Searing, poignant, insightful and achingly funny, Careless is an upmarket coming-of-age novel like no other, celebrating female friendship and the enduring hope to follow our dreams against all odds. Perfect for fans of Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, Normal People by Sally Rooney and Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton. Sometimes it's easy to fall between the cracks... At 3.04 p.m. on a hot, sticky day in June, Bess finds out she's pregnant. She could tell her social worker Henry, but he's useless. She should tell her foster mother, Lisa, but she won't understand.She really ought to tell Boy, but she hasn't spoken to him in weeks. Bess knows more than anyone that love doesn't come without conditions. But this isn't a love story... Review The literary equivalent of gold dust ― BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAHI am so proud of my super-talented former student, Kirsty Capes. I'm so impressed with how her writing has flourished with the cracking characters and energetic prose of her fantastic debut novel ― BERNARDINE EVARISTOMoving and beautifully-written ― LIBBY PAGEVivid, bold and beautifully observed ― ABBIE GREAVESA story of every day, that is never told ― ANSTEY HARRISReal, raw, heart-wrenching and so wonderfully written ― JESSICA RYNHeroic and powerful, but also tender; this is such an important novel ― CHARLOTTE MENDELSONSo good I'm lying in a tepid bath because my 15 minutes reading turned into 45. What a voice! ― AMY BEASHELElegant and empathic [...] a portrait of how it feels to be young, brazen and terrified ― JESSICA MOORI felt this book in my gut! It's funny, it's emotional, and at times definitely heartbreaking, but Bess is a hero you can believe in ― JENDELLA BENSONIt's not often that life in care is talked about, which is just one of the reasons we love this book ― COSMOPOLITANCareless stands out, a coming-of-age novel that draw's on the author's own experience of growing up in care ― DAILY MAILWith a funny and flawed heroine, this is a book that deserves to be a huge hit ― STYLISTBess's narration is neither bitter nor self-pitying. Rather, her pragmatism, and humour, make her a compelling protagonist ― BBC About the Author Kirsty Capes works in publishing and, as a care leaver, is an advocate for better representation for care-experienced people in the media. She recently completed her PhD which investigates female-centric care narratives in contemporary fiction, under the supervision of 2019 Booker prize-winner, Bernardine Evaristo. Careless is her first novel.