Fire Rush
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- Create Date：2023-03-08 07:53:12
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jacqueline Crooks
- ISBN：1787333639
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Summary
London， 1978。 Yamaye， a woman in her 20s unsure of who she is， but with dreams of being a DJ and MC。 Yamaye lives for the weekend， when she can go raving with her friends at The Crypt， an underground club in the industrial town on the outskirts of London where she was born and raised。
Everything changes when she falls deeply in love with Moose: he offers the chance of freedom and change。 When their relationship is cut brutally short， Yamaye goes on a dramatic journey of transformation that takes her first to Bristol， where she gets caught up in a criminal gang， and then to Jamaica， where past and present collide with devastating consequences。
Everything changes when she falls deeply in love with Moose: he offers the chance of freedom and change。 When their relationship is cut brutally short， Yamaye goes on a dramatic journey of transformation that takes her first to Bristol， where she gets caught up in a criminal gang， and then to Jamaica， where past and present collide with devastating consequences。
Reviews
Aoife Cassidy McM
，
Set in 1970s/1980s London and Jamaica， this debut novel is a fiery story of love， loss， dub/reggae， Black lives， police brutality， heritage， grief， spirituality and letting go。Yamaye is a young woman raised by her father following her mother’s disappearance when she was a girl。 She parties hard with her friends in an underground dub reggae club called the Crypt， where she seeks oblivion in the beats and the darkness。 She meets and makes a strong connection with Moose， but when life takes a devas Set in 1970s/1980s London and Jamaica， this debut novel is a fiery story of love， loss， dub/reggae， Black lives， police brutality， heritage， grief， spirituality and letting go。Yamaye is a young woman raised by her father following her mother’s disappearance when she was a girl。 She parties hard with her friends in an underground dub reggae club called the Crypt， where she seeks oblivion in the beats and the darkness。 She meets and makes a strong connection with Moose， but when life takes a devastating turn， Yamaye turns to music and the inner voice of her mother to get her through。 This is a coming of age tale but not as you know it。 It’s dark， violent， brooding， fragmented。 It’s hard to understand in parts but it didn’t seem to matter - there’s a pacey， rhythmic， hypnotic quality to the writing。 The book is written almost entirely in Jamaican Patois， which I thought I’d find difficult， but actually I found it mesmerising。 The words have a staccato rhythm， and in my head， a bass drum thumping in the background for a lot of the scenes， particularly the dance scenes in the Crypt and some of the thrilling scenes towards the end。 I’m sure I missed some of the meaning here and there， but I just allowed the rhythm to carry me through。 It’s definitely a book that won’t be for everyone but I really liked it。 3。5/5 ⭐️ *Many thanks to the author， the publisher @vintagebooks and @netgalley for the arc。 Fire Rush was published on 2 March。 As always， this is an honest review。* 。。。more
Megan
，
Part love letter to music， part lament on grief， Fire Rush follows Yamaye through her descent into the soundscape of club nights in the crypt， to the dark criminal world of Bristol & the even darker depths her of grief and rage。 There is a lot to like about this story and how it threads together a devoted passion to music as a way to escape emotions and dull the pain of circumstances。 I struggled to read it though。 I was only really invested in the one character who absence is the catalyst for t Part love letter to music， part lament on grief， Fire Rush follows Yamaye through her descent into the soundscape of club nights in the crypt， to the dark criminal world of Bristol & the even darker depths her of grief and rage。 There is a lot to like about this story and how it threads together a devoted passion to music as a way to escape emotions and dull the pain of circumstances。 I struggled to read it though。 I was only really invested in the one character who absence is the catalyst for the journey and felt like the aspects I enjoyed were rushed。 I can see how this mimics the character journey though and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the music scene， and emotional tales。 Be sure to check out content warnings online before diving in though as there are many heavy topics and scenes that could be very triggering。 。。。more
Aoife Cassidy McM
，
3。5 ⭐️
Marc Nash
，
Video review to follow。 Irie！
Lisa
，
If I had to describe this book in one word it would be: fierce。1970’s London is a fierce place， with a sense of violence around every corner。 Protagonist Yamaye has to be fierce to cope with the grief that she has suffered from childhood and her increasing isolation， and even fiercer if she is to survive the group of friends who have offered her an escape from her normal life。The closest in writing style that I have experienced to this， in terms of language used and the unrelentingness of the st If I had to describe this book in one word it would be: fierce。1970’s London is a fierce place， with a sense of violence around every corner。 Protagonist Yamaye has to be fierce to cope with the grief that she has suffered from childhood and her increasing isolation， and even fiercer if she is to survive the group of friends who have offered her an escape from her normal life。The closest in writing style that I have experienced to this， in terms of language used and the unrelentingness of the story， is Booker Prize winner Marlon James。 It’s very well written but not always a pleasure to read。 I felt that it offered some insight for why a person can end up with friends that are damaging to them。It didn’t feel like a historical piece but felt like it could have easily have been set in the 2010s。 At the end it said that the book is a fictionalised version of the author’s own life experiences， which has made me wonder how close the fiction is to the fact。 。。。more
pauline
，
Gripping and at times uncomfortable， this book is unlike anything else I’ve ever read！ Jacqueline Crook’s debut novel is one you cannot miss。 Set in the 80s， we follow a young woman （Yamaye） whose life seemingly revolves around partying at the crypt， her two best friends and Moose， the man who she quickly falls for。 Life seems to be good until it’s not。 With her whole world crumbling she goes on a journey to find out who she is without those she loved most around her。Yamaye really connected with Gripping and at times uncomfortable， this book is unlike anything else I’ve ever read！ Jacqueline Crook’s debut novel is one you cannot miss。 Set in the 80s， we follow a young woman （Yamaye） whose life seemingly revolves around partying at the crypt， her two best friends and Moose， the man who she quickly falls for。 Life seems to be good until it’s not。 With her whole world crumbling she goes on a journey to find out who she is without those she loved most around her。Yamaye really connected with me， the author did a brilliant job of making you care for her which only makes you feel her pain and anguish so acutely and you will want to see how her story unfolds。 Additionally， the development of the side characters was done exquisitely。Some elements of this book that I absolutely loved were the use of patois， which made the story that much more real， and how music is woven all throughout the book， adding an extra layer of emotion。 I would highly recommend this book， however， it does cover some very serious and heavy themes so proceed with caution！Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Collette
，
Dancehall， dubplates， and duppy。 A tale about motherless children， and childless mothers A story about how we need to listen to the voices of our ancestors in order to move forward。 A book about walking in the footsteps of our foremothers， listening to the sounds they heard， and seeing the sights they saw。 A tale about growing strong in order to be soft。。。Read it！
