"Wasted" is about two sisters: Jasmine, a heroine addict, now clinically schizophrenic, and Abigail, her younger sister. Abigail tries to pave her own way by going to Sussex University, where she throws herself into student life with a mixture of confusion, apathy, drink and dope. Her friends in the hall are reminiscent of a young This Life crowd - except without the ambition, money and glamour. This drug- and drink-addled environment provides a foil to the heart of the novel: the complex relationship between the two sisters, their rivalry and their dependence on each other, and how Abigail feels it is her responsibility to save her sister's life. Mikki Goffin explores her subject, based on real life, with maturity, insight and honesty. This is a warm, funny, sad and moving book by an incredible new talent.