Careless is the debut novel by Kirsty Capes, released in 2021. It has featured on several ‘best book’ lists including Cosmopolitan, BBC and the Guardian.
Careless was also longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022.
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Plot
On a hot day in June in the 1990s, 15-year-old Bess discovers she’s pregnant. She knows she should tell someone, but who? She can’t tell her social worker Henry, he’s useless. Her foster mother Lisa, wouldn’t understand and would only lay the blame on her.
She should tell Boy but she hasn’t spoken to him in weeks. Bess and her best friend Eshal stick together and try to think of a plan as Bess considers what to do next.
Careless Book Review
This book is such a powerful read and really packs a punch.
The story of a pregnant teenage girl is such a common one and yet is so rarely told. It’s a coming of age story (for both Bess and Eshal) that made me laugh one minute and cry the next.
The story is beautifully written and the author has created vivid characters that are brave, compassionate and complicated. I loved both Bess and Eshal. Eshal has her own coming-of-age story and I found myself rooting for her as much as Bess. The love and loyalty she shows her friend was really moving. Bess, in some ways, reminded me of Duchess in We Begin At The End. A character that is bold, witty and brave but underneath just a teenage girl who wants to be loved. Her pragmatism, just like Duchess’s, made me want to give her a hug.
The author has drawn upon her own experience of growing up in care and so as you can imagine this is really sensitively handled. It’s honest and realistic and perfectly highlighted the fraught and complex relationship between Bess and her foster parents. Your teenage years are never easy but to have to go through that and not have any loving support at home… it broke my heart. It hit hard that Bess knew her parents were paid to look after her and never talked of love. People talk about the unconditional love of families but any love Bess’s family had for her was full of conditions. The fact Bess is so aware of this and yet never looks for sympathy is hard to read.
The book deals with some really hard-hitting topics and yet never feels depressing. Sad, moving… certainly, yet the story is also full of hope. Hope for the future and the reminder that there is tenderness and humanity out there, even when the world seems so bleak.
I loved this book and will definitely be looking out for more by Kirsty Capes.
What to read next
If you enjoyed Careless, I’d suggest reading Love Me, Love Me Not, also by Kirsty Capes. I really enjoyed them both, despite the different themes. I’d also recommend Snowflake by Louise Nealon and Normal People by Sally Rooney which are also very character driven.