Kim Barber
，
📖 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚁𝚞𝚜𝚑 📖'𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬， 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬， 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞-𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭。'AD | PR PRODUCTFire Rush is set in the late seventies - early eighties。 It is the story of Yamaye， a young black woman who lives on the outskirts of London， working night shifts， living with her distant father。 She lives for the evenings when she can meet her friends and dance to dub reggae in The Crypt， an underground club。 To my mind， this book blends thematic aspects of Open Water， Girl， Woman， 📖 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚁𝚞𝚜𝚑 📖'𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬， 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬， 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞-𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭。'AD | PR PRODUCTFire Rush is set in the late seventies - early eighties。 It is the story of Yamaye， a young black woman who lives on the outskirts of London， working night shifts， living with her distant father。 She lives for the evenings when she can meet her friends and dance to dub reggae in The Crypt， an underground club。 To my mind， this book blends thematic aspects of Open Water， Girl， Woman， Other and Assembly。 There is a love story cut short， police brutality， an escape to another city that proves anything but， and a journey to Jamaica， where Yamaye hopes to find peace and a resolution between her history and her present。 It is a vivid depiction of Black womanhood in Britain at this time。 Music has a strong presence in this book， it is Yamaye’s crutch and support， her constant through the highs and the lows。 Sometimes I felt the reference to music went a little too far and distracted from the story， I didn’t much care for the lyrics interspersed through the text。 That said， this is a story inspired by the author’s own experiences and it combines Crooks’ love of both writing and music。 It reads as a very authentic story， nothing underplayed or exaggerated for effect。 It’s a story of people rendered powerless by the abuse of others and of the importance of fighting back。 This is a strong debut novel， one I’ve seen on some Women’s Prize prediction lists。 One of the judges describes it as ‘A brilliant， exuberant novel。 Full of beauty， musicality and feminist power。’ 👀 。。。more
Róisín
，
‘This is our dancing time。’It’s 1978， and Yamaye and her friends live in a small， industrial town on the edge of London， once a site of pagan rituals， where they dance with the dead。 This town of cemeteries and ghosts is brought to life at the weekend by the dub reggae beats in an underground crypt club。 Unsure of what her future holds， Yamaye loses herself in these dark， smokey， music-filled nights in the hopes of finding herself; and music is also how Yamaye connects with her dead mother。 Livi ‘This is our dancing time。’It’s 1978， and Yamaye and her friends live in a small， industrial town on the edge of London， once a site of pagan rituals， where they dance with the dead。 This town of cemeteries and ghosts is brought to life at the weekend by the dub reggae beats in an underground crypt club。 Unsure of what her future holds， Yamaye loses herself in these dark， smokey， music-filled nights in the hopes of finding herself; and music is also how Yamaye connects with her dead mother。 Living with her reclusive and cold father， in a town simmering with social and racial injustice， Yamaye is feeling lost until she meets Moose， a profound soul who shares her Jamaican heritage。 The attraction is immediate， palpable， as friendship turns into a deep connection， and a deeper love; but then brutal tragedy strikes， and sets off a chain of events that brings us on a tumultuous and revelatory journey beyond London， and across the seas to the forests of Jamaica， propelled by the driving power of music。Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks is a novel brimming with lyrical， atmospheric， musical writing; we can feel the sweat， the grime， the smoke， the beat of the underground crypt club emanating from the pages and running through us， curling around us。 This is a book that pulsates with rhythm and bass， with passion and fire， with love and grief。 Written largely in Jamaican patois， this creates a rhythmic and completely immersive reading experience。 There is a lot of female strength in this novel， manifested in different ways， and we meet some wonderful female characters in Jamaica。 Exploring themes of love and devastating loss; of self-discovery and friendships tested; of racial injustice， police brutality and riots; of community and the power of music to unify and mobilise; of migration and the ways we find freedom; and of the tug of our ancestors always swirling around us; this is a rich and captivating read， bursting with music， emotion， culture， and cultural history。 。。。more
Sean Farrell
，
This is a truly outstanding novel。 I'll admit that when I first started the book， I honestly didn't think I would get very far。 Much of the language was beyond me and I thought I'd have trouble identifying with the scene and the context - dub reggae and black womanhood are frankly about as far away from my own experience as could be imagined。 But perhaps that is why I persisted and it was well worth doing so。 As with all the best books， the setting and the premise don't really matter - the impor This is a truly outstanding novel。 I'll admit that when I first started the book， I honestly didn't think I would get very far。 Much of the language was beyond me and I thought I'd have trouble identifying with the scene and the context - dub reggae and black womanhood are frankly about as far away from my own experience as could be imagined。 But perhaps that is why I persisted and it was well worth doing so。 As with all the best books， the setting and the premise don't really matter - the important things are the writing， the characters and the story。 If good enough， then these things can properly educate the reader about the setting and the premise and， yes， the message， without one ever realising it。 This is just one of those books。 The writing is fantastic， fluid and gripping。 The story is propulsive and flowing and tightly drawn。 But best of all the characters are so beautifully and expertly drawn that this reader found himself empathising with every one of them， even the bad guys。 So many books are populated with insipid， forgettable characters - but every single player in Fire Rush is immediately identifiable upon entry to a scene and the central star， Yamaye， is one of the few characters in literature that you can truly fall in love with。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Book Wormy
，
#Netgalley #ARC #FireRushThis ARC was provided by Vintage （via NetGalley） in exchange for an honest review。One word review -authenticIf this qualifies I would not be surprised to see it on the Booker Longlist。Who would like this？ For me this is a book for those who want an authentic， immersive read about a time and culture that are not their own。 Full review here https://thereadersroom。org/2023/02/13。。。 #Netgalley #ARC #FireRushThis ARC was provided by Vintage （via NetGalley） in exchange for an honest review。One word review -authenticIf this qualifies I would not be surprised to see it on the Booker Longlist。Who would like this？ For me this is a book for those who want an authentic， immersive read about a time and culture that are not their own。 Full review here https://thereadersroom。org/2023/02/13。。。 。。。more
jean
，
I struggled to get into this book as I found the speech really difficult to follow， which is a shame as it felt like the author had a lot to say。Maybe if there is an audio version I will try that as hearing the words and rhythm would probably help。Thank you to netgalley and vintage books for an advance copy of this book。
Ann
，
