When Gemma, a rebellious 14-year-old bored with life in her small seaside home town, decides to run away to join her boyfriend Tar in London, the pair are offered shelter in a squat with a group of anarchists. But the anarchists are not exciting enough for Gemma. She prefers the charismatic Lily and her traveller boyfriend, both heroin addicts. Soon, Gemma and Tar are hooked on heroin and Gemma is forced into prostitution to pay for the drug. Gemma is still confident that she can kick the habit any time she chooses - but Tar is not so strong. Melvin Burgess' most ambitious and complex novel to date is a multi-faceted and vivid depiction of a group of young people in the grip of addiction. It is told in many different voices, from the addicts themselves to the friends watching from the outside who try to prevent tragedy