The View on the Way Down

Rebecca Wait

Desperately sad, with pockets of humour that lighten the book considerably, this is a beautifully observed and incredibly moving study of depression and its effects on the whole family. Told from multiple points of view, the characters became very dear to me as I raced through the story, eager to discover the truth behind Kit’s death.

Extract

Everything was breaking into pieces. His face was flushing hot and cold, his heart beating too fast. He recognized the symptoms of the panic attack moments before it hit him, and then the world lurched sideways, plunging him into the limitless terror, the pounding universe of panic. He leaned against the wall, trying to take deep breaths. He was drowning. He saw Kit again, but his face was turned away. He tried to go to the woods, but there was no escape.

Parallels