‘A smart, sad, and funny debut novel… a truly enjoyable read!’ – Portland Book Review

‘S. V. Berlin’s quietly compelling debut novel balances keen observations with welcome moments of humor; there are subtly eloquent undertones about matters of loss, life, and death... Caught up in a triangle of tension, miscommunication, emotion, and memory, the characters are appealingly dysfunctional, flawed, and not soon forgotten.’ – Foreword Reviews

‘A very elegant and real discourse on the nature of grief and the subtle, insidious way it sneaks into life long after the dramas and ritual of a funeral is over.’ – Retreat West

‘The tensions are both funny and tender in this assured debut.’ – Elle, Book of the Month

‘The writing is stylish and mature, eloquent and flowing. And there are few who read this [novel] who will not identify with the human dynamics in the story. There is a sensitive understanding of what grief and bereavement do to you. And there is also an understanding of what people do to one another when they are unable to communicate effectively... This is an intelligent piece of work and this writer deserves a lot of credit’ – New Books Nudge

‘Only our blood relations truly know how to push our buttons, and S.V.Berlin captures every detail of family fallouts in The Favourite.’ – Good Housekeeping, One to Watch

‘Berlin crafts her characters with aplomb... Particularly admirable is the often darkly comic tone she employs to deal with such stigmatised themes as death and estrangement. S.V. Berlin is very much a writer to watch.’ – Disclaimer Magazine

‘Original, surprising, and immensely skilled... Twisting in unexpected directions and keeping the reader on their toes throughout. Underneath the gentle suburban drama, here is an intricately crafted plot featuring three fascinating characters – this is a fantastically assured debut.’ – The Bookbag

‘Fiction should reach far beneath the surface of life and The Favourite does that with conviction and restraint. Written in precise, stylish prose, it gradually unveils a world of secrets and regret that is real, engaging, and subtly comic. A notable debut from a writer to look out for.’ – Adam Baron

‘Berlin's portrayal of family and loss – from the every day tensions to the greatest of unspoken truths – is both subtle and profoundly touching. I loved it.’ – Isabel Ashdown