Publisher: Oneworld
I got a Waterstones voucher for my birthday and I ceased the opportunity to go buy books immediately, and this is one that I bought.
I started reading this book at the end of July. I started reading it on my commute to and from work....bad idea. You really need to concentrate on this book as the Jamaican dialect used by some characters (similar to Irvine Welch and the varying Scottish dialects) are hard to follow when you have distractions. I therefore relegated this book to my book before bed, but even then I couldn't manage much as it's rather taxing to read before bed and sleep soon arrived.
BUT, when on holiday last week I really got stuck in to this book and finally found my pure enjoyment in it.
Yes, some of the chapters need to be given time to absorb and work though, but you do get in to the swing of things and the story is really really interesting as well as gripping. The music, the politics, the gang life in Jamaica are all things I didn't know anything about so this was interesting there as well as on the story level. And what I also think goes for the plot is that I did a lot of picking up and down of this book with days or so inbetween, but despite this I didn't forget the book, it's one that lingers.
The best thing for me though was watching the characters develop some subtly and some unsubtly. They all changed in many ways, even down to their affected way of speaking, removed from 'Jamaican'. MJ really has crafted an excellent novel here and I will indeed recommend it.
Also, I do have to point out the final portion/ending - superb.
Do read this also!
Happy Reading
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