Cuckoo

Texas Fried Chicken, abject misery and a one-way Ryanair ticket. Everyone hates Iona. Everyone except Pingu. Fitting in is hard when one of you can't shut up and your silent best friend wears a tuxedo to school every day. Sick of the ceaseless bullying and despair, Iona and Pingu decide to get the hell out of Dublin. Turns out that emigrating is a great way to get noticed by the cool kids. Loving the attention, Iona is drunk on her new-found popularity until she discovers she's messed with the wrong crowd. In a world where reputation must be defended tooth and nail, this can only end in disaster for all involved. From Kylie Jenner lip kits to Lucozade, this is a fresh, modern look at what it means to be young in Ireland today. Shortlisted for the Papatango New Writing Prize, Lisa Carroll's sharp and sparkling debut dissects the true cost of belonging, and reflects on how hard it is to break away from the place you grew up. "There is both snap and crackle in the writing, she knows how to place a smart joke, but it is also terrific on the teenage insecurities that make friendship so treacherous, particularly in the digital age." Lyn Gardner, Stagedoor