Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door

Ross Montgomery is a first-time author. He started writing stories as a teenager, when he really should have been doing homework, and continued doing so at university. After graduating, he experimented with working as a pig farmer and a postman before deciding to channel these skills into teaching at a primary school. He wrote his novel when he really should have been marking homework. He lives in Finsbury Park with his girlfriend and many, many dead plants.

If you prefer a strange, slightly surreal world, then I'd recommend Alex, The Dog And The Unopenable Door by Ross Montgomery (Faber, GBP6.99), out on August 1. When his father, a famous explorer, disappears, Alex is forced to embark on an adventure to discover what really lies at the heart of the mysterious Forbidden Lands. Quirky, silly and perfect for dog lovers. -- Sarah Kingsford Sunday Express 20130721 Underneath this barking mad romp there's a moving message about love, loss, fear, and identity. A highly original debut novel. -- Sally Morris Daily Mail 20130726 This original, funny debut concerns 12-year-old Alex who is bullied not least because his father, once a celebrated explorer, has gone mad and believes he is a dog. Full of delightful characterisation, sometimes farcical, sometimes poignant, this novel involves a quest, a brass band of deliquent youngsters and a fierce girl with false teeth. Children's fiction has a remarkable new comic voice. -- Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times 20130811 An intriguing title - always a good start! Immediately, the reader thinks this book will be out of the ordinary and you won't be disappointed. Alex Jennings is a boy with a problem - well, three problems actually. He's been sent to boarding school; his father is a failed explorer and Davidus Kyte and all his henchmen are after him, convinced he alone knows the meaning of the word 'squiggles'. With the help of a talking dog and a girl with unfeasibly sharp teeth, he just might have what it takes to cross the Forbidden Lands, escape the evil Davidus Kyte, and find out what lies beyond the Cusp... An unusual and exciting story. -- Sarah Parents in Touch 20130717