Everything to Nothing

For those who enjoy a contemporary novel which contains stark contrasts then Everything to Nothing is a novel you will thoroughly enjoy and recommend to friends and family.

Sally lives a life of luxury in a mansion with her very wealthy father; her best friend, Michelle, is from a more modest background; and Sarah who is just an acquaintance of Michelle's from college has more than money problems that blight her life.

The development of their loving relationships with their respective boyfriends are as different as the girls' backgrounds, and the various ways in which they touch each other's lives are explored through the unfolding narrative. The blossoming of the romances between Sally and David, and Michelle and Simon, and the descriptions of Sally's opulent life-style are very enjoyable. In contrast, Sarah and Peter's drug-fuelled relationship is punctuated by scenes of degradation and misery.

The build up to the central devastating tragedy is exquisitely described and these characters and themes are expanded on in the sequel.

After the horrifying ending to Part 1, David flees from the relentless hunt of Sally’s father, the incredibly wealthy Mr Gallagher, across south-east Asia to his final destination where he commits multiple heart-breaking atrocities.

Sally, who has been estranged from her father for many years, reluctantly accepts her father’s help to overcome the dreadful attack and has her revenge against those who have crossed her in the past, including the drug lord, Peter.

After witnessing the attack on Sally, her children grow up to handle their memories in different ways.

The astonishingly beautiful Sophia, who definitely inherited her mother’s beauty, deals with the trauma well, whereas Jacob remains deeply troubled by what he saw on that fateful day. With the help of his family, Jacob improves but then a very surprising decision made by him takes his life in a completely different direction, finally tracking down his father, David, with the help of the survivors of David’s atrocities.

All parts of these books and how the lives of the characters are all forever entwined are exquisitely described from the opening words to the gripping finales.