My Best Friend Has Issues

by Laura Marney

What did I know about life, a wee heifer like me, a twenty-two-year-old no-mates stay-at-home from the rump end of Cumbernauld? What did I even know about sex, never mind drugs, or violence, or murder? Alison, a naive Scottish girl, moves to Barcelona and meets Chloe, a foxy American heiress. Chloe, as well as introducing Alison to a multitude of sins, teaches her new friend about the sweet taste of revenge. They soon embark on a sex-and-drugs romp through the gothic streets of Barcelona, while composing vengeful postcards home. Dear Lisa and Lauren, Enjoying sangria on La Rambla. Don't know if you'd like it here. The hot weather would be a nightmare for your athlete's foot and intimate itching - think of the thigh chafing! Nasty. Hasta la vista, Alison xxx But Alison quickly realises that there is a high price to pay for their decadent lifestyle as she finds herself caught up in a world of cruelty, deceit and murder.

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

The author of four novels and numerous short stories, Laura Marney is a member of the Glasgow G7 group of writers (Alan Bissett, Nick Brookes, Rodge Glass, Laura Marney, Alison Miller, Zoë Strachan and Louise Welsh).

Born and brought up in Glasgow, Marney co-founded a theatre group there. Since "nobody else could be bothered", she also began writing scripts for the company.

Marney is a graduate of the MLitt course in Creative Writing at Glasgow University, and now teaches there. Her writing has been described as both black humour and chick-lit. She also writes for radio.

Reviews

[Irina]

The book inflamed my curiosity in the beginning, but lost its heat quite quickly. A stay-at-home-girl Alison enters a world of sex, drugs, cruelty, revenge, violence and murder when she moves to Barcelona and moves in with a spoiled rich girl Chloe. Though there was a twist in the end that I did not see coming. Not the book I would keep on my bookshelf.

[Ailsa Britain]

It's taken me more than 6 months to finish this book, which I think is a review in itself. I really wanted to like it - not least because of the fabulous title - but I just found the characters to be so unlikable (not, in itself, a bad thing as I believe that this is what the author was intending) and really quite shocking - so I felt it really was a bit of a struggle to the end.

[Daniela]

Just finished reading this book.

Found it good but also a bit weird.

It got a tad extreme to the end, and i didn't enjoy the ending.

[Kassandra-anne Lee]

Loved it.