Not for me， I couldn’t get into the book because of the dialect。 I’m sure it’s a great read if you could get past that
Jordan Lostinagoodbookgirl
，
This is a great Debut form Jacqueline Crooks。 I have been looking forward to reading this。 We meet Yameye who lives with her Dad after her Mum had died。 I really loved all the references to music and dancing and the Dub scene in the 80's。 When Moose her boyfriend gets killed by police she joins up with a justice group and runs away to Bristol with Monassa who she finds herself in too deeply again。She also returns to her roots in Jamaica and visits Cockpit county which is steeped in history。 I fo This is a great Debut form Jacqueline Crooks。 I have been looking forward to reading this。 We meet Yameye who lives with her Dad after her Mum had died。 I really loved all the references to music and dancing and the Dub scene in the 80's。 When Moose her boyfriend gets killed by police she joins up with a justice group and runs away to Bristol with Monassa who she finds herself in too deeply again。She also returns to her roots in Jamaica and visits Cockpit county which is steeped in history。 I found the book so thorough and knowledgeable。 I loved all the rain forest and nature references - so descriptive。I will be recommending this book to others。 。。。more
Carole Tyrrell
，
Yamaye and her gyals: Rumer and Asase are all dressed up for a night’s dancing in the Crypt at a local church in SE London。 It’s an all nighter with 200 people packed inside， sweaty and with ‘sensamilla smoke and supra-watt riddims’ as well close， sometimes too close dancing with Rumer as the only white girl there。 It’s the end of the 1970’s and the beginning of the 1980’s。 As Yamaye observes， Mrs Thatcher ‘is the National Front in a pussy cat bow。’ Sus laws， far right groups on the march， and t Yamaye and her gyals: Rumer and Asase are all dressed up for a night’s dancing in the Crypt at a local church in SE London。 It’s an all nighter with 200 people packed inside， sweaty and with ‘sensamilla smoke and supra-watt riddims’ as well close， sometimes too close dancing with Rumer as the only white girl there。 It’s the end of the 1970’s and the beginning of the 1980’s。 As Yamaye observes， Mrs Thatcher ‘is the National Front in a pussy cat bow。’ Sus laws， far right groups on the march， and the realities of life on a tower block housing estate known as Tombstone。 The gyals all have day jobs but they live for their nights at the Crypt。 Yamaye has dreams of being a DJ one day but not yet。 She lives with her poopa， Irving， who is beginning to slide into dementia， while her muma is rumoured to be in Guyana。 Rumer ran away from the arranged marriage that her Irish travelling family wanted for her and Asase is beautiful but volatile。 They meet men at the Crypt such as Lego， Crab Man， and Eustace。 And Yamaye meets Moose， a man from Essex， who has his own business。 And life changes for Yamaye as she falls in love and begins to have plans for a future。Until Moose dies in police custody， a victim of the sus laws and the resultant campaign to get justice for him takes over her life。 And then while she is still reeling from that cruel loss， her gyals， her support team go their own ways。 Asase into prison for 5 years and Rumer back to what she wanted to escape from。 The sisters and Yamaye， in the throes of grief for Moose and her lost sisters meets Monassa who leads her into gang life from which he will never let her escape。 But she won’t give up on her dream of going to Jamaica to find her muma。 I really loved this book and what a killer cover！ It had me at the Spotify playlist with Misty in Roots amongst others。 It’s told in the first person in Jamaican patois and the author has said that it’s a fictionalised account of her own life。 It had that authenticity， rawness and immediacy about it。 I really felt that I was dancing with the gyals in the Crypt。 The rituals of getting dressed up for a night out dancing at the Crypt: the shoes， the clothes， the make-up， planning dance moves and the overall focus， these really brought the gyals to life。 I liked Yamaye and the book was revealing about the life of black women during the 1970’ and 1980’s。 I thought she was a plucky， determined character who deserved better。 The impression that I had of Yamaye was that she was searching for friends， family， her muma and another life that she really wanted。。But Death featured a lot in this book。 The Crypt where Yamaye feels that they are ‘skinning up with the dead’， she meets Monessa when she cuts through a graveyard and there are several references to ‘duppies’ which is the Jamaican word for ghost or spirits。 She lives on a housing estate known as Tombstone and towards the end the book became very mystical as Yamaye attempts to summon up the dead。 My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC。 。。。more
Lydia Omodara
，
Jacqueline Crooks' Fire Rush is a brilliant debut， an important novel about identity and power which has the makings of a modern classic。 Our protagonist is Yamaye， a young woman raised by a Jamaican immigrant father in a South London suburb， who comes of age in the late 1970s， a time where being Black in Britain was hard， and being a Black woman was harder。 The story follows her from the council estate where she grew up to the Bristol underworld， and finally to the Caribbean island of her paren Jacqueline Crooks' Fire Rush is a brilliant debut， an important novel about identity and power which has the makings of a modern classic。 Our protagonist is Yamaye， a young woman raised by a Jamaican immigrant father in a South London suburb， who comes of age in the late 1970s， a time where being Black in Britain was hard， and being a Black woman was harder。 The story follows her from the council estate where she grew up to the Bristol underworld， and finally to the Caribbean island of her parents' birth， as she searches for peace， connection and purpose。 Crooks' prose reads like poetry - every word and phrase carefully， deliberately evocative - and through her descriptions she deftly creates distinct impressions of each place: the people， the buildings， the atmosphere， the clothes， the music。 A thread of magical realism also weaves through the narrative， drawing the reader inside Yamaye's mind and back through 400 years of Black history。 Music connects the disparate locations and parts of the narrative， with Yamaye's lyrics and references to the dub music of the era linking the damp underground crypt where Yamaye parties with her friends in London to the forests and caves of Jamaica。 I've read other novels set in a similar time and place， such as Alex Wheatle's East of Acre Lane， and seen documentaries about the climate of racism and opression by Black Britons at the hands of the police - notably Steve McQueen's Uprising。 However， Crooks' novel provides a fresh， much-needed female perspective， highlighting the unique struggles of Black women， who often bore the brunt of the feelings of frustration and emasculation which arose in their husbands due to the way they were treated and viewed by society。 Crooks writes how one male character 'was always wanting his likkle piece of power under his roof because he couldn't get respect out in the big wide world。 Because he's a Black man。' She sums up the world of women like Yamaye as follows: 'Nowhere's safe: not the streets， governed by police with barbed-wire veins; not our homes， ruled by men with power fists as misshapen as their wounds。 The only place to live and rage from is our hearts。' In contrast， the figure of Nanny of the Maroons， an indomitable female leader who led an uprising against the British in Jamaica， is alluded to throughout the narrative， and I loved seeing how Yamaye came to identify with her more and more as she learned more about herself and what she was capable of。 Fire Rush is very much a story about power - who has it， over whom and how they use it。 When we first meet Yamaye， she seems happy， but as we get to know her we realise how trapped she is by the struggle to understand who she is and where she comes from， by society's view of her and by the relationships that have come to define her。 Every relationship in the story is beautifully complicated and real: with her distant， abusive father， Irving; with her domineering best friend， Asase， whom she loves but with whom she can never truly be herself; with Moose and with Monassa。 It's also a story of how female friendship can strengthen you and limit you， and at its core， it's a beautiful， heartbreaking love story。 。。。more
