'Sings from its first lines . unbearably poignant . a truly uplifting emotional journey; a tender, wise, brutally funny novel' - Guardian 'Written with insight and savage wit . it is uplifting because McGinnis is a realist who never tries to sweeten the bitter experience of learning to navigate life in a wheelchair. His characters are vivid and impossible to forget, and he has an underlying optimism about the various ways in which muddled lives shake down and settle into something better' - The Times 'This beautiful book is a testament to the way people can, in spite of everything, reforge shattered emotional bonds and repair seemingly doomed relationships. You won't find a more uplifting read in these dark times' - IRVINE WELSH 'Laceratingly funny, beautiful and true, true, true - right into its very human and very twisted heart. Read this book' - A.L.

KENNEDY 'Visceral yet immensely witty . The sections describing the immediate aftermath of the crash are incredibly powerful' - Herald 'Both absolutely devastating and ridiculously funny, sometimes within the span of a single paragraph. You'll want to murder McGinnis' mouthy anti-hero and also take him out for several pints. A big-hearted, quick-witted sucker punch of a first novel; readers who like their brutal honesty with a side of hope are really going to love The Coward ' - JAN CARSON.