friendship, set in the Shirley Jackson-esque small town of Rookhaven * Kelly McCaughrain *
Kenny is a thrilling writer who knows how to chill his readers * Telegraph *
Kenny is adept at harnessing the potential for child-pleasing humour... His characterization is a particular strength * Times Literary Supplement on TIN *
One of a kind. Utterly fantastic. * Eoin Colfer on TIN *
Full of empathy, anger, sorrow and love, this is a robot story squarely focused on what it means to be human * Guardian on TIN *
Tin is a remarkably assured debut novel, full of imagination, and his fascinating mechanicals are as carefully crafted as the plot * Irish Independent *
The (much) older reader will thrill at how this book subverts hackneyed monster tropes with glee, and how Kenny drops an S-bomb on page one ("sibilance"), crediting readers with the wherewithal to handle a polysyllable. But make no mistake, this is a children's book, in a big font size, magnificently illustrated by Edward Bettison. * The Guardian *
This is a wonderfully gothic, funny, and spooky tale about all kinds of monsters, from the frightening beasts with sharp teeth and too many eyes to the kind who look just like anybody else. Some of Mirabelle's family are the kind of creatures you'd be terrified to find under your bed, but Padraig Kenny's humorous and careful characterization makes each of them feel like an old friend - uncle Bertram's diary of every human food he's ever tasted is a funny and sweet glimpse into what monsters might find fascinating about the human world - whilst the evil Malice stalking Rookhaven is straight out of a nightmare * BookTrust *