Faye Bertenshaw
，
Stop what you're doing and get this 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 debut added to your TBR immediately！ Come March， this book will literally be pulsing and singing its way from the bookshelves！ Such an incredibly raw， powerful， and beautiful read。 Packed full of sadness and hope， captivity， and freedom with such an endearing and loveable protagonist。 Honestly， I can't recommend this enough ❤️🔥Huge thank you to the publishers and netgalley for my arc 🥰 Stop what you're doing and get this 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 debut added to your TBR immediately！ Come March， this book will literally be pulsing and singing its way from the bookshelves！ Such an incredibly raw， powerful， and beautiful read。 Packed full of sadness and hope， captivity， and freedom with such an endearing and loveable protagonist。 Honestly， I can't recommend this enough ❤️🔥Huge thank you to the publishers and netgalley for my arc 🥰 。。。more
Lydia Omodara
，
Jacqueline Crooks' Fire Rush is a brilliant debut， an important novel about identity and power which has the makings of a modern classic。 Our protagonist is Yamaye， a young woman raised by a Jamaican immigrant father in a South London suburb， who comes of age in the late 1970s， a time where being Black in Britain was hard， and being a Black woman was harder。 The story follows her from the council estate where she grew up to the Bristol underworld， and finally to the Caribbean island of her paren Jacqueline Crooks' Fire Rush is a brilliant debut， an important novel about identity and power which has the makings of a modern classic。 Our protagonist is Yamaye， a young woman raised by a Jamaican immigrant father in a South London suburb， who comes of age in the late 1970s， a time where being Black in Britain was hard， and being a Black woman was harder。 The story follows her from the council estate where she grew up to the Bristol underworld， and finally to the Caribbean island of her parents' birth， as she searches for peace， connection and purpose。 Crooks' prose reads like poetry - every word and phrase carefully， deliberately evocative - and through her descriptions she deftly creates distinct impressions of each place: the people， the buildings， the atmosphere， the clothes， the music。 A thread of magical realism also weaves through the narrative， drawing the reader inside Yamaye's mind and back through 400 years of Black history。 Music connects the disparate locations and parts of the narrative， with Yamaye's lyrics and references to the dub music of the era linking the damp underground crypt where Yamaye parties with her friends in London to the forests and caves of Jamaica。 I've read other novels set in a similar time and place， such as Alex Wheatle's East of Acre Lane， and seen documentaries about the climate of racism and opression by Black Britons at the hands of the police - notably Steve McQueen's Uprising。 However， Crooks' novel provides a fresh， much-needed female perspective， highlighting the unique struggles of Black women， who often bore the brunt of the feelings of frustration and emasculation which arose in their husbands due to the way they were treated and viewed by society。 Crooks writes how one male character 'was always wanting his likkle piece of power under his roof because he couldn't get respect out in the big wide world。 Because he's a Black man。' She sums up the world of women like Yamaye as follows: 'Nowhere's safe: not the streets， governed by police with barbed-wire veins; not our homes， ruled by men with power fists as misshapen as their wounds。 The only place to live and rage from is our hearts。' In contrast， the figure of Nanny of the Maroons， an indomitable female leader who led an uprising against the British in Jamaica， is alluded to throughout the narrative， and I loved seeing how Yamaye came to identify with her more and more as she learned more about herself and what she was capable of。 Fire Rush is very much a story about power - who has it， over whom， and how they use it。 When we first meet Yamaye， she seems happy， but as we get to know her we realise how trapped she is by the struggle to understand who she is and where she comes from， by society's view of her and by the relationships that have come to define her。 Every relationship in the story is beautifully complicated and real: with her distant， abusive father， Irving; with her domineering best friend， Asase， whom she loves but with whom she can never truly be herself; with Moose and with Monassa。 It's also a story of how female friendship can strengthen you and limit you， and at its core， it's a beautiful， heartbreaking love story。Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer
，
Now longlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize。 She speaks in scalding undertones， and I realise that Oraca suppresses her anger， like me。 Because nowhere’s safe – not the streets， governed by police with barbed-wire veins; not our homes， ruled by men with power fists as misshapen as their wounds。 The only place to live and rage from is our hearts。The MC calls out over the mic， a voice in the darkness， shouting above the waves of sound。 The deck’s where I’ve always wanted to be。 Changing the sonic Now longlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize。 She speaks in scalding undertones， and I realise that Oraca suppresses her anger， like me。 Because nowhere’s safe – not the streets， governed by police with barbed-wire veins; not our homes， ruled by men with power fists as misshapen as their wounds。 The only place to live and rage from is our hearts。The MC calls out over the mic， a voice in the darkness， shouting above the waves of sound。 The deck’s where I’ve always wanted to be。 Changing the sonic direction。 I’d fling down a rootsy dub track of the ancients chanting stories about the divinity of our emperors。 Tek it to the outtasphere。 。 This book was featured in the 2023 version of the influential annual Observer Best Debut Novelist feature （past years have included Natasha Brown， Caleb Azumah Nelson， Douglas Stuart， Sally Rooney， Rebecca Watson， Yara Rodrigues Fowler， JR Thorp Bonnie Garmus， Gail Honeyman among many others）。Having read much of this year’s strong list already I would say that it has the most vibrant and distinctive voice， while not my personal favourite reading experience。It has taken the author – whose previous book， a collection of short stories， was Orwell Prize longlisted with one of the stories BBC Short Story prize shortlisted – some sixteen years to write this book which was at the same time strongly autobiographical and subject to detailed research。The book starts in Norwood “one of those small industrial towns on the western edge of London， Part village， parts suburb， an overgrowth of the City” （and I think a home for Southall where the author grew up – which I have to say left me， literally disorientated at the start of the novel as I read much of it travelling between my home and London and passing through the real-life South Norwood （and in particular Norwood junction） which is to the South of London。 And if I had any reservation about this novel it was that the sense of disorientation never quite left me – although I would stress that is much more due to my tastes than any fault of the author’s。The book has two key distinguishing features: a detailed use of Patois and （even more distinctively） the way in which the rhythm of music （and in particular the music of the late 1970s/early1980s underground dub scene） is incorporated into the novel。