Winner of the Adam Foundation Prize

Erica is 17 and in her last year of high school. Donny is 42 and everywhere - in her yoga class, at German Club, in her parents' spare room . . .

The story of a young woman who finds herself subject to the gravitational field of a charismatic man, The Boyfriend is a cautionary tale about blindly accepting traditional 'love' narratives.

This clear-eyed, dismaying and often hilarious examination of sexual desire, trauma and growth is a remarkable debut and a perfect novel for our time.

"Darkly funny and frequently uncomfortable, Southgate's debut novel tracks the "relationship" between teenager Erica and fortysomething Donny" - the i (Best summer reads)

"This wonderful debut is undeniably relatable to all . . . A cautionary tale, but also a remarkable expression of sexual desire and the human capacity for healing and growth. An insightful novel" - Woman