True Things About Me

This impressive debut from Deborah Kay Davies starts with Meg, a benefits worker who quickly falls into a dark and damaging relationship with a man recently released from prison. As she falls into his dangerous world, she charts her slow descent into loneliness, instability and isolation as the relationship becomes increasingly abusive and obsessive.
Despite the well-trodden 'fall from grace' path that the book takes, there are enough twists and turns, intrigue and bizarre behaviour to keep it from becoming schlocky. It's even surprisingly funny and tongue-in-cheek in places, while the sex is intense and not far from overstepping boundaries. Davies' character, narrating in short clipped sentences, economic in their design, is a memorable protagonist, reporting on the action in a numb detached way, filtered with moments of introspection.

It's a great debut from Welsh writer Davies, and one that sticks in your brain. The deceptively simple premise and its clear stoic telling makes for a compelling book.