Alix Otto is having a very bad day. It has been a year since they fished her friend's body out of the river, and she finds herself haunted, chased and driven to the brink by her own thoughts; the figments of a mind addled by loss, too much booze and not enough sleep. Sectioned and left in the hands of the health system, Alix is about to discover just how fine a line exists between the outside world and the psychiatric ward at St Jude's.
Barking tells the story of a young woman in the grip of a mental health crisis: a story that has become increasingly common at a time when rates of depression, anxiety and self-harm are on the rise. Based in the author's own experiences, and those of others who have lived through similar situations, it seeks to convey the pain of such a moment while encouraging fellow sufferers to open up and share their stories too.