On the first page of Animals, the protagonist, Laura, wakes up immobilised on a Saturday afternoon, having accidentally tied herself (by bangle and tights leg) to her bed. So begins a book in which about half of the chapters start with the aftermath of a night of partying, then work backwards through the mess. Laura is accompanied in her exploits by Tyler, her best friend, flatmate, and a person who would be the very definition of “enabler” if she didn’t transcend that category frequently and make the leap into “pusher”.