He was glad he existed, ecstatic; he was so close to the edge of a new life, they all were, he and his friends. Without their parents to tell them yes or no. It was freedom.

Tommy is in love with Lani. Lani is going out with Paul. Paul is having an affair with Julia, and Julia has a crush on Chris. Life is intoxicating when you're about to turn eighteen and finish school.

But something goes terribly wrong for this group of friends. One day they have the world at their feet. The next, they are all divided, destined to carry their own versions of guilt into adulthood.

What unfolds is an agonising, incisive novel about loyalty and jealousy, about the possibilities of youth and the weariness of middle age. Guilt is a heartbreaking examination of friendship, luck and the elusive nature of redemption.

'One that you can't put down . . . Nable's characters are shrewdly and finely nuanced.' Canberra Times

'An intense, rewarding read about the futility of escaping the past.' Australian Bookseller & Publisher

'The adolescent portraiture here is superb.'Weekend Australian

Praise for Mat Nable's Books

'Echoes of Tim Winton's Breath.' Australian Book Review

'Moments of gut-wrenching pathos.' Daily Telegraph

'This book is a kind of magic.' Christos Tsiolkas

'A delicately scored novel about quiet desperation and subtle grace.' Kate Holden

'An almost faultless, often achingly beautiful novel.' Chris Flynn, Australian Book Review