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The Student: A Gripping Neo-Noir Thriller
A Gripping Thriller Shortlisted for the Prestigious Ned Kelly AwardNEW EDITION contains bonus a new afterword, an extended interview with Iain Ryan about the writing of the novel, 3 deleted scenes, and a previously unpublished TV script adapted from the book.
In the heart of small-town Australia, a killer lurks in the shadows. When local girl Maya Kibby is found murdered, the once-quiet college town of Gatton, Queensland, is plunged into chaos and fear. Student Nate Byrne finds himself caught in the middle of the murder investigation. It seems his class mates harbour dark secrets, and even darker connections to a local biker gang.
With its breakneck pacing, gritty atmosphere, and stunning prose, The Student is a standout neo-noir thriller that will keep you guessing until the final, heart-stopping revelation. As Nate confronts the evil hiding behind familiar faces, author Iain Ryan masterfully peels back the layers of a seemingly idyllic town to expose the dark underbelly beneath.
"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Book of the year!" - READER REVIEW
Shortlisted for Australia's most coveted crime fiction award, The Student has earned its place as a must-read for fans of hardboiled crime. With over eighty 4- and 5-star reviews on Goodreads and praise from bestselling authors like Adrian McKinty and David Whish-Wilson, this standalone novel is a testament to Ryan's exceptional talent.
"A terrific neo-noir from an exciting new voice in Australian crime fiction" - Adrian McKinty, author of THE CHAIN and THE ISLAND
In the heart of small-town Australia, a killer lurks in the shadows. When local girl Maya Kibby is found murdered, the once-quiet college town of Gatton, Queensland, is plunged into chaos and fear. Student Nate Byrne finds himself caught in the middle of the murder investigation. It seems his class mates harbour dark secrets, and even darker connections to a local biker gang.
With its breakneck pacing, gritty atmosphere, and stunning prose, The Student is a standout neo-noir thriller that will keep you guessing until the final, heart-stopping revelation. As Nate confronts the evil hiding behind familiar faces, author Iain Ryan masterfully peels back the layers of a seemingly idyllic town to expose the dark underbelly beneath.
"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Book of the year!" - READER REVIEW
Shortlisted for Australia's most coveted crime fiction award, The Student has earned its place as a must-read for fans of hardboiled crime. With over eighty 4- and 5-star reviews on Goodreads and praise from bestselling authors like Adrian McKinty and David Whish-Wilson, this standalone novel is a testament to Ryan's exceptional talent.
"A terrific neo-noir from an exciting new voice in Australian crime fiction" - Adrian McKinty, author of THE CHAIN and THE ISLAND
- GenresCrimeFictionYoung Adult
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2017
18 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Iain Ryan
15 books82 followersIain Ryan grew up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. He predominantly writes in the hard-boiled/noir genre and his work has been previously published by Akashic Books Online, Crime Factory, Kill Your Darlings and Seizure.
His novella, Four Days, was published in November 2015 by small press Broken River Books (Portland, USA). The following year the book was shortlisted for the Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Debut Fiction). It didn’t win. Then Broken River Books folded, and the book fell out-of-print. On a roll, Ryan wrote and
self-published a trilogy of grimy romans durs, all set in the Queensland tropics: Drainland (2016), Harsh Recovery (2016), and Civil Twilight (2017).
Disillusioned with self-publishing, Ryan submitted the
manuscript for The Student to a single editor (Angela Meyer, an
acquaintance) and the book was published by Echo Publishing. In 2018, The Student was shortlisted for The Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Novel). In 2021, Echo Publishing and Bonnier Zaffre (UK) published Ryan’s third novel, The Spiral. Virtually no one liked it, except Ryan himself. In 2023, Ultimo Press published Ryan’s sixth novel The Strip. A QBD Book of the Month, The Strip is Ryan’s highest selling book to date and will be followed by sequel, The Dream (2024).
His novella, Four Days, was published in November 2015 by small press Broken River Books (Portland, USA). The following year the book was shortlisted for the Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Debut Fiction). It didn’t win. Then Broken River Books folded, and the book fell out-of-print. On a roll, Ryan wrote and
self-published a trilogy of grimy romans durs, all set in the Queensland tropics: Drainland (2016), Harsh Recovery (2016), and Civil Twilight (2017).
