The book follows Orla Quinn, a young Irish woman who arrives in London at the turn of the millennium, living in a squalid Kilburn house with her best friend and a band called Shiva. There’s nothing for her back home, where her parents’ marriage has crumbled, she’s not speaking to her father, and her mother and sister are drinking too much. Orla wants to make music, but juggling two jobs and partying every night isn’t helping. And while Orla’s own dreams seem to be going nowhere, Shiva are on the brink of something big. Yet as the hype around the band intensifies, so does the hedonism, and relationships in the house are growing strained. The much-anticipated second novel from author Annie Macmanus, The Mess We’re In is a vibrant, unforgettable tale of a chaotic young woman finding her feet and her sound at such a memorable point in London’s cultural and musical history. Annie's 2021 debut, Mother Mother, is a novel centred around a mother who disappears and a son seeking answers across generations of family history. British Vogue called it 'A page-turning exploration of grief, addiction, young motherhood and unbreakable family ties.'