Ask Me Again

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }} Send as a gift
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

One of The New Yorker's Best Books of the Year
'A finely drawn portrait of the kind of friendship we rarely see in contemporary fiction' - The Guardian
'Impressive and sophisticated' - The Daily Telegraph

How much knowledge do you need in order to know someone?

As her grandmother is dying, sixteen-year-old Eva wanders the halls of a hospital. There, she spots Jamie. Despite having little in common, from this chance-encounter stems a life-changing platonic love.

She is sixteen, living in middle-class Brooklyn; he is the same age, but from the super-rich of Upper Manhattan. She’s observant, cautious, eager to seem normal; he’s bold, mysterious, eccentric. Eva’s family is warm and welcoming, but Jamie avoids going home to his.

As Eva goes off to university and falls in and out of love, Jamie drops out and is drawn towards radical experiments in politics and religion. Their separate spheres seem to be spiralling away from each other, but it soon becomes clear that they are both circling the same question: how do you define yourself and your beliefs in a divided and unjust world?

Written with precision and immense wit, Ask Me Again is a journey of intimacy across time. A love story of sorts, this coming-of-age novel explores how relationships can define us, change us and point us towards futures we might not have imagined for ourselves.

A Finalist for The Center For Fiction First Novel Prize


‘Beautiful . . . Clare Sestanovich is a writer of disarming radiance’ – Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness
‘A deeply philosophical novel, which surprises and delights at every turn’ – Jenny Offill, author of Weather

Critics Review

Pulled along by the shimmering subtleties of Sestanovich’s prose, we track our boy and girl into adulthood . . . a finely drawn portrait of the kind of friendship we rarely see in contemporary fiction
Jonathan Lee, The Guardian
Sestanovich’s allusive tone and incisive prose recall the best of Rooney
Michael Arditti, Spectator
Ask Me Again is a beautifully observed and deeply philosophical novel, which surprises and delights at every turn
Jenny Offill, author of Weather
Rigorous, intensely observed, and brimming with the sort of elusive revelations that form the heartbeat of a life, Sestanovich’s novel debut demonstrates a tremendous gift at rendering the texture of love, faith, and heartbreak with both subtlety and force. In her masterful hands, relationships condense, turn acute, and unfurl with symphonic grace across the individual arcs of characters that you can’t help but carry with you long afterward
Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun
Quietly revelatory . . . there is something of Sally Rooney in Ask Me Again’s creation of intimacy through curiosity and gentle interrogation. Although here, refreshingly, rather than centring on connection, the narrative propulsion is towards making peace with being alone . . . an assured coming-of-age novel asks if we can truly know anyone but ourselves
Miriam Balanescu, Financial Times
This beautiful debut novel is wise about intellectual and erotic discovery, disenchantment and loneliness. It’s alert to the small moments of awkwardness and grace that make up the texture of common life; its quiet, tectonic power comes from an awareness of how easily common life can tilt toward catastrophe. Clare Sestanovich is a writer of disarming radiance
Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness
Sestanovich captivates with her distinctive characterizations . . . an intelligent exploration of lives in the making
Publishers Weekly
Ask Me Again is both an impressive and sophisticated novel
Lucy Thynne, The Daily Telegraph
Her first novel, about sex, success and transgression among millennial's like their author, is tightly written – another debut to be reckoned with
The Telegraph

More from the same

Author

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.