A timely debut novel from an exciting new voice in women's fiction about cancel culture and appearance versus reality.
'A riveting debut: thoughtful, compassionate, nuanced and so very topical.' Liane Moriarty, author of Here One Moment
'As compulsive as any app. Clare Stephens creates a cautionary tale for our times, full of wit and nuance.' Jane Harper, author of The Dry and Exiles
'Sharp, insightful and deeply compassionate ... a striking new voice in Australian fiction.' Sally Hepworth, author of Mad Mabel
It's an ordinary Tuesday morning when Ruby Williams' name starts trending online.
She's uploaded an interview that has outraged journalist Felicity Cartwright, a social media personality who has built her profile by policing exactly what women are allowed to say and how they're allowed to say it. Ruby is at the centre of a brutal public shaming, watching on in horror as her reputation is torn apart.
At first Ruby thinks she can get on top of it if she can just explain herself better. But she soon realises she'll never be able to placate the tsunami of strangers baying for her blood.
The vitriol pouring in through her phone cracks open a visceral, personal shame from her past that she's refused to face. Because the worst thing Ruby's ever done is not defined by this interview, but by a single, chilling scream.
With skilful empathy, Clare Stephens holds a mirror to online personas versus actual lives, exploring what is truly important in a noise-ridden world competing for our attention.
About the Author
Clare Stephens is a Sydney-based podcaster, screenwriter, editor and digital content creator. She's the former editor-in-chief at Mamamia – Australia's largest independent women's network – and has produced some of the site's most viral content. Her writing has appeared in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and Brisbane Times, and she publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack. She is also a writer and producer on the Binge series Strife—seasons 1 and 2. The Worst Thing I've Ever Done is her first novel.
Industry Reviews
'A riveting debut: thoughtful, compassionate, nuanced and so very topical. I couldn't stop thinking about it after I turned the last page. Clare Stephens keeps you on the hook-and doesn't let you off!' Liane Moriarty, author of Here One Moment
'As compulsive as any app. Clare Stephens creates a cautionary tale for our times, full of wit and nuance.' Jane Harper, author of The Dry and Exiles
'Clare Stephens has written the kind of debut that feels both urgently contemporary and quietly profound-a compulsive read that dares to ask what happens when we become the object of the scrutiny we so casually dish out ... written with elegant prose and unflinching honesty.' Sally Hepworth, author of Mad Mabel
'Thrusts you into the ferocious, obsessive cyclone of an online witch-hunt. Wholly compulsive reading.' Zoë Foster Blake, author of Things Will Calm Down Soon
