Praise for Starry Eyed
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Praise for Starry Eyed 〰️
“With its artful melding of ennui, anguish, hope and brave humour and its brilliantly insightful take on identity, celebrity and loneliness, Starry Eyed is the most timely book I’ve ever read.””
“Smart, funny and full of heart, Starry Eyed is a sharp but tender love letter to fandom and finding your place in the world. I loved the exploration of fandom, something I know little about and tore through it in one sitting.” – Rachael Johns, author of The Other Bridget
“In Starry Eyed, Pollock introduces us to a nerdy, witty, and exasperating character who will make you laugh, pull your hair out in frustration, and ultimately want to give them a big hug. The book is a big, funny jaunt into the world of fan culture, exploring the ways in which fandom saves people and destroys them, can be a lifeline and a downfall and asks the question: when is it time to move on from something you love?” – Melanie Saward, author of Love Unleashed
“Funny, smart and oh so relevant. Katharine Pollock has a wonderful talent for creating characters who we care for deeply.” – Melina Marchetta
“Starry Eyed is a story about what happens when you get everything you think you ever wanted. We meet loveable loser, Addilyn, who is obsessed with a schlocky-but-feminist cult hit film and find out just how far a true fan can, or should, go. Katharine Pollock’s delightful second novel suggests once again that we've found Australia’s answer to Nick Hornby. And there’s a killer soundtrack to boot!” – Hayley Scrivenor, internationally best-selling author of Dirt Town and Girl Falling
“Laced with acerbic observations and infused with a deep, true love of pop-culture and fandom, Starry Eyed made me cringe in recognition, cackle with laughter and cheer out loud. (It even healed my bruised former fangirl heart a little.)” – Emily Maguire, author of Rapture
“An adorable, quirky and funny tale about letting go of things that no longer serve us after cracks appear in previously perfect veneers. A heartwarming later coming-of-age journey, a delightful romance, and an even better friendship story. [A] great, enjoyable five-star read... juicy enough to sink your teeth into.” – Anne Freeman, Author of Me That You See and Returning to Adelaide
“Starry Eyed is so much fun. Kathy has nailed the “neurotic female character who makes bad decisions” vibe, and her inner commentary is hilarious.” – Amy Lovat, author of Big Feelings and Mistakes and Other LoversStarry Eyed is a witty, heartfelt ode to fandom. Laugh-out-loud funny and beautifully written, we adored being immersed in Katharine’s world!” – Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus, co-authors of Love Overdue
“Starry Eyed is a rollicking and occasionally raunchy ride through cult cinema, toxic fandom and one woman's burgeoning self-confidence. If you love fan-fic, conventions, wise-cracking heroines or the humorous, rapid-fire dialogue and intergalactic adventure of shows like Buffy or Firefly: this book is for you.” – Clare Fletcher, author of Five Bush Weddings and Love Match
“Katharine Pollock’s Starry Eyed is delightfully hard to categorise […] Fundamentally, it’s a touching story of a young woman’s exploration of identity. […] Pollock handles themes of grief and human fallibility with raw honesty and warmth. […] Starry Eyed will appeal to science fiction and fan fiction readers with a broader appeal for anyone who has felt uncertain about who they are and where they belong in all the possible ‘worlds, galaxies and universes’. Think Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow with a similar tone to Margo’s Got Money Troubles.” – Michelle Atkins, Books+Publishing
“Starry Eyed by Katharine Pollock is a unique story. It’s a blend of romantic comedy, fan fiction, and science fiction all rolled into one. It makes for an entertaining read […] Starry Eyed is a story of identity and self-discovery told through humour and warmth. It has a great cast of supporting characters that add fun and depth to the story and help Addilyn as she finds her true self.” - Emily, @thebookdragonsden reviewer
“Starry Eyed is a witty, self-aware novel that taps into fandom culture with both warmth and caution. […] I adored how Katharine captured the joy of being part of a fan community, the excitement, the creative energy, the friendships forged through shared passion. But she also shows how dangerous it can be to put all your self-worth into a celebrity who might not deserve it. The book is sharp, funny, and heartfelt, with a cast of characters you want to root for. Perfect for readers who love quirky contemporary fiction, pop culture commentary, and stories that balance humour with heart.” – Liz Hamang, @lizzies.little.library reviewer
“Clever, funny and so human!” – Sinead, @furfeathersandfiction reviewer
Praise for Her Fidelity
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Praise for Her Fidelity 〰️
“A love letter to and warning from her trade: the fun of like-minded workmates, meeting your musical heroes and having ex-roadies on hand to help you move furniture, balanced with the grind of peeling price stickers and being mansplained to by customers. It’s also, of course, a joyous, rollicking feminist riff off Nick Hornby’s famous lad-lit record-store novel.” – Jo Case, InDaily Review
“This book is the perfect pick-me-up, a hilarious heroine's journey to rock bottom and back, studded with enough indie rock and pop culture references to make it a worthwhile companion for a heart-warming case of nostalgia.” – Fruzsina Gal, The Novel Conversation
“Kath has managed to craft a work of fiction that delivers a richly rewarding plot with credible players. Her Fidelity is a feminist coming-of-age story full of hip and sassy humour, and charming to the end.’ – Roland Bisshop, Readings Magazine
“Writing with wit and comedic flair – unsurprising since she seems to have lived her story pretty closely – Pollock has imbued Her Fidelity with an easy style which is as undeniably authentic as the sexism therein is repugnant.” – Shane, 100% Rock Magazine
Syl Marie Photography
“It’s an absolute belter. Extremely funny. I loved it!”
