Winner of the Dylan Thomas award, Rachel's first collection of short stories contain wry and defiant statements on the power and the beautiful transience of youth. "Sarah;s not abnormal or ugly, just a little bit fat, and she's got cerebral palsy. No way was it rape or even molestation...she's fourteen, not a child. I'm not a paedophile. Gemma's mother had shagged Tom Jones. Nobody knows who her father was, least of all her mother. Spiderman doesn't want to inflict his petty thief persona on self-contained Caitlin, but he finds himself getting off at her stop. When her grandad's chickens start to peck each other, sounding like death warmed up, Chelle rings one of their necks and ends up doing worse. Her gentle, exact punishment is met with even greater respect for the old man."