Disillusioned with self-publishing, Ryan submitted the
manuscript for The Student to a single editor (Angela Meyer, an
acquaintance) and the book was published by Echo Publishing. In 2018, The Student was shortlisted for The Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Novel). In 2021, Echo Publishing and Bonnier Zaffre (UK) published Ryan’s third novel, The Spiral. Virtually no one liked it, except Ryan himself. In 2023, Ultimo Press published Ryan’s sixth novel The Strip. A QBD Book of the Month, The Strip is Ryan’s highest selling book to date and will be followed by sequel, The Dream (2024).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 10, 2017
Wow, well this really wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought this was going to be a little mysterious but it wasn’t in the slightest. It was just hardcore, gritty Australian crime.
This one is seriously dark and graphic. I’m not really into the gritty sex, gritty crime kind of books, so a lot of this one wasn’t really my cup of tea. We follow around a student drug dealer whose friend, and supplier, has gone missing. What ensues is a long journey of some seriously gruesome discoveries. While, of course, this book has a plot, it’s one of those books that also feels like it has no plot. It concludes itself, but it doesn’t really finish.
I enjoyed the way it was written. The snappy sentences and the minimal descriptions, it felt right for this book. It definitely wasn’t the best written book in the world, but it did what it needed to do and it did it quite well.
As for characters, there’s no one to like in this book and I think that’s intentional. I mean, don’t me wrong, I did empathise with Nate in some parts but he wasn’t a likeable guy.
In the end, this one just kind of depressed me and was reminiscent of Sarah by JT LeRoy in it’s brutal darkness. I think maybe the synopsis needs to be changed because it definitely sounds like a completely different novel to the one I just finished.
This one is seriously dark and graphic. I’m not really into the gritty sex, gritty crime kind of books, so a lot of this one wasn’t really my cup of tea. We follow around a student drug dealer whose friend, and supplier, has gone missing. What ensues is a long journey of some seriously gruesome discoveries. While, of course, this book has a plot, it’s one of those books that also feels like it has no plot. It concludes itself, but it doesn’t really finish.
I enjoyed the way it was written. The snappy sentences and the minimal descriptions, it felt right for this book. It definitely wasn’t the best written book in the world, but it did what it needed to do and it did it quite well.
As for characters, there’s no one to like in this book and I think that’s intentional. I mean, don’t me wrong, I did empathise with Nate in some parts but he wasn’t a likeable guy.
In the end, this one just kind of depressed me and was reminiscent of Sarah by JT LeRoy in it’s brutal darkness. I think maybe the synopsis needs to be changed because it definitely sounds like a completely different novel to the one I just finished.
June 22, 2017
The Student is the second book by Australian musician and author, Iain Ryan. It’s 1994 and Nathan Byrnes is doing Business Studies at UoQ campus in Gatton, Queensland. He works at MacDonalds to help make ends meet. The profits from his thriving business selling marijuana to his fellow students go to an altogether more altruistic cause.
But suddenly, things are coming apart: his supplies are running low and his dealer is nowhere to be found; a missing girl has turned up murdered; and two bikies with a taste for brutality have given him an ultimatum that involves a horrendously large sum of money.
Ryan easily evokes the Queensland Uni scene of the mid-nineties: the attitudes, the characters and the dialogue all have an authentic feel. His plot is entirely plausible and races through twists and turns to its inevitable conclusion.
Given the subject matter, readers can expect copious use of profanities as well as explicit sex, graphic violence and indiscriminate drug and alcohol consumption. That said, this is a tale that will resonate with readers of a certain vintage (aged mid-forties), especially if they have been Uni students, more especially if they enjoyed a bit of weed. Raw, dark and compelling.
With thanks to Echo Publishing for this copy to read and review
But suddenly, things are coming apart: his supplies are running low and his dealer is nowhere to be found; a missing girl has turned up murdered; and two bikies with a taste for brutality have given him an ultimatum that involves a horrendously large sum of money.
Ryan easily evokes the Queensland Uni scene of the mid-nineties: the attitudes, the characters and the dialogue all have an authentic feel. His plot is entirely plausible and races through twists and turns to its inevitable conclusion.