The Patois （which interestingly the author dialled up during writing after her original agent dropped her after she did not agree to tone it down） really adds to the authenticity of the novel and I think is quickly absorbed by any reader。The music/rhythm parts have two elements。Much of the book is set in underground clubs， or to accompaniment of mix tapes or in some other way listening and/or dancing to music and the author spends a lot of time describing the way the characters experience this。 Some examples: Bodies rippling like seagrass。 Synthesising air and bass。Inna cave of sound， we skank low， spirits high， Deep moves as offerings to the soundboxes， wooden dieties full of fading voices。Lovers-rock time and our bodies are ships rolling through smoke and heat， under pressure from treble and bass。 I sway in the broiling centre， far from the walls where men move with mute biological urgency， stabilising themselves with the weight of women。 I’m dragged under reverberations， the spinning wheels of time。 Dancers wave their arms， air horns blow， a ship lost at sea。 Go deh， the massive shout。 Electrified jerks of their heads。 Clockwork arms。 They come alive on the dance floor。 Pull-back motion of spines。 Juddering-stalking-rotating。 All the stored-up， winding energy of the old times。 。 This was the part that did not quite work for me – I have to say I am not particularly interested in music and much less so in dancing and I simple could not absorb these sections。But what did really work for me is how the author， via her first party narrator Yamaye， mixes musical metaphors into her every day experiences， some examples ……。。 I step-bounce-swing in the crisp cold November day， bare beech trees swaying like dancers in the shrouded vocals of the wind。 High E strings in my stomach， pulling on my guts， but I can’t seem to dredge the siren sound to my throat。 Have I mixed things up？ The notes in my belly twang so I try a haul-and-pull， lifting the needle off memory， dragging it back to the first bar again and again。 Feel the foreboding and dread of truth 。 If anything， I think the musical part may be even more embedded – certainly a few years ago when working on the novel the author said “Each chapter of Fire Rush will be written for performance as well as the page。 That is the challenge I’ve set myself。 A specific dub track will drive the writing of each chapter and will be the track that will accompany readings。” I am less clear if this happened。 Penguin list a playlist for the book but it is written for crucial scenes rather than chapter by chapterIt does however serves as an excellent summary of the plot of a novel which:Moves from Norwood to Bristol to JamaicaWhich thematically covers: black women and their rage， the underground dub scene – including the dark side of its misogyny; London police violence and oppression particularly against black people and women （shockingly as topical today as it was more than 40 years ago when the novel is set） – including the sus laws， deaths in custody and the use of informants and harassment; gang activity; the various legacies of slavery – an area covered particularly strongly in Bristol （where of course it as equally recently topical given the Edward Colston statue）; the Jamaican maroons and their struggle against colonial slavery; ghosts and obeah rituals; archaelogical investigation of slave ships and its interaction with activist art – and much more besidesBut is at heart a story of someone looking for their identity， for love and a place of safety and belonging – an old story told in a very new way。“Ghetto of the City” by Misty in Roots – Opening scene， referencing the subterranean world“Sing Me a Love Song” by Carroll Thompson – Yamaye communing with Muma“Bad Boy Rhythm Dub” by King Tubby – Dancing with Crab Man“London Town” by Light of the World – Asase， Rumer， Yamaye， Moose， driving through London looking for a rave“Love Has Found Its Way” by Dennis Brown – Yamaye and Moose falling in love“Lady of Magic， Bunny Maloney” by Moose gives Yamaye the ring and mix tapes“Babylon， Sugar Minott” by Campaigning marches“Jah War” by The Ruts – Riot scene“Even Though You’re Gone” by Louisa Mark – A grieving song“Cover Up” by Misty in Roots – Herbert and Yamaye know the police are following them“Jammin’ for Survival” by Prince Jammy – Yamaye playing tunes for the men in the Safe House“Night Nurse” by Gregory Isaacs – Monassa coming to Yamaye’s room every night“Pimper’s Paradise” by Bob Marley & The Wailers – Arrival of Charmaine“Stir It Up” by Bob Marley & The Wailers – Yamaye decides to take Monassa’s money and go on the run“City Too Hot” by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – Yamaye feeling the pressure from Monassa and his men in the Safe House， wanting to escape， talking to Charmaine“I Need a Roof” by Mighty Diamonds – Yamaye on the run， sleeping in the park“Hopelessly in Love” by Carroll Thompson – Yamaye thinking of Moose“Country Living” by Sandra Cross – Yamaye settling in to Cockpit Country“Natural Mystic” by Bob Marley & The Wailers – Yamaye and Granny Itiba decide to use obeah and herbs to deal with MonassaMy thanks to Random House， UK Vintage for an ARC via NetGalley 。。。more
Jacquie J
，
Yamaye and her friends Asase， and Rumer live on the outskirts of London， stuck in dead-end jobs。 Weekend raving at the crypt， an underground dub club， is all they have to look forward to。 Things begin to look up for Yamaye when she meets and falls deeply in love with Moose。 However， their relationship is cut short， she's separated from her friends and is forced to leave London for Bristol。 In Bristol， she finds herself trapped and compromised， and is once again forced to escape。 It is in Cockpit Yamaye and her friends Asase， and Rumer live on the outskirts of London， stuck in dead-end jobs。 Weekend raving at the crypt， an underground dub club， is all they have to look forward to。 Things begin to look up for Yamaye when she meets and falls deeply in love with Moose。 However， their relationship is cut short， she's separated from her friends and is forced to leave London for Bristol。 In Bristol， she finds herself trapped and compromised， and is once again forced to escape。 It is in Cockpit Country， Jamaica， that she discovers her sense of self and takes control of her own destiny。Fire Rush is not an easy read， not because it is badly written， but because of the heavy themes explored。 It describes a world where a man would rather jump out of a window than be questioned by the police about the whereabouts of his brother。 A world where black men are brutalised and killed by the police simply for being black。 A world where young women are treated as property by men， of dysfunctional families， with husbands who abuse their wives， and mothers who neglect their children。 A world where being black means young men and women have very little prospect of success。 A world where many resort to crime and others betray their people in order to survive。 It is very reminiscent of Steve McQueen’s recent BBC series Small Axe and a reminder that very little has changed in terms of racial inequality， oppression of， and discrimination against black people。I cannot say that I enjoyed reading this book and I came close to not finishing it。 See full review at https://www。bookandlounge。com/blog/fi。。。 。。。more
Paromjit
，
