The Slap

If everyone in Australia is as miserable as the people in this book, then I never want to travel there.  This is one of those books where everyone has issues.  They are either depressed/angry/anxious/disillusioned/self-medicated/frustrated/disappointed or full of regret.  There really is not one likable character in the story except maybe Richie, but that's because he's a teenager and his angst is the genuine angst of youth.  Everyone else in the story is in their 40s and seems to have angst because their life sucks.  Too much sex and drugs and expletives for me to really connect with any of the characters. I just felt sorry for most of them.