Given the subject matter, readers can expect copious use of profanities as well as explicit sex, graphic violence and indiscriminate drug and alcohol consumption. That said, this is a tale that will resonate with readers of a certain vintage (aged mid-forties), especially if they have been Uni students, more especially if they enjoyed a bit of weed. Raw, dark and compelling.
With thanks to Echo Publishing for this copy to read and review
December 27, 2018
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**3.5 stars**
The Student by Iain Ryan. (2017).
It is 1994 in Gatton, Queensland. Nate is a uni student who deals marijuana. A girl called Maya has been killed by an unknown person. Nate's friend and dealer is missing and Nate needs more marijuana. He is high, alone and being threatened by bikies when he finds a suitcase with terrible things inside.
This is quite the compelling story. It is an Australian crime novel and is pretty dark really. There is a large amount of graphic violence and pornographic references, as well as drug use throughout the novel. Nate is high basically the whole book which gave the narrative a kind of rough, raw and gritty feel. I thought the plot in its entirety was a bit far fetched but at the same time I liked it; I found it different and a real message there of people being not always what they seem to those closest to them. I think most readers would either appreciate this book or be put off by it quite early on.
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**3.5 stars**
The Student by Iain Ryan. (2017).
It is 1994 in Gatton, Queensland. Nate is a uni student who deals marijuana. A girl called Maya has been killed by an unknown person. Nate's friend and dealer is missing and Nate needs more marijuana. He is high, alone and being threatened by bikies when he finds a suitcase with terrible things inside.
This is quite the compelling story. It is an Australian crime novel and is pretty dark really. There is a large amount of graphic violence and pornographic references, as well as drug use throughout the novel. Nate is high basically the whole book which gave the narrative a kind of rough, raw and gritty feel. I thought the plot in its entirety was a bit far fetched but at the same time I liked it; I found it different and a real message there of people being not always what they seem to those closest to them. I think most readers would either appreciate this book or be put off by it quite early on.
July 13, 2017
3 1/2 stars
Description:
It must be the great writing!
My expectations of this book were not met. I did not like any of the characters – not one. I did not like the settings or the behaviours; so much impulsive, self-gratifying, drug fuelled behaviour - and when I say drug fuelled, read that as over the top liberal drug use (and I do hope this is not a realistic portraying of University life in the 1990’s) and did I say drug use and then there was the sex scenes and the violence – sometimes simultaneously … this is a very dark, gritty narrative and not for me, and I usually love dark and gritty. Yet contrarily there was something about this writing that kept me turning pages!
Am I in the wrong demographic for reading this – maybe, probably? Yet I still turned the pages – it was a compulsive and compelling read. Hats off to the author for such engaging writing. This is irresistible dark prose.
Description:
It must be the great writing!
My expectations of this book were not met. I did not like any of the characters – not one. I did not like the settings or the behaviours; so much impulsive, self-gratifying, drug fuelled behaviour - and when I say drug fuelled, read that as over the top liberal drug use (and I do hope this is not a realistic portraying of University life in the 1990’s) and did I say drug use and then there was the sex scenes and the violence – sometimes simultaneously … this is a very dark, gritty narrative and not for me, and I usually love dark and gritty. Yet contrarily there was something about this writing that kept me turning pages!
Am I in the wrong demographic for reading this – maybe, probably? Yet I still turned the pages – it was a compulsive and compelling read. Hats off to the author for such engaging writing. This is irresistible dark prose.
December 8, 2017
Iain Ryan is the best kept secret in crime fiction. It's not the first time I tell you that.
He is so good at taking a hackneyed plot idea (the carefree, juvenile weed dealer inheriting an unforeseen debt to organized crime) and pulling it apart. Deconstructing it, focusing on details this sort of story leaves aside. THE STUDENT explores the vacuum created by tragedy, the alienation and the confusion but also the confrontation of one's deepest fear coming true. It's as lean and visceral as anything else he's ever written, but it's exploring a whole other aspect of the Australian underworld.
One thing I appreciated less was the rural geography lesson. The protagonist Nate travels from town to town looking for his friend and provider Jesse, and I know they're supposed to all be desolate places, but as a Canadian reader, I couldn't see how they differed from one another.