This is an incredible must read debut from Jacqueline Crooks that captures the turbulent， challenging and stressful history of black British lives， more particularly black women， of the late 1970s and early 1980s。 This includes the terrifying racism， the brutality and black deaths at the hands of the police， undercover police surveillance， informants， dance and music， the protests， riots， the far right， and the Anti-Nazi League。 Yamaye lives at the Tombstone estate， Norwood， West London， with he This is an incredible must read debut from Jacqueline Crooks that captures the turbulent， challenging and stressful history of black British lives， more particularly black women， of the late 1970s and early 1980s。 This includes the terrifying racism， the brutality and black deaths at the hands of the police， undercover police surveillance， informants， dance and music， the protests， riots， the far right， and the Anti-Nazi League。 Yamaye lives at the Tombstone estate， Norwood， West London， with her poopa Irving， staying hoping for his love and need to learn more about her muma， a midwife who died in Guyana， when she was a child。 She fills the inner vacuum inside with dancing at the Crypt at the weekends with her friends， Asase， the leader， and the Irish Rumer， where skanking is survival。 It is more than dancing， dub is everything， a fire， a guide， a path to the soul and the past， her friends， connecting with ghosts， a core sense of identity， it is who she is。 Yamaye then meets Moose， her life fundamentally shifting as she falls in love， finding a peace and a promise of a different future in Jamaica。 However， this is all set to be shattered when a tragedy occurs， and matters are exacerbated when her friendships are broken， unbearable cracks begin to appear。 Fighting for justice， brings unwelcome police surveillance into Yamaye's life， it all becomes too much and she runs to the sanctuary offered by Monassa at the Safe House in Bristol。 It turns out to be far from safe， facing a criminal gang， a controlling predator and a protector， it's a predicament that has her feeling shame。All is not lost， Yamaye bides her time， the fire inside her is burning as she plays the decks， finding herself in the music， culminating in her past meeting her present when she travels to Jamaica， to find out about her muma， and connect with the other love of her life， Moose， through his resourceful Granny Itiba， who can be relied on when a past problem once again rears its head。 This is a read that grabbed me almost instantly， it is exquisitely written， lyrical and vibrant， and I quickly became accustomed to the Jamaican patois。 I really felt for Yamaye and what she went through and her transformation， her love of dub reggae， in this sublime and compelling character driven historical novel， of love， loss， freedom， and its eye opening insights in what it was like to be black woman in this period of British history。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Roman Clodia
，
Now longlisted for the Women's Prize 2023 - I'd love to see this win！ One o'clock in the morning。 Hotfoot， all three of us。 Stepping where we had no business。 Tombstone Estate gyals - Caribbean， Irish。 No one expects better。 We ain't IT。 But we sure ain't shit。 All we need is a likkle bit of riddim。 So we go inna it， deep， into the dance-hall Crypt。Loved the voice; loved the narrator， Yamaye， loved her journey。 This is full of urban energy with a textual soundtrack that makes me want to go cl Now longlisted for the Women's Prize 2023 - I'd love to see this win！ One o'clock in the morning。 Hotfoot， all three of us。 Stepping where we had no business。 Tombstone Estate gyals - Caribbean， Irish。 No one expects better。 We ain't IT。 But we sure ain't shit。 All we need is a likkle bit of riddim。 So we go inna it， deep， into the dance-hall Crypt。Loved the voice; loved the narrator， Yamaye， loved her journey。 This is full of urban energy with a textual soundtrack that makes me want to go clubbing。 But Crooks has done more than capture a vibe， a sound， a feel - she's crafted a book that follows a conventional narrative arc of the journey from trauma to finding roots and a form of stability， but she does it in a voice that is totally her own。 Characterisation is deft and not laboured; the chemistry between Yamaye and Moose is off the page。 There's nothing naive or amateur about the craft that has gone into this book: it's slick and artful while feeling spontaneous and irreverent。 The part set in Jamaica doesn't have quite the dynamism of the London scenes but the journey is crucial。 For my money， Crooks is an author to watch。 Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley。 。。。more
Bookish Blonde
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This debut tells the story of Yamaye， a young woman of Jamaican heritage living in London during the 1970s。 After a couple of tragedies impact her life， she goes on a journey of self discovery。For me， I just couldn't get into the rhythm of this book。 It took a while for me to see what direction it was going in and the written form of the character's narrative dialect made it hard to immerse myself into the actual story。That said， I felt the characters were really well written with a lot of depth This debut tells the story of Yamaye， a young woman of Jamaican heritage living in London during the 1970s。 After a couple of tragedies impact her life， she goes on a journey of self discovery。For me， I just couldn't get into the rhythm of this book。 It took a while for me to see what direction it was going in and the written form of the character's narrative dialect made it hard to immerse myself into the actual story。That said， I felt the characters were really well written with a lot of depth to them。 Yamaye's friends and boyfriend all had such complex characters affected by the ways others had treated them， and it made for an interesting read。 。。。more
Andrew
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Some novels take a while to get going， but not Fire Rush。 Jacqueline Crooks takes us straight to the streets of 1970s London and introduces us to the group of friends who will be at the centre of the action， both on this night and in what follows: "Tombstone Estate gyals — Caribbean， Irish。 No one expects better。 We ain’t IT。 But we sure ain’t shit。 All we need is a likkle bit of riddim。 So we go inna it， deep， into the dance-hall Crypt。"As well as introducing us to three central characters， thi Some novels take a while to get going， but not Fire Rush。 Jacqueline Crooks takes us straight to the streets of 1970s London and introduces us to the group of friends who will be at the centre of the action， both on this night and in what follows: "Tombstone Estate gyals — Caribbean， Irish。 No one expects better。 We ain’t IT。 But we sure ain’t shit。 All we need is a likkle bit of riddim。 So we go inna it， deep， into the dance-hall Crypt。"As well as introducing us to three central characters， this short paragraph also introduces us to two important themes of Fire Rush: music and death。 The Crypt embodies them both—it’s an underground world of pulsing reggae and dub， skanking and swaying， excitement and strong hints of danger。 But it’s also an old crypt， a place of burials and ancient remains。 It’s also a “refuge from Babylon”， but one man has used it as a hiding-place from the police for so long that he seems to be buried alive。Then there’s the Tombstone Estate， the public housing complex where Yamaye， Asase and Rumer live in massive tombstone-shaped white buildings with “metal coffin lifts”， skull and crossbones graffiti on the walls， and flats that “look out over the cemetery and the surrounding wastelands”。For a while， it seems as if Yamaye will escape from the intimations of death all around her。 She meets a good man， Moose， and they begin a life together that， it seems， will be better。 But then Moose dies at the hands of the police， like so many other young Black men: arrested for obscure reasons and then suddenly dying in police custody。 The official story—he fought and needed to be “restrained”—makes no sense。Things fall apart。 Asase is jailed， Rumer goes back to Ireland， Yamaye drifts， trying to fight for justice but unable to believe that justice is possible in that place。 She falls into another kind of death， meeting a man called Monassa in a cemetery at night and ending up hiding out in his safe house in Bristol， a place that is gradually transformed from a refuge to a cage as Monassa’s behaviour becomes more menacing and controlling。And through it all， the music plays。 For Yamaye， music and dance seem to act as more than just an escape from a difficult life， and certainly much more than fun。 They are her way of exploring the world and discovering herself。 Music plays such a central role in Fire Rush that， unusually， the novel comes with a playlist to listen to as you read。