The Bends — Darren Smith

Thomas Greene is a piece of work, a diabolical anti-hero skulking in the shadows of depravity. He screws his life up at every turn and accepts your best wishes along the way. He is sick, that is how anyone would categorize him. Not mentally, not even physically but there is something not right with him. Why else would he try to convince the world he is dying of cancer if this was not the case?

Thomas was a normal, everyday American kid until the age of twelve. That is when it all started. Inflicted by a cruel medical disorder that left him completely hairless, he found people's intolerance of image leads to cruelty. From a happy-go-lucky boy he became a victim; beaten, banished and ridiculed and from there became a monster.

Combining painful memories and a vicious wit Thomas tells his story, a wicked self-portrait in The Bends, a rich dark comedy taking the form of a disturbing road movie and a self-help book that will scar you for life.