He is so good at taking a hackneyed plot idea (the carefree, juvenile weed dealer inheriting an unforeseen debt to organized crime) and pulling it apart. Deconstructing it, focusing on details this sort of story leaves aside. THE STUDENT explores the vacuum created by tragedy, the alienation and the confusion but also the confrontation of one's deepest fear coming true. It's as lean and visceral as anything else he's ever written, but it's exploring a whole other aspect of the Australian underworld.
One thing I appreciated less was the rural geography lesson. The protagonist Nate travels from town to town looking for his friend and provider Jesse, and I know they're supposed to all be desolate places, but as a Canadian reader, I couldn't see how they differed from one another.
July 4, 2017
3*
[proper review here]
I must give a big thank you to the author, Iain Ryan, the publisher, Bonnier Publishing Australia and Netgalley for approving me and giving me this opportunity. This is a completely honest review.
A cute (well not really that cute) story that read like a episodic autobiography.
The writing fel real, raw and it really was fast paced. I liked and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The thing that got me confused was those "two" points of view we could find in each chapter. I didn't know if they were different people, past and present or what... but at the end everything it got cleared out.
This was not what I was expecting. I expected some mystery to it but we got to follow a drug dealer in fact. Not an easy life, but I guess you know from the beginning what you signed up for right? I would categorize this as a novella or short story where we follow a 'not so bad' drug dealer who needs to make things right. There are some bumps along the way where we get to see the darker side of this world. A categorized this as a short story because it could have been more. I would ask more of a novel.
I didn't feel an attachment to any of the characters displayed here but that might be because I really didn't know about most of this stuff. You know about what you see on TV but everything described here felt completely real and non fictional, for some reason.
The fact is that I got an image of this Australian town that I didn't like. I know we were centered in a drug user crowd but everyone here seemed to be an user, which doesn't sound realistic at all.
I got a copy of this one in netgalley but my opinions are my own.
[proper review here]
I must give a big thank you to the author, Iain Ryan, the publisher, Bonnier Publishing Australia and Netgalley for approving me and giving me this opportunity. This is a completely honest review.
A cute (well not really that cute) story that read like a episodic autobiography.
The writing fel real, raw and it really was fast paced. I liked and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The thing that got me confused was those "two" points of view we could find in each chapter. I didn't know if they were different people, past and present or what... but at the end everything it got cleared out.
This was not what I was expecting. I expected some mystery to it but we got to follow a drug dealer in fact. Not an easy life, but I guess you know from the beginning what you signed up for right? I would categorize this as a novella or short story where we follow a 'not so bad' drug dealer who needs to make things right. There are some bumps along the way where we get to see the darker side of this world. A categorized this as a short story because it could have been more. I would ask more of a novel.
I didn't feel an attachment to any of the characters displayed here but that might be because I really didn't know about most of this stuff. You know about what you see on TV but everything described here felt completely real and non fictional, for some reason.
The fact is that I got an image of this Australian town that I didn't like. I know we were centered in a drug user crowd but everyone here seemed to be an user, which doesn't sound realistic at all.
I got a copy of this one in netgalley but my opinions are my own.
November 17, 2017
The Student is fast-paced, dry as dust, gritty Australian regional noir. Full Review at Newtown Review of Books.
July 31, 2017
With drug trafficking, drug use, murder and lots of sex, it's safe to say that The Student isn't my usual read. It's a dark and compelling read about the consequences of drug trafficking and use.
Set at a university in rural Gatton, it follows Nate who is dealing weed under the wings of his friend Jesse. When he hears of a local murder, and his missing childhood friend, that's when Nate takes it upon himself to investigate their whereabouts. His journey takes him to dark places and unravels the darker secrets and lies that can be hidden beneath the surface.
I can't say I cared about Nate or any of these characters, because I didn't really get a good sense of their deeper worries or concerns. As a hardened drug dealer who is caught in a bad spot, all he wants to do is to waste away his college years and to repay his debts for his family. There's lots of partying with drunken students everywhere, and lots of girls and empty faces. As someone who'd lost his brother to the consequences of drugs, I couldn't fathom why Nate would be drawn into this dangerous world.