It’s also no coincidence， I think， that the music Yamaye listens to has its origins in the Caribbean， and that Caribbean music is itself strongly influenced by the music of Africa。 In the beats of the music， Yamaye finds a way to connect with her ancestors and discover sources of strength to help her survive in a hostile world of racism， police brutality， male violence and a host of other problems。Towards the end of the book， Yamaye’s physical journey mirrors her musical one。 She goes to Jamaica， both to escape from the scarily possessive and violent Monassa and to search for traces of her mother， who disappeared years earlier。 But the more profound revelations of that journey come when she meets Granny Itiba， Moose’s grandmother， and discovers links to centuries-old sources of resistance and power。 Through them， she finds the strength to confront the man who’s been pursuing her and also， we sense， to face the other problems in her life without needing to hide any more。Fire Rush presents us with a bleak， violent， unfair world， and yet it’s not a depressing read。 Although Yamaye and her friends face horrific events and have limited options， they are not helpless victims of fate—far from it。 They dance， they fight， they struggle， they resist。 They are strong characters who you instinctively root for， and although there’s plenty of pain in store for them， there’s also plenty of beauty and discovery and growth。 。。。more
Mr Rick Forncett
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Fire Rush is a brilliant multi-layered story narrated by a young girl of Jamaican ancestry。 It takes in the rave scene and her friends and relationships in South Norwood during the mid-1980's before moving on to her experience living with a criminal gang in Bristol before moving on to Jamaica where she looks for her lost mother。 It is by turns entrancing， hypnotic， entrancing and spiritual。 I loved Fire Rush and look forward to reading future books by Jacqueline Crooks in the future。 Fire Rush is a brilliant multi-layered story narrated by a young girl of Jamaican ancestry。 It takes in the rave scene and her friends and relationships in South Norwood during the mid-1980's before moving on to her experience living with a criminal gang in Bristol before moving on to Jamaica where she looks for her lost mother。 It is by turns entrancing， hypnotic， entrancing and spiritual。 I loved Fire Rush and look forward to reading future books by Jacqueline Crooks in the future。 。。。more
Dan
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This debut novel， set in the Caribbean community in London， Bristol and ultimately Jamaica as the seventies turn into the eighties， is the story of Yamaye， a young Black woman who lives for dancing at all night reggae sessions。 She loses herself in the dark and the dub， finding an escape from a mundane and difficult life outside。 And then she meets Moose， falls in love， and seizes the chance for contentment and satisfaction。 But Babylon has other plans…I’m a huge fan of Jamaican-inspired music， This debut novel， set in the Caribbean community in London， Bristol and ultimately Jamaica as the seventies turn into the eighties， is the story of Yamaye， a young Black woman who lives for dancing at all night reggae sessions。 She loses herself in the dark and the dub， finding an escape from a mundane and difficult life outside。 And then she meets Moose， falls in love， and seizes the chance for contentment and satisfaction。 But Babylon has other plans…I’m a huge fan of Jamaican-inspired music， and this book is soaked in it。 The words thrum and sing with horn stabs and skittering cymbals， and pulse with a deep slow bass throb。 It’s alive to music in a way so many books about the subject aren’t （compare and contrast to Marlon James’ …Seven Killings， for instance， which for all its many other virtues is almost completely tone deaf， in a novel about Bob Marley of all people）。 There’s a terrific rhythm to the language， as though it's being told to you in person。 I don’t usually do audiobooks but i’d love to hear this as one （with a dub underpinning， naturally）。 The story is vivid and involving， with sharp characterisation and a living breathing cast you come to care about。 When something nasty happens about a third of the way in， it’s a proper gut punch。 I’d read about the ANL and undercover cops， Linton Kwesi Johnson told me about sus laws and Misty In Roots about Babylon， but Ms Crooks’ novel made me feel them。 It’s is an excellent debut， and I’m going to miss Yamaye。 Hope she’s okay。 。。。more
Richard Evans
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Once you familiarise yourself with the language， this is an engaging， powerful story。 It gives a great insight into the experience of living as a black person in a white， structurally racist society。 The main character is a talented， vulnerable， powerful woman who connects with this world and the next to make sense of her experience。 It is a story of struggle and survival in the midst of a joyful exuberant celebration of dance and a search for meaning。 An intense， worthwhile read。
evelyn
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“The story moves like a trail of smoke， winding it’s way into my body。”Such an incredible read that felt so connected to the music that ran through it。 This book has it all really， the characters were so interesting and descriptions even more so。 Set in London in the late 70s amongst clubs and dub music， you’re immersed into something really special。 I found that the loss and grief in this novel struck me especially the ways in which different characters dealt with it， and I think Yamaye’s journ “The story moves like a trail of smoke， winding it’s way into my body。”Such an incredible read that felt so connected to the music that ran through it。 This book has it all really， the characters were so interesting and descriptions even more so。 Set in London in the late 70s amongst clubs and dub music， you’re immersed into something really special。 I found that the loss and grief in this novel struck me especially the ways in which different characters dealt with it， and I think Yamaye’s journey is such an important one。 So much to think about after reading this， and so much to listen to as well。 。。。more
Ellen-Arwen Tristram
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I believe this is Jacqueline Crooks' first novel length publication and I'm so excited by her as a writer！ This doesn't come out until next March， but definitely but this on your to-read list because it's a fantastic book！We start in late 1970s London （mainly around Norwood） by meeting Yamaye， Asase and Rumer who are definitely party girls， big time。 Yamaye （the MC） and Asase are of Jamaican background， whereas Rumer is Irish。 She always had a big question mark over her for me - she never really I believe this is Jacqueline Crooks' first novel length publication and I'm so excited by her as a writer！ This doesn't come out until next March， but definitely but this on your to-read list because it's a fantastic book！We start in late 1970s London （mainly around Norwood） by meeting Yamaye， Asase and Rumer who are definitely party girls， big time。 Yamaye （the MC） and Asase are of Jamaican background， whereas Rumer is Irish。 She always had a big question mark over her for me - she never really fit into their friendship group and I wanted to know how they had met！ Anyway， it isn't Rumer's story; it's Yamaye's。Yamaye starts seeing a guy called Moose。 She can't keep her happiness to herself for long and her friends work out she's in a relationship - more: she's in love。 Life seems so sweet - she can forget about her father Irving， her Muma's ghost seems benevolent， and they all live for nights in The Crypt。 Maybe she'll even try singing; after all， Moose likes her voice。 Tragedy strikes and Yamaye's world is turned on its head， losing Moose， Asase and Rumer within a very short time。 Wounded and needy， she moves to Bristol， but controlling people surrounding her。 She can't escape the regression to her childhood self， as her father appears to materialise in other people。 