Description
Angela Kenny seems to have it all. A loving husband. A teenage son. Good friends. A steady job. But all is not as it seems. And Angela will learn that one bad decision is all it takes to topple her safe suburban world and send the life she knows careening dangerously towards destruction, in this dark, sexy novel about a woman at breaking point. Angela Kenny wants more from her life. Sure, she's got a loving husband and a sweet teenage son, but she can't help feeling that there should be, well, just a bit more. She's tired of going to work and filling in spreadsheets, fed up with cooking frozen pizzas every evening, and bored of waking up every morning to do it all over again. Eddie -- her husband's best friend -- seems to share her dissatisfaction and over slow summer evenings in their comfortable suburb, their friendship slowly develops into a dangerous affair. When John sees his wife in Eddie's arms, his anguish has devastating consequences for all of them. Guilt, sorrow and regret are the means to a chance encounter and a new affair that will usher darker desires into the group of friends -- desires that soon threaten to destroy their once warm, stable world forever.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for BROKEN: 'Bold, prescient, engaging, and oddly touching' Laura Wilson, Guardian 'This is a novel whose plot and vivid, pared-down imagery bravely patrol the terrifying border at which the human blurs into the bestial and inanimate ! Daniel Clay's debut novel is remarkably controlled and disciplined ! Clay's triumph is in exploring the kindness and love that might heal and restore -- and what it is to feel fully alive.' Anita Sethi, Independent 'It's funny and sad and moving ! and ultimately very engaging.' Francesca Segal, Observer 'A moving, intriguing and at times funny debut novel' Daily Express 'There's so much about innocence and vulnerability in this novel. A lot of it is funny ! Read this book; don't run away from it.' Tom Boncza-Tomaszewski, Independent 'If you like a book that you can't put down then this may well be your next read' Nottingham Evening Post 'I have never read something that has made such an impact on me -- I laughed, cried, and once or twice screamed ! [an] incredible story.' Launceston Examiner 'A seething indignation propels the narrative to its violent conclusion.' Arena '[A] fine, fine novel ! [an] astonishing debut.' Herald Sun (Australia) 'It is without a doubt one of the most memorable novels that I have had the pleasure to read!gritty and compelling reading, this is a must buy, once you pick it up I guarantee it will be hard to put down' The Chronicle (Australia) 'There's a freshness to Clay's quirky humour and a seriousness that questions contemporary indifference to one another' Good Reading (Australia) 'Buy it.' National Post (Canada) 'Clay shows a masterful empathy for his characters, while never shying from their frailties and agonies. "Broken" is surprising, shocking, and cruelly funny at times. It's an unforgettable book.' Scott Heim, author of "Mysterious Skin" and "We Disappear" 'Daniel Clay tells the truth about childhood in the modern world, and captures all the elements of a great novel: suspense, desperation, love, and death.' Amy Bryant, author of "Polly"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 130 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-00-727481-9 (9780007274819)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Daniel Clay is thirty-eight years old and lives with his wife in Hampshire, UK.