The Girl Who Chased Otters is a sensitive tale of friendship, love and acceptance set in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. A keen observer of human behaviour, Nathan has never cared about fitting in, but when Olivia asks for his help becoming popular, he can’t refuse.

The Girl Who Chased Otters has been out for a few months, so I thought I’d do a quick round up of some of the love its been getting in the press.

The Sunday Times gave it four stars! “This is a tender and keenly felt story of friendship, and the challenges teens face. It is also refreshing to read an autistic character (Nathan) not used as a comedic or tragic device but as a person. A lovely read — and yes, there are otters.”

The Daily Vox also conducted an interview with me and had this to say: “Oftentimes young adults and teenagers find their troubles and issues considered unimportant by adults. In Partridge’s books, not only does she not do that but she also shows how young adults are often forced to experience “adulthood” quicker than they should… However, above the struggles and the bad things, the book is about hope and acceptance and why it’s so important.”

(The journalist told me afterwards she read and loved The Goblet Club in school and still has her copy!)

Last year, some of the team involved in the making of the book (sensitivity readers, editors) as well as readers and young people on the spectrum, joined me for a virtual celebration and chat. Watch the Zoom recording here.

If you’ve read The Girl Who Chased Otters, please consider leaving a review on Goodreads.

Look out for exciting news about the audio version soon.