“Katharine Pollock is the voice that we have been waiting for. Forensically sharp and ridiculously funny. Step aside New York. Pollock brings you Brisbane in all its glory.” – Kris Kneen, author of Fat Girl Dancing
“Funny and joyous: the secret history of record shop girls.” – Susan Johnson, author of Aphrodite’s Breath
“An affecting portrait of people we might encounter often but know next to nothing about. Brimming with heart and humour, Her Fidelity tells us something about how to be and how not to be. Pollock’s writing is rich and relatable. It snapshots contemporary Australian society with precision and awareness. I found myself caring for the characters in the story as though they were my friends.” – George Haddad, author of Losing Face
“Like a perfect pop song you can't resist dancing to, Her Fidelity takes you by the hand and heart as it honours the life-defining powers of music and friendship. By turning the tables on the boys-club of record stores, Pollock spins a hilariously acute tale of self-becoming and a feminist future. Fresh and unflinching, it is a sharp debut: immensely fun, deftly wise, and destined for high rotation.” – Vanessa Berry, author of Mirror Sydney
“An ode to friendship, community and where we belong, set to a dynamic soundtrack that manages to blend nostalgia with the here and now.” – Melina Marchetta, author of Looking for Alibrandi
“Kathy is a droll slacker of a narrator, peppering her first-person narration with, as she calls it herself, ‘disingenuously witty repartee’. Her voice is at times ironic and sarcastic but it can also be funny and light. A riot grrl High Fidelity, this feminist-slanted, self-aware coming-of-age story is a cross between Nick Hornby and Meg Bignell.” – Fay Helfenbaum, Weekly Book Newsletter
“I laughed out loud 5 times within the first 2 pages of Her Fidelity. As the title suggests the book is a take on the Nick Hornby classic High Fidelity but with a female perspective. That’s the bleedin’ obvious! Before you try to write this off as an imitation, consider the amount of classics that have been a take on another classic; West Side Story – Romeo and Juliet, 7 Samurai – the Magnificent 7. It is often the recontextualization that makes it salient. In this case us Y chromosome types get to have a good therapeutic laugh at ourselves while we see a perspective that should be bleedin’ obvious but for some reason isn’t.” – Kim Salmon, The Scientists and Beasts of Bourbon
“This can only be described as High Fidelity through the Aussie female gaze - Kathy's gaze. Set in an independent record store, this is a funny coming-of-age, confessional-style read. the soundtrack to Kathy's life only adds to her ups and downs.” – Who Weekly
“Pollock’s characters are so realistically rendered, their mannerisms unmistakably familiar. Her boss is a mid-century-aligned chauvinist while her co-workers are kooky male personalities. Kathy herself is the literary poster-child for the hipster-gothic Dr Martens-wearing Newtownian walking down Sydney’s King Street on any given weekday: black nail polish; oversized band t-shirt; bike shorts. The dialogue has a snappy, anarchic energy. Her Fidelity is fun. If only there were more stories like this on the big screen.” – Jessie Tu, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Right from the first page, Katharine Pollock rejects patriarchal notions of femininity to create characters who are complex and imperfect. Heartfelt and deeply funny, Her Fidelity distils the messages from all your favourite songs.” – Hannah Vesey, Glass