Meet Me at the Surface

A haunting ode to Cornish folklore and the secrets of the places we call home

Reviews

'Mysterious and otherworldly, this powerfully brutal novel is the most exciting thing I've read in years. The writing is so assured, it’s almost impossible to believe it’s a debut' S. J. Watson
'A lyrical exploration of landscape, folklore and self, this has haunted me since I read it. Brilliantly captures the feelings of not fitting in and the intensity of first love' Emily Barr
‘A strange and beautiful novel from a first-time author who skillfully wields mystery and unease. Matthews’s writing is brilliantly assured. Skipping effortlessly between past and present, she wields language powerfully and brutally, yet with a lightness of touch that is deceptively seductive. It’s hard to believe it’s the work of a first-time novelist' Observer
‘Meet Me At The Surface is a book where language feels like hands reaching into the soil, where landscapes feel alive, where sentences, houses and memory are suffused with the uncanny. It manages to do the magic trick of containing a propulsive narrative whilst being formally inventive, weaving complex narrative strands into a compelling, beguiling tapestry. It is an astonishing book by a special writer' Tom De Freston, author of Wreck
‘Assured and beautifully written, Jodie Matthews’ novel is an astonishing debut. It’s rare to find the Cornwall which most of us Cornish recognise in modern literature, but it’s here in all its vivid and magical glory. Rhythmic, atmospheric and endearing’ Charlie Carroll, author of The Lip
'A brilliantly modern take on the Celtic folkloric tradition, Meet Me At The Surface is a beautifully written lament that creeps under the skin long after you have finished reading. An affecting and deeply absorbing read' Jade Angeles Fitton, author of Hermit