‘Affection’s triumph is that of an assured novelist of any genre. She sets a scene in curt but vivid detail and injects emotional vibrancy into even cursory encounters….From the outset, Kneen is acutely sexual; her journey, rather, is one of reconciling sex with something that is much harder to understand in a world where magazine covers scream their demands for the perfect orgasm, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect body. Learning to live with yourself, perhaps. Learning not to fall in love with your friends. Learning the meaning of affection. No arrogance required.’

‘In this beautifully written, painfully honest book, Kneen explores sexuality, the body and self-image, and the intersection between the three…Kneen’s stark, sensuous writing style and clear-eyed honesty are immensely appealing. And Affection is not just sensuous in relation to writing about the erotic; her childhood recollections are steeped in smells, colours and textures. This is an assured debut.’

‘Affection goes all the way…[the book] seems like an authentic expression of feminine salaciousness, rather than one a woman thinks may be enjoyed by a man…[Kneen] takes a wild pride in refusing to primp either herself or her story into stereotypical palatability.’