The plethora of explicit sex scenes and heavy drug use, alternating between trafficking and dealing were just not up my alley, even though I was interested in how the mystery happened. I felt the scenes affected my ability to enjoy the story, because of how dark and disturbing they were. While I found the mystery behind it to be compelling, The Student just wasn't for me.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Set at a university in rural Gatton, it follows Nate who is dealing weed under the wings of his friend Jesse. When he hears of a local murder, and his missing childhood friend, that's when Nate takes it upon himself to investigate their whereabouts. His journey takes him to dark places and unravels the darker secrets and lies that can be hidden beneath the surface.
I can't say I cared about Nate or any of these characters, because I didn't really get a good sense of their deeper worries or concerns. As a hardened drug dealer who is caught in a bad spot, all he wants to do is to waste away his college years and to repay his debts for his family. There's lots of partying with drunken students everywhere, and lots of girls and empty faces. As someone who'd lost his brother to the consequences of drugs, I couldn't fathom why Nate would be drawn into this dangerous world.
The plethora of explicit sex scenes and heavy drug use, alternating between trafficking and dealing were just not up my alley, even though I was interested in how the mystery happened. I felt the scenes affected my ability to enjoy the story, because of how dark and disturbing they were. While I found the mystery behind it to be compelling, The Student just wasn't for me.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2017
I really thought I liked noir. But this novel is noir in its deepest, darkest element. College student, Nate spends the first 30% of the book searching for his friend and supplier, Jesse who has suddenly disappeared. Looking everywhere he can think of, he spends most of the time getting stoned and drunk, going to class only when he thinks someone there might know of Jesse's whereabouts. Once he finds answers, he realizes they are not the ones he wanted and we get a look at some explicit porn, violence, and more drug-dealing, wasted good/bad guys. Certainly the author is talented as the prose is stark and haunting; maybe just not a good fit for me as it was so depressing and I was glad I didn't know these people in college. If you love noir, this is the novel for you but be prepared for some realistically dark and somber scenes. The cover says it all!
June 28, 2017
This is the second Australian crime novel I've read this year.
The first was "The Dry". This book is everything "The Dry" is not. If this book doesn't garner the kind of attention that book did, there's no justice in the world.
Fantastic stuff - and the fact that it's set in my part of the world and written by a local is the icing on the cake. I look forward to reading Iain Ryan's next novel in due course.
The first was "The Dry". This book is everything "The Dry" is not. If this book doesn't garner the kind of attention that book did, there's no justice in the world.
Fantastic stuff - and the fact that it's set in my part of the world and written by a local is the icing on the cake. I look forward to reading Iain Ryan's next novel in due course.
September 13, 2017
I received a copy of The Student from Bonnier Publishing Australia to review.
I don’t normally read books about drug dealers. I can think of only one other book off the top of my head where the main character was dealing drugs. I don’t have any personal experience with drugs and addiction to drugs but I have seen what it does to the people who take them and their families. But I thought because this was a crime/mystery and there were other things going on that it might not be that bad. But there was just too much focus on doing drugs, getting high and partying for me.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. Like I said, I don’t like drugs and the main character not only sells them but also takes them. Yes, he was trying to help his parents but I’m pretty sure there are better ways to do that. School didn’t seem important to him at all so I don’t even know why he was still going. Then there was his childhood friend (I can’t remember her name and really just don’t care) who felt a little off to me from the start. I don’t know why but she wasn’t a very nice person at all.
The story in The Student was so crazy though. I don’t even know where to start. Nate finds himself in the middle of a bad situation because his drug dealer is missing and some bike gang wants something from him (probably money but I can’t remember) so they’re coming after Nate to settle the debt or whatever it is. And to solve this huge mess Nate decided to get high and drunk. What? I just can’t with him. Okay, so he wasn’t drunk and high all the time but it was more than I wanted to read.
The Student wasn’t a very long book but because I didn’t like any of the characters or what they were doing I just couldn’t really get into it. If I didn’t want to know what had happened to Maya I don’t think I would have finished it. I know I’ve said this a lot in my reviews lately but if I can’t connect with the characters then I find it very hard to like a book. I mean, I did like that Nate was trying to help his parents financially but it just wasn’t enough for me to like him.
