by Irvine Welsh
First published 1995
Roy Strang's life spirals out of control. Raised by a prostitute mother and ruffian father, he's drawn into a world of violence and depravity. He stabs a schoolmate, gang-rapes a girl, and achieves notoriety as a Scottish hooligan. Now, lying comatose in a hospital, Roy's past resurfaces in vivid nightmares, forcing him to confront the consequences of his actions.
Genres: fiction, crime, psychological-thriller, dark
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator, violence
Setting: Edinburgh (Scotland), South Africa
256 pages · Paperback · Jonathan Cape
Content warnings: abuse, graphic-violence, rape