She is living in a 'Safe House' which is anything but safe， and it is here she attempts to locate some connections to her roots， to Jamaica， to free herself from the torment of everyday living。 This was a really fantastic book with powerful themes and resonant language。 It may take you a while to get the 'riddim' of the Jamaican patois， but I didn't find it too long。 （I looked up some words out of interest， but you could get 90% of it from context）。 The patois adds a real element to the book; it feels vibrant and almost like poetry at times。 Crooks has represented the rhythm of music - mostly dub reggae， but also traditional music - through her words and it is mesmerically effective。 You really feel like you are there jivin with the girls， the beat pulsin ya body。 I was truly transported。This isn't a book for the faint-hearted; it is really full of grief and heartache。 Crooks has said it is loosely based on her life， and I ache to think of someone living this life。 Not only racism， but police brutality and injustice， being stalked， confinement， organised crime， rape， self-harm and murder are among the themes。 They are all dealt with very sensitively， but do start reading this book aware of the challenges you will read about。However， it is certainly worth it: to see the world of late 1970s into the 80s， the vibe that was going on， Yamaye's growth as a character， the beauty and darkness of others' souls， to explore Afrofuturism， and to be taken on a real emotional rollercoaster。 Use of recurring images， and other forms of text （such as rapping/singing） really take this book to the next level。Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage for the arc of this book and thank you to Jacqueline Crooks for such an exciting new voice in fiction！I found this awesome playlist I had to share， because you'll want to be groovin to summat after readin this！ https://www。penguin。co。uk/articles/20。。。 Curated by the author！ 。。。more
Ceecee
，
4 - 5 stars Timeline:-1979- early 1980’sThis is Yamaye’s story， she lives on Tombstone Estate in Norwood， West London。 She and her best friends Asase， who is definitely the leader， and Irish born Rumer live for the weekends。 Their lives revolve around The Crypt where they dance in the dark， dub fills them up with its rhythm and its soul linking them to their past。 Everything changes for the tight knit three when Yamaye meets Moose， their love deep。 This is a time of danger and tragedy strikes an 4 - 5 stars Timeline:-1979- early 1980’sThis is Yamaye’s story， she lives on Tombstone Estate in Norwood， West London。 She and her best friends Asase， who is definitely the leader， and Irish born Rumer live for the weekends。 Their lives revolve around The Crypt where they dance in the dark， dub fills them up with its rhythm and its soul linking them to their past。 Everything changes for the tight knit three when Yamaye meets Moose， their love deep。 This is a time of danger and tragedy strikes and hearts are broken。 Set against a backdrop of protests， riots and police brutality， Yamaye leaves London for Bristol but cannot break free of those who seek to contain and control her。 Her story shifts to Jamaica， her spiritual home but past and present are on a collision course。 This is a very powerful debut novel and though it takes a while to tune into the Jamaican patois you get the gist and I absolutely love its vibrancy and you feel it’s ‘riddim’。 Throughout the entirety of the book the writing is so vivid， the descriptions and language feels poetic and the infusion of dub is wonderfully resonant。 Through Yamaye you experience the escapist rhythm of the dances in The Crypt， the music， the culture， the history especially of the Maroons but most of all the spiritualism with its links to history but also it’s ghosts。 I love this element and it’s described so well it often feels other worldly and almost an out of body experience。 Yamaye is a fantastic central protagonist and narrator as she makes you feel as if you too are living the injustice and sharing the love and grief。 In the background and more often than not in the foreground， we confront the riots， the suspicion， the fear and the claustrophobia of being watched。 You root for her in Bristol and in Jamaica hoping she finds what she seeks。 It’s full of amazing characters some with good hearts such as Moose and others who have dark souls but all are portrayed so well you see them with your minds eye。 This novel takes you on an emotional and unforgettable journey。 I love the multiple images of fire such as the fire rush inna me bredrin which appear cleverly throughout。 This is a terrific debut and a writer to watch in the future。 Highly recommended。 With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Vintage for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
tpg0
，
As an AI language model， I don't have personal preferences， but here is some general information about the book "Fire Rush。" "Fire Rush" is a novel written by a Canadian author， Craig Swanson。 It is an action-packed thriller set in the northern forests of Ontario， where a group of firefighters faces a deadly battle against a mysterious fire that seems to have a will of its own。 The main protagonist， Joseph Devlin， is a seasoned firefighter who believes that this fire is deliberately set by someone。 As the story unfolds， Devlin and his team must navigate through the dangerous terrain and confront their own fears while trying to solve the mystery behind the fire and prevent it from causing more destruction。 The book has received positive reviews from readers who praised its fast-paced narrative， vivid descriptions of the wilderness， and realistic portrayals of the firefighting profession。 However， some readers criticized the book for being predictable and clichéd， with stereotypical characters and plotlines。 In summary， "Fire Rush" is a thriller novel that appeals to readers who enjoy action， suspense， and wilderness settings。
tpg1
，
As an AI language model， I do not have a personal opinion or specific knowledge about "Fire Rush" as it is not a universally known book。 However， I can provide general information and a brief review of the book。 "Fire Rush" is a novel that belongs to the suspense/thriller genre。 It was written by H。B Lyne， a relatively new author。 The plot of the book revolves around a small town devastated by conflagration， and the investigation that follows to uncover the cause of the blaze。 The story is told from the perspective of multiple characters， each with their own secrets and motivations。 As the investigation progresses， the plot unfolds and reveals shocking truths about the characters' relationships and past。 Critics have praised H。B Lyne's writing style and characterization， stating that the book is well-paced and filled with suspense。 Readers have described "Fire Rush" as an intense and gripping read， with unexpected plot twists and a satisfying conclusion。 In summary， "Fire Rush" is a suspenseful thriller that delivers an exciting and intriguing story。 If you enjoy this genre of fiction， this book is worth considering。
tpg2
，
As an AI language model， I do not have personal opinions， but I can provide you with information about the book 'Fire Rush。' 'Fire Rush' is a novel by author Barbara Scott。 The book is set in the Pacific Northwest and follows the story of Tess Cameron， a firefighter， and paramedic。 The story takes place during a wildfire season， where Tess and her team battle to contain and stop the fires from spreading。 Along the way， Tess faces personal struggles and must overcome obstacles to save those in danger and find love。 The book has received positive reviews， with many praising the author's attention to detail and the exciting storyline。 If you are a fan of romance and action-packed stories， 'Fire Rush' might be worth checking out。
Tag
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Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Fire Rush
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Fire Rush&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Fire Rush&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0