I don’t normally read books about drug dealers. I can think of only one other book off the top of my head where the main character was dealing drugs. I don’t have any personal experience with drugs and addiction to drugs but I have seen what it does to the people who take them and their families. But I thought because this was a crime/mystery and there were other things going on that it might not be that bad. But there was just too much focus on doing drugs, getting high and partying for me.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. Like I said, I don’t like drugs and the main character not only sells them but also takes them. Yes, he was trying to help his parents but I’m pretty sure there are better ways to do that. School didn’t seem important to him at all so I don’t even know why he was still going. Then there was his childhood friend (I can’t remember her name and really just don’t care) who felt a little off to me from the start. I don’t know why but she wasn’t a very nice person at all.
The story in The Student was so crazy though. I don’t even know where to start. Nate finds himself in the middle of a bad situation because his drug dealer is missing and some bike gang wants something from him (probably money but I can’t remember) so they’re coming after Nate to settle the debt or whatever it is. And to solve this huge mess Nate decided to get high and drunk. What? I just can’t with him. Okay, so he wasn’t drunk and high all the time but it was more than I wanted to read.
The Student wasn’t a very long book but because I didn’t like any of the characters or what they were doing I just couldn’t really get into it. If I didn’t want to know what had happened to Maya I don’t think I would have finished it. I know I’ve said this a lot in my reviews lately but if I can’t connect with the characters then I find it very hard to like a book. I mean, I did like that Nate was trying to help his parents financially but it just wasn’t enough for me to like him.
July 7, 2017
Unfortunately, this novel wasn't for me. Maybe it was the ARC I received, but the story didn't seem to flow very well. There were parts where the timeline of the novel changed and the transition was not marked clearly, so I had to go back and reread it to make sense of what was happening. While it was interesting to get an indepth look into the drug world, it was just so miserable-sounding that I didn't really want to continue reading. I had no connection or feelings for any of the characters, and that was perhaps my biggest disappointment because it influenced my ability to care about the story itself. Maybe it's just me, because there are quite a few positive reviews on Goodreads but this novel just didn't do it for me. I would recommend this to anyone who likes books that can be classified as noir.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
May 17, 2018
Awesome read, my quickest for the year so far! Really liked the way it was written - wouldn’t normally go for this kind of stuff, but I’m willing to try some regional neo-noir again after this.
Found my copy in the Readings tent at Clunes Booktown Festival a few weeks ago. In fact, it was the owner of Readings copy - had a note inside from the publisher talking it up. They certainly weren’t wrong about how good it was!
Found my copy in the Readings tent at Clunes Booktown Festival a few weeks ago. In fact, it was the owner of Readings copy - had a note inside from the publisher talking it up. They certainly weren’t wrong about how good it was!
February 12, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, it’s a straight up gritty, hardcore Australian Crime story.
March 16, 2018
This is a really great book. It’s 1994 in the colleges and share houses of dusty old Gatton, Queensland. Nate is the local drug dealer and he’s looking for his best friend whom he hasn’t seen in a few days. A local girl’s body has just been found, bikers are hunting debts, and Nate spirals into a whole world of trouble. This mystery isn’t straightforward or predictable and it’s very suspenseful. Lots of action and tension in a genuinely clever mystery. The descriptions of clothes and food and music were pretty fun for a 90s kid like me too. I would have read it all in one sitting if I could have. Very highly recommended.
June 7, 2017
The ugly, secret truths about life are often the hardest to accept. Nate learns that lesson throughout his story, uncovering traits about his friends and family that he would never have guessed were real. The death of a local girl rips off the blinders covering tough elements of his world, reopening old wounds, shaking his perception of people in his life. Nate finds himself in the middle of a mess to which he fears he will not see a pleasant end. Pain, fear, and loss lead to understanding and acceptance in this fast-paced story of a young man trying to better his life and move away from the past. Well written, raw and genuine.
September 3, 2017
This book is probably going to make my best of 2017 list.
Nate is a washed up student struggling to make ends meet by drug dealing on campus to support his parents in a financial black hole. When his supplies dry up, things get desperate. It makes for the perfect noir - jaded individual who makes bad decisions to get money he so desperately needs.
