Esther is Now Following You

‘It was SUCH a pleasure to read Esther. Tanya’s voice is so funny and moving. Esther’s story shows how trauma and loss can lead to fixation and mental illness. There’s such a sad story at the heart of the book but it’s told with great verve and lightness of touch. I really REALLY felt for her – and also for Johnny. The dialogue is chef’s kiss! This is such a great book - it’s hard to believe it’s a first novel - it’s done with great confidence and conviction. People will LOVE it!’ * Marian Keyes, No.1 Sunday Times bestseller *I loved this book. Messy Essie is a wonderful character. A wild ride of a read, funny yet poignant, it is a gripping page turner. * Liz Nugent, No.1 Bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond *‘Light and dark all at once – sharply observed, full of heart, and easily the funniest book I’ve read this year, I adored it and was rooting for Esther right to the end.’ * Andrea Mara, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of No One Saw a Thing *Tanya Sweeney’s debut, Esther Is Now Following You looks particularly appealing. It’s about a woman who suffers a trauma and turns towards an obsession with a celebrity to cope. * The Times *Esther is a fantastically nuanced character - Tanya Sweeney has such an eye for detail, the characters leap from the page, bright and alive. Humorous, chilling, and sometimes an uncomfortable read but you’re never not in Esther’s desperate, awkward corner that she has backed herself into. A sharp and addictive insight into the mind of a grieving woman, who fills her emptiness with obsession. I thoroughly recommend. * Cecelia Ahern *A sex, drugs and rock’n’roll spin on Bridget Jones. This is car-crash reading at times — uncomfortable and cringe, but completely compelling. * Sunday Independent *Oh, I adored this book so much I read it in a day. Bittersweetly funny, wildly entertaining and tugs at your heartstrings, Esther is a wonderful character at the heart of an exceptional book. Esther, I’m now following you! * Sarah Pinborough *Sharp, funny and written with a whole lot of heart. * Mary Watson, author of Irish Times bestseller The Cleaner *Billed as Fleabag meets Baby Reindeer, this darkly funny page-turner follows Esther’s increasingly unhinged obsession with a celebrity actor. The debut takes aim at fandom, parasocial relationships and the fine line between devotion and delusion. * i Paper *‘Tanya Sweeney is a brilliant writer. She really has it all. A smart, funny, emotional new voice with the added bonus of perfect, snappy, zingy prose. Esther is Now Following You is funny and sad, dark and light, poignant and cringeworthy all at once. I honestly couldn’t put it down. It had me laughing out loud at points, cringing behind my fingers at others, and had me close to tears. A brilliant book about growing up, wising up and realising what - and who - is important in life.’ * Edel Coffey, No.1 Irish Times bestselling author of Breaking Point *A hugely impressive and compulsive debut, crackling with humour, real heart and piercing insight - and starring a heroine (or anti-heroine?) you won’t soon forget. I devoured it in one glorious gulp. * Catherine Ryan Howard, internationally bestselling author of Burn After Reading *The book everyone is going to be talking about! Such a timely read about parasocial relationships and a woman who begins stalking a famous actor. I raced through this funny yet unsettling book – and found it all too relatable. * Good Housekeeping *A FABULOUS sad and funny debut about fame and obsessive fandom… I raced to the explosive end. * Daily Mail *There are characters who captivate you while reading, but I guarantee Tanya Sweeney’s gloriously complex heroine will live in your head long after finishing Esther Is Now Following You…thrilling, hilarious, and at times, deeply moving. Sweeney manages to balance a compelling layered plot with an astute insight into women’s lives and the ease with which any one of us might slide into the darkness of online life. The assuredness of style and the sheer exhilaration of the storyline make this an absolute belter of a debut. Very soon, everyone will be following Esther! * Frances Crawford, author of A Bad, Bad Place *It was an honour to narrate such a wild and wonderfully written story! I’ve truly never read anything like it. The Tedettes aren’t ready. * Evanna Lynch *

Tanya has been a columnist in a number of Irish newspapers and magazines for the last fifteen years, among them the Dubliner, STELLAR, U, Irish Tatler, and the Irish Times Magazine. She is currently a journalist and Weekend magazine columnist at the Irish Independent and is a regular contributor on Irish radio & TV. Her work in the music, film & TV industries helped inspire her debut novel, Esther is Now Following You, a funny, fresh and deeply affecting story about celebrity fandom and what happens when it all becomes a bit too real.