Barry Fairbrother is a member of a local council board. He is married to Mary, who is not sociable. Unfortunately, Fairbrother passes on. As a result, an election is arranged to replace the vacant position. The seat draws several candidates, hence creating political temperatures all over the town. The candidates running for the seat are regularly attacked on the parish website. Eventually, the seat is won by Miles Mollison. The book features teenagers being mistreated in some way by their parents. However, the teenagers retaliate through posting defamatory messages on the parish website. Violence, substance use, and prostitution are some of the main themes of this book.
Krystal is a teenager whose mother is a drug addict. She has a baby brother whom she should take care of. Her mother has neglected them, and she is compelled to look after her brother. In a turn of events, she is raped by a drug dealer. Subsequently, she dates Fats, the son of deputy headmaster. Ultimately, she overdoses on her mother’s drugs and dies.
Generally, the adults in this novel are depicted as perpetrators of abuse. But, their children decide to make decisions that are resentful to their deeds. The children seem to normalize the misbehaviors and bad conduct initiated by their parents. Such behaviors bring tragic consequences all over Pagford. The book is trying to depict the immoral imperfection of human character.
