A review by sharonleavy
Notting Hill Carnival (Quick Reads): A West Side Story (Quick Reads 2020) by Candice Carty-Williams
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Notting Hill Carnival: A Westside Story by Candice Carty-Williams is a short story published as a Quick Read by The Reading Agency in 2020, and republished for this year (for 2023, they didn't publish any new ones, but republished a selection of their most popular Quick Reads).
A re-imagining of West Side Story set against the backdrop of gang culture, the story focuses mainly on Sapphire, who has tried to leave her gang past behind her, and Apollo, who is still involved. They meet on their way to the Notting Hill Carnival and sparks fly, both unaware that their younger siblings are determined to kick the shit out of each other once and for all.
It's very short (obviously), but I enjoyed it a lot. I loved this author's novel "Queenie", also set in London, and I felt like this short book (112 pages) was a good example of her writing style. The ending was a little rushed, but I almost expect that from one of these Quick Reads, they tend to want everything tied up by the end of the book which can't be easy when you're trying to keep the word count down.
Recommended!
A re-imagining of West Side Story set against the backdrop of gang culture, the story focuses mainly on Sapphire, who has tried to leave her gang past behind her, and Apollo, who is still involved. They meet on their way to the Notting Hill Carnival and sparks fly, both unaware that their younger siblings are determined to kick the shit out of each other once and for all.
It's very short (obviously), but I enjoyed it a lot. I loved this author's novel "Queenie", also set in London, and I felt like this short book (112 pages) was a good example of her writing style. The ending was a little rushed, but I almost expect that from one of these Quick Reads, they tend to want everything tied up by the end of the book which can't be easy when you're trying to keep the word count down.
Recommended!