In this raucous follow-up to The Diary of a Teenage Dirtbag, Claire le Day trades teenage angst for early-twenties chaos, and somehow manages to make even more of a mess. Fear and Loathing in Plymouth 2003 – 2005 is the second instalment of Claire’s real teenage diaries. They are an honest, hilariously self-deprecating account of a young woman stumbling her way through medical school armed with good intentions, bad habits, and a relentless obsession for love and lust.  

Set against the sticky-floored backdrop of early 2000s student nightlife in Plymouth, Claire documents her misadventures with raw vulnerability and biting wit. The result is a memoir that reads less like a coming-of-age story and more like a cautionary tale with ‘adult Claire’ adding her reflective commentary throughout. 

This isn’t a story of textbooks and tenacity, it’s a wild, sambuca-soaked ride through the messy middle ground between youth and adulthood. Perfect for anyone who’s ever cringed at their past, Fear and Loathing in Plymouth is unfiltered, and all too relatable.

Because once you’ve conquered your teenage dirtbag phase,  what else is there to do but up the ante?