'A heady mix of thrills and heartbreak . . . I enjoyed it so so much' GRAHAM NORTON

'What [Macmanus has] managed to do with London, and what London means to different generations of Irish people, is terrific, and deeply moving' RODDY DOYLE

I'm a Londoner now. I'm a voice in the noise. I'm ready.

It's the turn of the millennium and, landing in London with nothing but her CD collection and demo tape, Orla Quinn moves into a squalid Kilburn house with her best mate and a band called Shiva.

Orla wants to make music, but juggling two jobs and partying every night isn't helping. Back in Ireland her parents' marriage has crumbled, she's not speaking to her father, and her mother and sister are drinking too much.

While Orla's own dreams seem to be going nowhere, Shiva are on the brink of something big. But as the hype around the band intensifies, so does the hedonism, and relationships in the house are growing strained.

This is the story of a young woman thrashing through life, trying to find home in a strange new place. It's also a story about music: how it can break you down and build you back up again, and how to find your rhythm when all you hear is noise.

Praise for The Mess We're In:

'Bracingly lyrical' OBSERVER

'A dizzyingly good read' iPAPER

'The bygone heyday of indie rock pulses with authenticity' IRISH INDEPENDENT

'Such a gorgeous book . . . I absolutely ate up every word' AISLING BEA

'I'm so sad it's over. I could have read another sixty chapters . . . A fantastic read' JOANNE MCNALLY

'Beautifully painted, well set up and realistic' SARA COX

Praise for Mother Mother:

'A writer whose understanding and capturing of human nature comes as easily to her as breathing' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS

'Writes with flair and confidence rarely seen in a debut' SINÉAD GLEESON

'Tender, surprising, occasionally bleak, moving and delicate' IRISH TIMES

'A study of grief, addiction and what it means to be a mother' STYLIST

'Melancholy, beautifully unadorned prose' MAIL ON SUNDAY

"A dizzyingly good read." - iPaper

"[An] immersive, music-infused coming-of-age story . . . Captures a time and a place with heart and irresistible momentum in a prose that can be bracingly lyrical." - Observer

"A brilliant coming-of-age novel." - Bella Magazine

"Macmanus perfectly captures both the hedonism and uncertainty of being a twentysomething in a new city." - Heat Magazine

"The Mess We're In is a visceral, raw account of the music business' allure for young people and the trappings that are best avoided. Annie McManus proved herself to be a fine debut author with Mother Mother, and this cements her an exciting literary voice." - Sunday Business Post

"This is a well-written novel, perceptive about the music business and the fleeting connections made at the after parties of gigs." - Irish Examiner

"A brilliant coming of age novel." - Closer

"Macmanus makes deft work of capturing the Irish emigrant intergenerational experience. To prevent the characters who frequent the pub from tipping into caricature they are written with humour and grace, offering an illuminating foil to the new Irish experience that Orla represents...[Macmanus] has spun a moving story from the threads of her own history. Orla is written with unsentimental authenticity...It is her flaws, her vulnerability and her complexity that make her such a compelling character that will resonate with anyone who has ever left home in search of themselves... This novel is constructed of Macmanus's DNA - her Irish emigrant experience, music industry insight, her passion for music, people and stories - and the world that is built is deeply human, provocative and enriching. Orla is searching for a voice in the noise - Macmanus articulates that hunger with confidence and compassion. And in so doing, finds her own." - Irish Times