Megan O'Neill grew up in Waiau Pa, attending the local primary school, followed by Rosehill College and AUT. Although she now lives in Christchurch, enjoying the wild nature on her doorstep and everything else the South Island has to offer, she still has strong family ties to the area with her parents, siblings, nephew and nieces all living locally. In her debut novel The Mess We Made, she was inspired to write characters who were messy, raw and real. If you’re looking for your next great read, get behind a homegrown author & her awesome debut novel, which features in Toni Street’s book club this month.
The Mess We Made is an addictive will-they-won't-they debut love story about whether there can ever be a second chance for your first love.
Quin and Henry meet as kids and quickly become inseparable... They are high-school sweethearts until one night, one bad decision shatters everything.
Years later, Quin's stuck working at a local takeaway. She's not spoken to Henry since he left town nine years ago. She barely talks to her twin brother Josh, and their mum has a degenerative disease - Quin's dealing with the fact that she might get it too.
When Henry suddenly returns - and keeps showing up at work to walk Quin home - she feels herself falling all over again. But his reappearance triggers the secret she's kept buried for the past nine years, and she doesn't know if she can trust Henry not to disappear on her when he learns the truth.
If you love the millennial angst of Normal People and the addictive appeal of It Ends With Us and Daisy Jones and the Six, you will be captivated by Quin and the enigmatic Henry.
