I don't often read thrillers but this was a gripping read. Set in Bradford, Billie was a biker chick. Life got out of control and ended in murder - years later Billie has to face the consequences. A dark novel from which the author does not shy away from vivid descriptions. A well deserved orange prize shortlisted novel.

RELEASE NOTES:

Anne at York really sold this book to me as being something that I ought to read and as I had convinced her to take the perfect storm I thought it was only fair for me to take this.

I'm afraid that despite the glowing reviews of this book I just couldn't get into it and I did try a couple of times. I think the subject matter was just a bit too dark for the mood i've been in lately so I'm going to take it back to the Leeds Meetup tomorrow and see if I can find it a more appreciative reader.

I picked this up because I remember a couple of years ago there were a couple of copies doing the rounds and moondark got rather excited about this book.

This is a fantastically well-written book, but rather grim and depressing in a realistic way. Life's crap at times and for some people there isn't a way out of the hell that they're born in to.

It's about Billie Morgan, a Bradford lass whose father leaves the family when she's still young - she never gets over it. Her mother is a self-absorbed, selfish uppity what have you; so Billie's got some confidence issues under the surface. She hangs out with hippies, has a bad time, then gets in with a biker crowd, has some more bad times that end up with murder and the break up of her marriage. She then spends the next years helping out hopeless case drug addict Jas and her little son Natty, who grows up into a messed up, violent, drug abusing youth. They live on a depressing council estate block of flats type of environment, where no one really has a hope for anything in their lives. Happy happy days.

You'd almost want to say, by, it's grim up north... except that I am a northerner myself and I don't like these stereotypes; plus there is a very strong north-south divide in this book and I don't think that's what she was aiming for either!

Sending this up to bonny Scotland as a surprise.

Arrived some time ago sorry for the delay in registering it.

Thanks so much.

got this book from winning a sweep :-)
forgot to journal it before

Nice read... will go to the next reader: the winner of the tea sweep!!!

Arrived today with a bagful of tea! Thanks! It will be interesting to see what I think about it, JEs have divided both ways... Hopefully it's not too gloomy, we are getting into the darkest months and one should read joyful things...

Watch out! Billie Morgan is coming to Gothenburg town (BC-Convention).

I picked the book up at the BookCrossing convention in Gothenburg - now it will travel with me to Norway.

I think the book was very well written, but a really sad and depressing story (with some small exceptions). Not my favourite book this year, but still worth reading.

I reserve this book for a special purpose. :)

What a nice surprise! Thank you so much, Jannike!