Daniel is in limbo. Recently unemployed and directionless, his friend Richard takes him to visit one of his friends. He is offered a free flight to New Zealand via Indonesia, plus $10,000 on delivery of a package. The money sold him and although he realizes he is being a drug courier, he feels desperate.
He spends a week in Indonesia, confined to his hotel awaiting delivery of said package, which he has to ingest to get through customs.
Delivery of the drugs in Auckland doesn't go as planned, however he receives the promised money and thinks his worries are over. A night on the town, doubles his takings, but waking in the Youth hostel, he discovers all his money gone. He is back to being penniless and this time alone in a country where the drug contact is looking for him. A local radio station manager takes pity on him and offers him a bed and introduces Daniel to his friends. Daniel knows he has been a fool and builds a web of lies around himself.
This is one of Emily Perkins early novels and although well-written it is hard to like or feel sympathy for Daniel or any of the other characters in the book.
Yet, they are probably a realistic portrayal of a group of young adults in that time and place. ( )

the book started slow but I am really glad I stuck with it. I very much enjoyed it. ( )

It was a great read, though I can't say I felt as if it really spoke to me personally. But I think we all can identify with that feeling of wanting to run away from ourselves and our lives.

If for no other reason, the book was a delight to read because of the author's dry humor. I laughed out loud quite a lot, but not for the type of things you would think someone would actually laugh out loud! ( )