by Irvine Welsh
First published 2001
Four boys come of age in the Edinburgh schemes, bound by friendship, loyalty, and a shared desire to escape their bleak surroundings. From punk to techno, we follow their lives over decades as they each struggle against the weight of class, culture, and their own demons. But can the ties that once held them together now set them free?
Genres: fiction, addiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Edinburgh (Scotland)
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
556 pages · Paperback · Vintage
Content warnings: addiction, mental-illness