The Other Hand - Chris Cleave

Hard to say much about this without disobeying the instruction in the back cover blurb to refrain from telling people what happens... but this is an extremely compelling story about the power of chance encounters and the impact of people's choices in the way they respond to each other and to situations. Much of the subject matter is truly shocking and "should" make for a very bleak and draining read, but somehow there is a dreamlike beauty to it - coupled with some very funny observations and well-rounded characters - which makes it feel uplifting and strangely enjoyable to read.