The Rest is Weight

‘Daring and unsettling, [Jennifer Mills] tests her readers' limits with short, sharp tales.’ Sydney Morning Herald

‘If the stories can feel like self-imposed tests of what Mills can do, they are also daring, unsettling and assured.’ Saturday Age

‘Mills delves unto the unspoken world, entertaining with her ambiguous theatre.’ Bonzer

‘A writer of extraordinary range and imagination.’ Cate Kennedy

‘Mills has a knack for capturing moments that define what it is to be human. An intriguing and elegantly crafted collection, which cements Mills’ reputation as one of Australia’s most versatile young writers.’ Bookseller Publisher '4-star review'

‘Sharp as acid, surreal, dreamy, other-worldly, bitingly familiar, so Australian and wickedly entertaining.’ Geelong Advertiser


Praise for Jennifer Mills:

‘Mills is one of the more distinctive and adventurous of the current crop of emerging Australian writers.’ Adelaide Advertiser

'It is clear she is a brilliant writer …’ Bookseller Publisher

‘There’s a precision and coolness to the words, as well as a palette of moods and tones that go towards creating beautifully varied worlds. It’s a sign of Mills’ strength as a writer.’ Readings Monthly

'[Mills is] a writer of remarkable imagination and exceptional clarity, and The Rest is Weight is a fine showcase of her talents. She entices readers with a cool, crisp realism and then something magical happens … we're suddenly transported into spaces that shimmer with lyricism, with something almost surreal.' Canberra Times

‘A skilled and exacting collection.’ Coffs Coast Independent

‘Mills is a poet, and this is evident in the cool brevity and precision of the words she chooses. There is much to applaud in this first collection. It is thoughtful and filmic, the language is nattily coiled, and the stories have depth.’ Weekend Australian

‘Stylistically Mills is not afraid to maintain restlessness. Most impressive are the stories that inhabit small town and outback Australia where self and reality shift.’ Adelaide Review

‘Mills’ stories have quite a range.’ Melbourne Review

‘Powerful and beautiful. It is wonderful to read.The stories are fascinating morsels that raise questions, get underneath your skin, and always leaving you wishing for more ’ ArtsHub

‘A truly engrossing collection. [It] reveals the author's masterful way with language and reminds us of the strength of the short story form.’ The Week

‘She is definitely a writer who knows her craft and, in leaving so much unspoken, she gives the reader much.’ ANZ LitLovers LitBlog

‘Mills successfully and deftly brings to life a multitude of different voices. [The] strong, engrossing stories resonate with the reader long afterwards.’ Herald-Sun

‘The striking cover image which twists our intrigue into revulsion and our surprise into dread, is just a taste of what's bubbling beneath the surface of The Rest Is Weight. Mills is a compelling storyteller with her own defined style and unflinching eye; her finely crafted words become salve for the wounds. Lovers of literary fiction, as well as those unafraid to travel into the great wide open, will not be disappointed by what they find here.’ Sun-Herald

‘It's almost impossible to put down.’ Sunday Age

‘Mills’ greatest gift is the ability to turn a story on its head. [This] is a book that will draw in new readers, as well as pleasing those who have already enjoyed her previous two novels. ’ Australian Book Review

‘[Written] with a tough, unsentimental grace and storytelling gifts to burn.’ The Ember