In his English-language debut, Pierre Maurel explores the effects of the global recession through three tales of twenty and thirty- somethings struggling at the bottom of the social ladder. Taking place in an unspecified city, these stories overlay to create a narrative of low-income, low-expectation McJobs; unemployment; benefit meetings; homelessness; isolation; violent riots and urban decay. Maurel's stories perfectly exemplify the feelings of betrayal and alienation many feel over the broken promises of the new millennium.