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A review by amyvl93
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I feel like I say this every year but my favourite thing about avidly reading the Women's Prize shortlist is being pointed towards books that you wouldn't otherwise find, and falling a bit in love with them. Fire Rush is one of those books.
Set in the late 1970s, Fire Rush introduces us to Yamaye, the daughter of Jamaican migrants to the UK whose days revolve around hanging out at underground music venues with her two friends on the outskirts of London, until a romantic encounter and then violent tragedy upends her life.
Moving between outer and inner London, Bristol and Jamaica, Crooks gives us a hard honest look at Yamaye's life - one that is ordinary until it isn't, and teeters on the edge of criminality. Yamaye is a compelling protagonist, one who finds her own voice and sound as the novel progresses and as she learns more about her past - both within her family and in her place as a black woman. The writing genuinely has a rhythm to it as we move thorough the pages.
Whilst we spend the most time with Yamaye, Crooks gives her other characters real life - from the romantic dreamer Moose, to the quietly dangerous Monassa, they all vibrate on the pages. This read as a novel crying out to be televised, and I hope it is. This is an excellent debut by Brooks, shining a light on a period of black British history which isn't talked about enough; and I'm excited to read what she writes next.
Set in the late 1970s, Fire Rush introduces us to Yamaye, the daughter of Jamaican migrants to the UK whose days revolve around hanging out at underground music venues with her two friends on the outskirts of London, until a romantic encounter and then violent tragedy upends her life.
Moving between outer and inner London, Bristol and Jamaica, Crooks gives us a hard honest look at Yamaye's life - one that is ordinary until it isn't, and teeters on the edge of criminality. Yamaye is a compelling protagonist, one who finds her own voice and sound as the novel progresses and as she learns more about her past - both within her family and in her place as a black woman. The writing genuinely has a rhythm to it as we move thorough the pages.
Whilst we spend the most time with Yamaye, Crooks gives her other characters real life - from the romantic dreamer Moose, to the quietly dangerous Monassa, they all vibrate on the pages. This read as a novel crying out to be televised, and I hope it is. This is an excellent debut by Brooks, shining a light on a period of black British history which isn't talked about enough; and I'm excited to read what she writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Murder