The Student is Winter's Bone with bogans, with a little bit of the film Brick for good measure. Fans of noir will appreciate the striking voice, and the love of noir which is evident in the writing. It's not just someone thinking they'll have a go at a genre. It's clear Ryan has read widely and encorporated that style into memorable scenes and characters. The book travels deeply into the notion of what makes good people do bad things, and the disenfranchisement of early adulthood - what do I do with my life? How do I become a good person?
There are some genuine suprises in the book, plus some great plot twists simply because the book is set in the 90s, at the cusp of mobile connectivity. Highly recommended.
Nate is a washed up student struggling to make ends meet by drug dealing on campus to support his parents in a financial black hole. When his supplies dry up, things get desperate. It makes for the perfect noir - jaded individual who makes bad decisions to get money he so desperately needs.
The Student is Winter's Bone with bogans, with a little bit of the film Brick for good measure. Fans of noir will appreciate the striking voice, and the love of noir which is evident in the writing. It's not just someone thinking they'll have a go at a genre. It's clear Ryan has read widely and encorporated that style into memorable scenes and characters. The book travels deeply into the notion of what makes good people do bad things, and the disenfranchisement of early adulthood - what do I do with my life? How do I become a good person?
There are some genuine suprises in the book, plus some great plot twists simply because the book is set in the 90s, at the cusp of mobile connectivity. Highly recommended.
July 24, 2017
This is book is about Nate’s drug dealing and the downward spiral of his life. Nate is an almost absent student in Queensland who deals in weed and sends the money back home to his parents so they can keep a roof over their heads. One night bikies knock him around in their search for his friend Jesse. They are chasing debts owed to them and deliver an ultimatum to find Jesse or else!
Initially I thought this book was aimed at the teenage market but soon changed my thinking the further I read.
This story could be described as unusual, sad, funny, stark, touching, occasionally leaving me thinking of the futility of his life and a fantastic read. This book has been compared to the TV series Breaking Bad but I felt it had much more substance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
A copy of the digital version of the proof edition was kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley and this review is solely mine.
Initially I thought this book was aimed at the teenage market but soon changed my thinking the further I read.
This story could be described as unusual, sad, funny, stark, touching, occasionally leaving me thinking of the futility of his life and a fantastic read. This book has been compared to the TV series Breaking Bad but I felt it had much more substance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
A copy of the digital version of the proof edition was kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley and this review is solely mine.
August 23, 2025
Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it's only 233 pages.
There are no appealing characters. All seem boozed up and/or high on weed and pills. No good guys to be seen.
All the really bad guys come to unpleasant ends, so good.
It's unbelievable that Nate passed any university subject given his seemingly perpetual intoxicated state. It's incredible that he didn't crash his car too.
I think there was maybe a happy ending for Nate and Iris, but I wasn't concentration too much on the last 50 pages.
It beats me how some reviewer gave it 5 stars.
Ryan did well with The Strip. The Spiral was fantasy garbage. I'll try again, but one good one out of three is not a great record.
I'm wondering which university Ryan attended, but I'm betting it wasn't anything like what we see here.
There are no appealing characters. All seem boozed up and/or high on weed and pills. No good guys to be seen.
All the really bad guys come to unpleasant ends, so good.
It's unbelievable that Nate passed any university subject given his seemingly perpetual intoxicated state. It's incredible that he didn't crash his car too.
I think there was maybe a happy ending for Nate and Iris, but I wasn't concentration too much on the last 50 pages.
It beats me how some reviewer gave it 5 stars.
Ryan did well with The Strip. The Spiral was fantasy garbage. I'll try again, but one good one out of three is not a great record.
I'm wondering which university Ryan attended, but I'm betting it wasn't anything like what we see here.
July 13, 2017
RATING:-
3/5
The Student is interesting, easy and quick.
WHY I GOT IT:-
I was at the airport and realised my books were checked in.
REVIEW -
I feel Nate might not be fully aware of his life, the whole time going through the motions until he can't find his supplier which causes him to realise what's actually going on. Following his usual steps and looking for Jesse, we see how into this drug world he is, even if he doesn't realise it.
It's well written, gives a true meaning to what I would imagine Queensland to be in 1994 and character development is fine even if maybe some of them I would personally cut out - but I can understand why they're there.
