Pulse Points

‘A master of short fiction, this short story collection brings together works including her prize-winning ‘Aokigahara’…Down’s prose isn’t afraid of dark subject matter, and handles this with a sharpness and clarity that is a delight to read.'—The Herald Sun

‘A haunting and evocative collection of stories about quietly courageous characters facing loss in its many forms.’—Abigail Ulman, author of Hot Little Hands

‘Down is a subtly extraordinary writer, and Pulse Points is one of the best Australian literary offerings we’ll see this year.’—Good Reading

‘A finely crafted collection that reminds us how sad and beautiful it is simply to be alive.’—Saturday Paper

‘Pulse Points is beautiful…Down has insight into the human condition beyond her years and a talent for writing realism in unwaveringly sharp prose. In Pulse Points she uses these skills to make a statement about the many different hearts beating in the one universe, however unrelated they may seem.’—Kill Your Darlings

‘I honestly couldn’t recommend Pulse Points more highly. These are snapshots of ordinary people grappling with the small joys and deeper heartaches of ordinary lives, and the result is a powerful and deeply affecting collection.’—Readings

‘Down is exemplary at drawing whole characters and quickly giving them depth. Stories are heavy with atmosphere, and words are chosen with care.’—Sydney Morning Herald

‘One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful books I have ever read.’—Hot Chicks With Big Brains

‘Pulse Points is an impressively poised and even collection…Down’s stories are alive with psychological acuity and technical dexterity. They offer thoughtful, sometimes heartbreaking, insights into our anxieties and desires…Readers of her intelligent, subtle, and affecting prose clearly have much to look forward to.’—Australian Book Review

‘These stories are studies in concision and with their strong social justice message they function like shocks. Though they are often about the disempowered, they ripple out with a seismic intensity, hinting at just how far this dazzling young writer might go.’—The Australian

‘Down’s ability to inhabit the minds of her characters is eerily good, and no two voices in this collection seem alike. Her prose is tight and original. This is the sort of book that bibliophiles will delight in underlining, collecting those sentences too good to leave on the page…It is a collection which will bring you to your knees.’—AU Review

‘Pulse Points is fluid, graceful and shocking. Down serves life up ruthlessly to us, in small, heart-wrenching packages, overturning expectations swiftly from story to story, but leaving us faintly uplifted in the end.'—Overland

‘In this astonishing collection of short stories, Jennifer Down weaves intricate and moving portraits of love and loss…A powerful new talent.’—The Weekly Times