This was Iain Banks' first work, and is a notably slimmer work than any else I've read from this phenominally productive writer (he's published one novel every year since this one came out in '84). It's about a twisted young teenage murderer, and the life and times of his family.
The depravaty of the story make Banks' imagination look a few shades sicker than that of supposed horror writers. The scariest thing for me was the number of habits and tastes that I shared with the main character (or did share, as a teenager). It's an incredibly true-feeling story, and is a page-turning book.
The ending is impossible to escape; you can't put the book down while this one's winding up. I was absolutely glued to this book for its final chapter, and was honestly amazed by its ending.
rand()m quote
The race is not always to the swift, nor the fight to the strong, but that's the way to bet.
—Damon Runyon