Cumbernauld was built to be the town of the future...that is, if the future looked like a really rubbish episode of Doctor Who. It's also home to Walter Wedgeworth, a child stuck in a uniquely dysfunctional family controlled by the tyrannical Fishtank, whose CB Radio aerial is a metal middle finger to all the neighbours on Craigieburn Road.
When 11-year-old Walter discovers the corpse of a baby inside a cardboard box, he resolves to ignore it, pretend it didn't happen. He knows the price of being a grass. But the child's fate haunts Walter, bringing him into conflict with the world around him. Walter's journey will lead him from childhood to adulthood; school, college, bereavement, Britpop, his first job, Blackpool, the Spice Girls, feuds with his neighbour, and finally...face-to-face with a child killer.
Taking place in the 90s, Happiness Is Wasted On Me is a genre-blending tale that spans a decade in the life of Walter. It's a coming of age tale, a family drama, a mystery, and a biting dark comedy. Ultimately, it's the story of how even the strangest people can find their way in the world.
Publisher: Fledgling Press
ISBN: 9781912280353
Number of pages: 288
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 13 mm
This is a really enjoyable and unusual fictional read set in the Scottish town of Cumbernauld . The plot is based round the main character finding a body at the beginning but the book reads more like a funny and... More
this is such a weird little book. I went into it expecting a sort of slice of life but ended up getting so much more. the story doesn't stick to one genre and it makes for an emotional rollercoaster. I really... More
Encore ... more... brilliant writing
A must read!
Please sign in to write a review
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
