A fabulously funny first novel from a talented voice
DEAD CAT BOUNCE is the story of Joe who works unwillingly in PR in Dublin. His family is imploding, his job makes him sick and his ideal woman suspects he may be retarded. When his little sister gets pregnant, his widowed mother hysterically demands he return home and act like the man of the family - but he hasn't a clue what to do. To compound his troubles, he is involved in secretly handling the closure of a local factory - the very place where his dream girl works... An instantly likeable character, Joe is a great creation - a funny lad who cares deeply about his mates and family and has great intentions but ends up being as useless about life as the rest of us.
A remarkably assured debut, DEAD CAT BOUNCE is fresh, extremely well written and will appeal to all those who love Mike Gayle as well as Ardal O'Hanlon.
It's hilarious...everything from existentialist nuns to hard ass girls. Every single man should read it to affirm how sad we really are - Dermot O'Leary
'A great laugh and a good debut'
U Magazine
'Owens has been tagged with the label of being the male equivalent of the extremely successful female-oriented writer, Marian Keyes. Given her excellent sales figures this is prasie indeed, especially so when you consider that this is his first novel where the pace is lightening fast and the prose witty and sharp ... There's plenty to relate to and to laugh at here'
Engine
An insightful, very funny novel about the confusions of growing up, at whatever age. A fresh and absorbing peek into the mind of a bloke who's never quite got around to facing up to life - Heat
'A superb debut by a 30-year-old Monaghan writer captures the rituals of single life in modern Dublin, complete with a sardonic everybody-hates-me perspective on life from one of those born losers who frequently star in comic novels. ... The joy of the novel is in the details, the idiosyncrasies of bedsit life. Unlike most of our blacker modern humorists, Owens doesn't need the plot to go skywards before raising a laugh, and his ability to plant a surprise or a turn of phrase to illuminate every page makes this a very special book. This is one of the best first pieces of fiction we are likely to get in 2001 and the year is but a pup'
In Dublin
If you really want to know how men behave when they're behaving really badly, read this. This is very funny - Company
'The best thing about DEAD CAT BOUNCE is Owens' knack for capturing small nuances that make up a character and his sharp and comical observation of everyday events. The start of the book is immediately engaging ... and the first half of the novel is encouragingly page-turning, inviting you to find out what happens next. And it is interspersed with witty scenes we can all relate to. His perceptions of men bonding with men, in particular in their discussions of women, are also delightfully revealing'
Sunday Tribune
'I found myself laughing aloud ... wonderful descriptions. An enjoyable and revelatory account of how young men function in a difficult world'
Bookview Ireland