It's not so much a "holy shit what happened to these people" as a "wow okay that's how that happened"
3/5
The Student is interesting, easy and quick.
WHY I GOT IT:-
I was at the airport and realised my books were checked in.
REVIEW -
I feel Nate might not be fully aware of his life, the whole time going through the motions until he can't find his supplier which causes him to realise what's actually going on. Following his usual steps and looking for Jesse, we see how into this drug world he is, even if he doesn't realise it.
It's well written, gives a true meaning to what I would imagine Queensland to be in 1994 and character development is fine even if maybe some of them I would personally cut out - but I can understand why they're there.
It's not so much a "holy shit what happened to these people" as a "wow okay that's how that happened"
August 3, 2017
The Student is a dark and gritty thriller. Yet, as uncomfortable as some of the scenes were, I could not put it down. The book took the reader on a fast-paced downward spiral into a dark world of drugs and porn. It's a story in which all moral compasses point down, and nothing is good or right.
I was rooting for the main character for the first part of the book, but by the end, I knew nothing good would happen to him. He was too damaged and in too dire of straights to ever rebound. About halfway through the book, I mourned the loss of his innocence, but after that, I kind of gave up.
I can't say that I enjoyed The Student - it was too bleak for me - but it was well written.
I was rooting for the main character for the first part of the book, but by the end, I knew nothing good would happen to him. He was too damaged and in too dire of straights to ever rebound. About halfway through the book, I mourned the loss of his innocence, but after that, I kind of gave up.
I can't say that I enjoyed The Student - it was too bleak for me - but it was well written.
September 4, 2017
This book focuses on Nate, the mystery behind the murder of a girl named Maya, and some other stuff I didn't particularly care for. I initially got a copy from NetGalley because the synopsis sounded interesting. I love mysteries. I, however, did not enjoy this as much as I hoped I would. I didn't have any interest in the characters. The only thing I cared about enough to finish the story was the mystery aspect. Even so, I kind of sloughed through it. It was hard to get into and hard to finish. It does get three stars for the mystery though.
February 12, 2018
★★★☆☆ | 2.5 Stars
If you don't like graphic descriptions of drug use and/or , then this book is not for you. For me, it just wasn't pleasant to read about these things in so much detail and it got quite tedious despite the short length of this novel. The ending doesn't really resolve much nor is it particularly satisfying or memorable. There isn't much mystery to this novel, though it is fast-paced and suspenseful. An easy read you could finish in one sitting.
If you don't like graphic descriptions of drug use and/or , then this book is not for you. For me, it just wasn't pleasant to read about these things in so much detail and it got quite tedious despite the short length of this novel. The ending doesn't really resolve much nor is it particularly satisfying or memorable. There isn't much mystery to this novel, though it is fast-paced and suspenseful. An easy read you could finish in one sitting.
March 5, 2019
Hard to rate as I liked the book but it's very in your face, gritty & covers depressing subjects - drugs, violence etc. Characters were unlikeable & I often felt like having a shower after reading it!
August 30, 2020
Good fun! A little silly at times; it definitely took a LITTLE too much from American crime novels. I appreciated how much of this was based in reality: people still slept and went to classes and had bodily functions. Extraordinarily readable.
July 24, 2025
The Student
Iain Ryan
If this was a sample copy it was not labelled as such but it seemed short for 240 pp. It reminds me of Trainspotting for its attitude and drug involvement. Refers to drug paraphernalia and terms foreign to me I have no desire to learn.
Iain Ryan
If this was a sample copy it was not labelled as such but it seemed short for 240 pp. It reminds me of Trainspotting for its attitude and drug involvement. Refers to drug paraphernalia and terms foreign to me I have no desire to learn.
July 10, 2017
(3,5)
Not original but I liked this book so much!
*Thanks to Netgalley/Bonnier Publishing Australia for this arc in return for a honest review.*
Not original but I liked this book so much!
*Thanks to Netgalley/Bonnier Publishing Australia for this arc in return for a honest review.*
August 1, 2017
Extremely readable. Dark, fun, intermittently beautiful.
June 27, 2018
3.5 stars
August 27, 2018
Nate experience family issues - on his own - I loved the musical references with some of my favourite songs
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