Game of Throw-ins
 | |
| Author | Paul Howard |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Alan Clarke |
| Cover artist | Alan Clarke |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Series | Ross O'Carroll-Kelly |
| Set in | Dublin, 2014–15 |
| Published | 8 September 2016 |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
| Pages | 400 |
| ISBN | 9781844883455 |
| 823.92 | |
| Preceded by | Seedless in Seattle |
| Followed by | Operation Trumpsformation |
Game of Throw-ins is a 2016 book by Irish author Paul Howard and is the sixteenth novel in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.[1][2][3]
The title refers to the TV series Game of Thrones and the rugby throw-in.[4]
Plot[edit]
Ross joins a struggling Seapoint rugby team. Ronan is in a turf war with a rival Love/Hate tour operator. Honor is in love with a Justin Bieber lookalike. Fionnuala is marrying a 92-year-old billionaire.[5]
Reception[edit]
The Irish Times praised it, saying "This is sharp satire that manages the difficult trick of creating characters we care about. It is a very funny book, often hilarious, providing storylines that mostly keep the page-turning going. Yet it has a genuine heart of darkness hidden beneath the layers of craic, great gags, great storytelling and human warmth. In this way, Ross O'Carroll-Kelly is Ireland."[6]
Anne Gildea, also in The Irish Times, wrote that "I’m in love with the latest Ross O’Carroll-Kelly – Game of Throw-ins. The passage where Ross is confused, mid-match, about the line-out codes the captain has assigned is one of the funniest things I’ve come across in print."[7]
The Irish Independent's Tanya Sweeney wrote that "the entertaining fun of this SoCoDu satire has clearly yet to wane."
Trinity College Dublin's tn2 Magazine awarded it 3/5, saying that it was "not the best title in the series, but it’s a solid entry nonetheless. The overarching themes of time, change and broken families are balanced perfectly against the hilarious antics of Ross and his lunatic family."[8]
Game of Throw-ins was nominated for Irish Independent Popular Fiction Book of the Year at the 2016 Irish Book Awards.[9][10][11]
It was the third-bestselling book at WH Smith in Ireland for 2016.[12][13] It sold 23,997 copies in 2016 overall.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ "Game of Throw-Ins".
- ^ Campbell, Niamh (21 March 2016). "Title And Plot Of New Ross O'Carroll-Kelly Book Revealed".
- ^ Game of Throw-ins. 4 May 2017.
- ^ O'Carroll-Kelly, Ross (1 September 2016). Game of Throw-ins. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 9781844883462 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Ross O'Carroll Kelly. Big in Ireland. And er...Belize". RTÉ.ie. 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Game of Throw-ins by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly review: Ross is back on the pitch, as funny as ever". The Irish Times.
- ^ Doyle, Martin. "Irish comedians' favourite funny novels". The Irish Times.
- ^ Mullooly, Michael (26 September 2016). "A Game of Throw Ins- review".
- ^ "Pens at dawn as top authors do battle for Irish fiction crown". Independent.ie. 6 November 2016.
- ^ "Shortlist celebrates the very best of Irish writing". Independent.ie. 30 October 2016.
- ^ Doyle, Martin. "Shortlists revealed for Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2016". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Sales volumes up as Irish authors prove a draw for store". Independent.ie. 11 March 2017.
- ^ "WH Smith sees Irish revenues grow to record levels". www.irishexaminer.com. 11 March 2017.
- ^ Doyle, Martin. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is Ireland's 2016 bestseller". The Irish Times.