About the Author

Oisín McGann was born and raised in Dublin and Drogheda, County Louth, in Ireland. He studied art at Senior College Ballyfermot and Dún Laoghaire School of Art, Design & Technology. Before becoming an author, he worked as a freelance illustrator, serving time along the way as a pizza chef and a security guard, as well as a background artist for an animation company and an art director and copywriter in an advertising agency.

In 2003 McGann published his first two books in the Mad Grandad series for young readers, followed by his first young adult novel, The Gods and Their Machines. Since then, he has written several more novels for young adults, including the Wildenstern Saga, a steampunk series set in nineteenth-century Ireland, and the thrillers Strangled Silence and Rat Runners.

A full-time writer and illustrator, McGann is married, has three children, and lives somewhere in the Irish countryside.

Reviews

"Direct and energetic, and it might also wake up the political sensibilities we're always bemoaning twenty-first century adolescents have forgotten all about. Recommended." --The Bookbag "A sinister, shadowy world of conspiracy theorists, political double-dealing and media distortion. McGann, in his most accomplished young adult novel to date, handles all of these (and more) with an excellent pace and occasional flashes of ironic humour. The result is an impressive and highly intelligent political thriller." --The Irish Times "From page one it fires off the starting line and races along at an exciting pace, while the unusual and complex plot will keep readers intrigued . . . A slick and well-paced thriller that older readers should engage with and enjoy." --Inis magazine "Now and again you read a book that makes you sit back and seriously consider the world we live in. Strangled Silence, by Irish author Oisín McGann, is such a book. . . . He is to be commended for this exciting, worldly read. I look forward to seeing what he does next." --The Independent "Fans of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother (2008) will appreciate the Orwellian themes and lightning-swift pacing. . . . Readers will be swept
into the story." --Booklist "From the shocking first pages, McGann's gripping narrative will engage readers with a complex, well-paced conspiracy plot. McGann writes with skilled depth and clarity that confront modern issues of privacy, civil rights, surveillance, deceptive media, and the consequences of war. The plot, with its intricate and unusual twists, is not too farfetched and will be a satisfying read for teens looking for an unpredictable, well-developed political thriller." -- Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) "An entertaining pick for mature readers . . . This fast-paced and cinematic conspiracy thriller will keep teens' attention." --School Library Journal