Daren
This book falls in with The Young Team and Londonstani. It was contemporary with The Young Team but followed Londonstani by 14 years.
Like these it is written in a combination of dialect and slang, some of the slang took a while to adjust to, being largely Jamaican patois, mixed with lax pronunciation into a written form. I suspect I understood 95% of it, but there were a few instances where I wasn't fully following, but the context usually makes it clear enough.
This book is considered autofiction - meaning basically it is autobiography with fictionalised elements - something I generally dislike because as a reader I quickly lose trust on what is real and what is embellished, as clearly there is no way to tell. The narrative flicks between how appalling the lifestyle is to fully glamorises the lifestyle of these criminal scumbags, and in most cases makes it hard for he reader (or at least me) to sympathise with the characters, because they make so little effort to improve their lot. Other reviewers point to a social underclass, a governmental failing, social inequities, lack of services or support, but this is distant to me, so I can't comment beyond my own perception of what it written in this book.
To achieve income, they deal drugs and carry out robberies, generally mugging people on the street taking cash, jewellery and catches. Victims are chosen by how much bling the put on show as they walk the streets, so again hard to sympathise with people who insist on wearing watches worth a months income.
Fast money is spent fast, usually buying fashion and, yes more watches, diamond grillz or gold/silver teeth overlays with diamonds or other stones set into them. Real good investments... not. Also there are running arguments between the gangs of thugs, with beatings, stabbings and regular murders carried out with arguments over territory, or just where they live, real or perceived injustices.
Even within their own groups there are betrayals and fallings out. Krause, known as Snoopz in the narrative runs through best mates as they cycle in and out of prison or remand, or just disappear from the scene. I won't spoil key events for other people, but Krause is somewhat different in that he is at University studying for an English degree, so he also juggles a sort of double life in that respect. Women earn little respect, are treated as commodities or worse. The legal and prison systems are ineffective or corrupted. He appears to be a continual disappointment or burden on his parents, although I would mention he does isolate them from his criminal life as much as possible for their own protection (in that he doesn't let anyone know where they live).
It is a pretty grim read. In terms of narrative it is non-linear in that it jumps around, but it it narrated jumping, not left for the reader to determine, and towards skips forward a few years. Krause, or Snoops doesn't explain fully at the end whether he fully separates his from this life, but obviously he writes this book. From the author bio it appears he may have moved on from his South Kilburn life.
I enjoyed this book, but as mentioned above found any form of sympathy hard, and really disliked most of the people involved.
4 stars.
This book falls in with The Young Team and Londonstani. It was contemporary with The Young Team but followed Londonstani by 14 years.
Like these it is written in a combination of dialect and slang, some of the slang took a while to adjust to, being largely Jamaican patois, mixed with lax pronunciation into a written form. I suspect I understood 95% of it, but there were a few instances where I wasn't fully following, but the context usually makes it clear enough.
This book is considered autofiction - meaning basically it is autobiography with fictionalised elements - something I generally dislike because as a reader I quickly lose trust on what is real and what is embellished, as clearly there is no way to tell. The narrative flicks between how appalling the lifestyle is to fully glamorises the lifestyle of these criminal scumbags, and in most cases makes it hard for he reader (or at least me) to sympathise with the characters, because they make so little effort to improve their lot. Other reviewers point to a social underclass, a governmental failing, social inequities, lack of services or support, but this is distant to me, so I can't comment beyond my own perception of what it written in this book.
To achieve income, they deal drugs and carry out robberies, generally mugging people on the street taking cash, jewellery and catches. Victims are chosen by how much bling the put on show as they walk the streets, so again hard to sympathise with people who insist on wearing watches worth a months income.
Fast money is spent fast, usually buying fashion and, yes more watches, diamond grillz or gold/silver teeth overlays with diamonds or other stones set into them. Real good investments... not. Also there are running arguments between the gangs of thugs, with beatings, stabbings and regular murders carried out with arguments over territory, or just where they live, real or perceived injustices.
Even within their own groups there are betrayals and fallings out. Krause, known as Snoopz in the narrative runs through best mates as they cycle in and out of prison or remand, or just disappear from the scene. I won't spoil key events for other people, but Krause is somewhat different in that he is at University studying for an English degree, so he also juggles a sort of double life in that respect. Women earn little respect, are treated as commodities or worse. The legal and prison systems are ineffective or corrupted. He appears to be a continual disappointment or burden on his parents, although I would mention he does isolate them from his criminal life as much as possible for their own protection (in that he doesn't let anyone know where they live).
It is a pretty grim read. In terms of narrative it is non-linear in that it jumps around, but it it narrated jumping, not left for the reader to determine, and towards skips forward a few years. Krause, or Snoops doesn't explain fully at the end whether he fully separates his from this life, but obviously he writes this book. From the author bio it appears he may have moved on from his South Kilburn life.
I enjoyed this book, but as mentioned above found any form of sympathy hard, and really disliked most of the people involved.
4 stars.