Happy to Have Nothing

Synopsis:
July 1996 – However implausible the logic, as long as the image of her mum’s lifeless body lying on a cold kitchen floor remained vivid in her mind, Mel would never be able to stop blaming herself for what happened. And while the guilt smoulders, Mel’s ensuing erratic behaviour emerges with the opportunistic sabotage of another relationship. The words of advice in the notes left by her mum don’t always help Mel to steer in the right direction, and the odd crash continues to be unavoidable.
May 2017, a visit to a drugs den leaves Mel feeling uneasy about a teenager she sees there. Mel is torn about whether to help the girl but intervenes anyway when she sees her vandalising a gravestone. Could the fallout from a mistakenly sent text present an opportunity for atonement – or are some things too broken to be repaired by the glue of regret and forgiveness?

BACK COVER:

Mel is confused about what she wants. The guilt that smoulders while she mourns converts into fear, jealousy, and obsession, culminating in some erratic behaviour.

Ali thought she knew what she wanted but self-doubt isn’t the only obstacle convincing her that she can’t have it.

Robert stumbles to get what he wants. He’s a fantastic shoulder to cry on, but he’s better at bluffing than showing his own emotions.

Can life be truly happy without the one thing that really matters?

In a tale of true love and heartbreak; loss and betrayal; misunderstanding and confrontation; the lives of three teenage friends are by no means perfect. Layers of adversity contribute to an unpredictable future for them all, leaving fate to decide how to reveal untold secrets.

If only doing the right thing meant that all the mess caused by the wrongdoing was forgotten…