Esther is Now Following You

It was SUCH a pleasure to read Esther. Tanya’s voice is so funny and moving. Esther’s story shows how trauma and loss can lead to fixation and mental illness. There’s such a sad story at the heart of the book but it’s told with great verve and lightness of touch. I really REALLY felt for her – and also for Johnny. The dialogue is chef’s kiss! This is such a great book - it’s hard to believe it's a first novel - it’s done with great confidence and conviction. People will LOVE it! * Marian Keyes, No.1 Sunday Times bestseller *
I loved this book. Messy Essie is a wonderful character. A wild ride of a read, funny yet poignant, it is a gripping page turner. * Liz Nugent, No.1 Bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond *
'Light and dark all at once – sharply observed, full of heart, and easily the funniest book I’ve read this year, I adored it and was rooting for Esther right to the end.' * Andrea Mara, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of No One Saw a Thing *
Tanya Sweeney’s debut, Esther Is Now Following You looks particularly appealing. It’s about a woman who suffers a trauma and turns towards an obsession with a celebrity to cope. * The Times *
Esther is a fantastically nuanced character - Tanya Sweeney has such an eye for detail, the characters leap from the page, bright and alive. Humorous, chilling, and sometimes an uncomfortable read but you’re never not in Esther’s desperate, awkward corner that she has backed herself into. A sharp and addictive insight into the mind of a grieving woman, who fills her emptiness with obsession. I thoroughly recommend. * Cecelia Ahern *
A sex, drugs and rock'n'roll spin on Bridget Jones. This is car-crash reading at times — uncomfortable and cringe, but completely compelling. * Sunday Independent *
I really loved it. A nuanced novel about trauma, grief and the ways in which we can struggle to process dreadful things. It's also really funny. Tanya Sweeney knows how to balance darkness with a little light, and she has such a way with words – I was hooting and hollering. * Alice Slater, author of Sunday Times bestseller, Death of a Bookseller *
Oh, I adored this book so much I read it in a day. Bittersweetly funny, wildly entertaining and tugs at your heartstrings, Esther is a wonderful character at the heart of an exceptional book. Esther, I'm now following you! * Sarah Pinborough *
Sharp, funny and written with a whole lot of heart. * Mary Watson, author of Irish Times bestseller The Cleaner *
Billed as Fleabag meets Baby Reindeer, this darkly funny page-turner follows Esther's increasingly unhinged obsession with a celebrity actor. The debut takes aim at fandom, parasocial relationships and the fine line between devotion and delusion. * i Paper *
'Tanya Sweeney is a brilliant writer. She really has it all. A smart, funny, emotional new voice with the added bonus of perfect, snappy, zingy prose. Esther is Now Following You is funny and sad, dark and light, poignant and cringeworthy all at once. I honestly couldn't put it down. It had me laughing out loud at points, cringing behind my fingers at others, and had me close to tears. A brilliant book about growing up, wising up and realising what - and who - is important in life.' * Edel Coffey, No.1 Irish Times bestselling author of Breaking Point *
A hugely impressive and compulsive debut, crackling with humour, real heart and piercing insight - and starring a heroine (or anti-heroine?) you won't soon forget. I devoured it in one glorious gulp. * Catherine Ryan Howard, internationally bestselling author of Burn After Reading *
The book everyone is going to be talking about! Such a timely read about parasocial relationships and a woman who begins stalking a famous actor. I raced through this funny yet unsettling book – and found it all too relatable. * Good Housekeeping *
A FABULOUS sad and funny debut about fame and obsessive fandom… I raced to the explosive end. * Daily Mail *
There are characters who captivate you while reading, but I guarantee Tanya Sweeney’s gloriously complex heroine will live in your head long after finishing Esther Is Now Following You...thrilling, hilarious, and at times, deeply moving. Sweeney manages to balance a compelling layered plot with an astute insight into women’s lives and the ease with which any one of us might slide into the darkness of online life. The assuredness of style and the sheer exhilaration of the storyline make this an absolute belter of a debut. Very soon, everyone will be following Esther! * Frances Crawford, author of A Bad, Bad Place *
It was an honour to narrate such a wild and wonderfully written story! I’ve truly never read anything like it. The Tedettes aren’t ready. * Evanna Lynch *
This surprisingly dark, but brilliant, debut takes an emotional look at love and loss. * Sun *
Looks set to be the smash of 2026...A joyride that’s challenging not to finish in one go…A pacy, darkly funny and original thriller about obsession and celebrity fandom...a compelling portrayal of a sharply funny, often exasperating, woman in the grips of an acute mental spiral. * Irish Times *
Gossipy, darkly funny, and deliciously unhinged, Esther captures the chaotic energy of early-2010s internet culture, feeling like a sharp pop-culture time capsule. Combining Fleabag’s humour, Green Dot’s obsessive longing, and the momentum of Baby Reindeer, Sweeney crafts a compulsive psychological thriller that has drawn widespread acclaim." * Cosmopolitan, Best Books for 2026 *
For any women who enjoy reading about unhinged female protagonists… Oh yeah, I knew it was going to be good. Tanya’s brilliant, I’ve been reading her for years.. this needs to be a huge Netflix series. * Joanne McNally *
Hugely looking forward to this bookish treat in 2026, soooo culturally on point. * Elizabeth Day, bestselling author of One of Us *
I was entirely compelled by this dark and dizzying novel - a tragicomic exploration of obsession, grief and desire. It was unsettling, unexpected and addictive. I loved it. * Emma Van Straaten, author of This Immaculate Body *
An addictive tale of parasocial obsession from a brilliant writer, this is the thinking way to kickstart a reading spree. * Stylist *
I completely loved it. It's a rare find when a book makes me laugh, sob and read late into the night - but this one managed all three! Esther is a brilliant character - I backed her all the way - even at her most derailed moments. * Emily Edwards *
What a great book this was. I was laughing and crying throughout – it was amazing! It’s an emotional roller coaster ride of a novel, where obsession and fandom come together and then go completely off the rails. Wow, what a hilarious read. I was sad when the book ended, as I loved Esther so much. * Take a Break, Book of the Month *
A debut novel about one woman’s emotional struggles deftly lays bare the dangers of obsession in the age of social media… Esther is Now Following You is a witty, riotous, and topical examination of extreme parasocial relationships and an exploration of the boundaries between fandom and obsession. You will feel yourself drawn into Esther’s quest, overwhelmed with the urge to share her but, ultimately, hoping she finds peace and contentment. * Bookseller *
Fresh and funny. * Hello! *
I loved this book. A perfect mix of mad bitch energy, desperate loneliness and the realities of Internet fandom. I loved and loathed Esther at various stages, but was rooting for her no matter what. The kind of debut everyone dreams of. * Emer McLysaght, author of Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling *
Ultimate holiday read. OBSESSED. * Catherine Gray, author of Sunday Times bestseller The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober *
This funny, fierce first novel tells the story of a young woman who develops an obsession with a famous comedian and starts stalking him. * Irish Independent *