This is a very confronting short story collection from the author of The Slap, Dead Europe and, most recently, Barracuda. Readers of the earlier novels will know what to expect from Tsiolkas's writing, but if you're new to him, this is probably not the best place to start, especially if you are easily shocked. The portrayal of sex in this collection is especially explicit, but at all times there is a moral dimension to the story; some of them are tragic and moving, some very funny, some just sad, but they are all very, very real and believable.