Useful, by Debra Oswald

From the start this novel reads as though it was written to be filmed, with short, provocative introductions to each of the main cast of characters. This is probably not surprising, as the author is the creator of such television gems as Offspring. Unfortunately the book has more in common with the dodgy first season of that series, rather than the stronger later seasons. The characters are a little too self-consciously quirky and most of them are unpleasant or exasperating or both. It is all about the redemption of Sullivan Moss, who is basically a dickhead loser. As the novel progresses he becomes slightly less of a dickhead loser, via means that are not terribly credible. All but one of the marriages are awful; almost everyone behaves appallingly; the only truly appealing character is a dog.