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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really moved by this story - it was a heartbreaking account of the effects of police brutality on a family and community. The pain and anger builds strength across generations and the effects of the injustice only intensifies as time passes. Deeply moving story, well told with a pace that draws you along. The only thing I didn’t quite buy into was the character voice - some of the younger ones didn’t sound their age.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An incredible journey of how silence shapes the lives of people who never truly escape their grief. A sleeper book forsure
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
"he's embarrassed by my question. because he was born in the right place at the right time. in the right country and with the right skin colour. because you don't talk about class war with children. you prefer to warble on about equal opportunity. but i'm tired of it. it's a nursery rhyme even kids don't believe in anymore. you have no idea how tired of it i am."
eleven-year-old mattia is distressed by the rage, sadness and hatred that surrounds him in the wake of the murder of saïd, a fifteen-year-old boy who was recently killed by a white cop in a violent identity check fuelled by racism. mattia didn't know saïd, but he cannot shake his story or escape his face, which is graffitied on walls across his small french neighbourhood in blood red demands for "justice".
through mattia's quick-witted first-person commentary and mehdi's contextual third-person interjections, we follow mattia as he attempts to find answers to the many unresolved questions around saïd's murder. as he juggles pulling together pieces of the puzzle with emotionally managing the adults around him— his emotionally-vacant guardian and his suicidal girlfriend, his absent mother, and his flighty sister— mattia discovers that the answers may be closer to home than he imagined.
this was my first french noir novel but i couldn't imagine it being more representative of the genre; it is poignant, dark, and so, so beautifully written. i loved mattia, and i thought it was so simultaneously disturbing and moving to witness him begin grasp the severity of long-standing oppression at his age, through his young voice.
this was a quick read— one that i found myself excited to return to every day— and although i couldn't help but feel there was something missing throughout, i wonder if that might be because i read an english translation of the original french novel.
eleven-year-old mattia is distressed by the rage, sadness and hatred that surrounds him in the wake of the murder of saïd, a fifteen-year-old boy who was recently killed by a white cop in a violent identity check fuelled by racism. mattia didn't know saïd, but he cannot shake his story or escape his face, which is graffitied on walls across his small french neighbourhood in blood red demands for "justice".
through mattia's quick-witted first-person commentary and mehdi's contextual third-person interjections, we follow mattia as he attempts to find answers to the many unresolved questions around saïd's murder. as he juggles pulling together pieces of the puzzle with emotionally managing the adults around him— his emotionally-vacant guardian and his suicidal girlfriend, his absent mother, and his flighty sister— mattia discovers that the answers may be closer to home than he imagined.
this was my first french noir novel but i couldn't imagine it being more representative of the genre; it is poignant, dark, and so, so beautifully written. i loved mattia, and i thought it was so simultaneously disturbing and moving to witness him begin grasp the severity of long-standing oppression at his age, through his young voice.
this was a quick read— one that i found myself excited to return to every day— and although i couldn't help but feel there was something missing throughout, i wonder if that might be because i read an english translation of the original french novel.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fantastic read loved it. I was so invested in this story.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In a French banlieue, a police identity check goes wrong. The victim, Saïd, was fifteen years old. And now he is dead. This pitch-dark French noir explores the aftermath.
Mehdi takes us on an emotional journey narrated mainly by Mattia, who is just eleven years old and living in the same banlieue, an area populated mostly by immigrants, prone to poverty, racial inequality and lacking prospects for its inhabitants.
Mattia witnesses the hatred and sadness felt by those around him and spends his days trying, with limited success, to emotionally manage the adults around him - to say the family dynamics are complicated is an understatement.
While Mattia didn’t know Saïd, he knows people who did and his face can be seen all over the neighbourhood, graffitied on walls in red paint, demanding “Justice”.
Despite the quick pacing and energy, Mehdi, with excellent character development, manages to perfectly depict a sombre and realistic view of the lives her characters live and provide insight into their many inner turmoils. Gabrielle, Zé and young Mattia will stay with me a long time.
There are excellent thriller vibes here, an underlying mystery is affecting all events, and it is revealed gradually, tantalisingly piece by piece, to eventually show how pivotal it has been in traumatising all the characters mentioned in the novel and trust me, there’s trauma aplenty to unpick.
Mattia decides to pull together the pieces of the puzzle, to try to understand what happened. Because even the dead don’t stay buried forever, and nothing is lost, ever. Will he succeed?
Medhi’s novel is a brutally raw and poignant read with plenty of twists, turns and intrigue. It is utterly captivating.
It’s difficult to say more plot-wise because, you know, spoilers, but do beware there are several potential triggering topics throughout. Suffice to say this is a book that deserves to do very well indeed. I’ll certainly be picking up more works from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an as always honest review.
Mehdi takes us on an emotional journey narrated mainly by Mattia, who is just eleven years old and living in the same banlieue, an area populated mostly by immigrants, prone to poverty, racial inequality and lacking prospects for its inhabitants.
Mattia witnesses the hatred and sadness felt by those around him and spends his days trying, with limited success, to emotionally manage the adults around him - to say the family dynamics are complicated is an understatement.
While Mattia didn’t know Saïd, he knows people who did and his face can be seen all over the neighbourhood, graffitied on walls in red paint, demanding “Justice”.
Despite the quick pacing and energy, Mehdi, with excellent character development, manages to perfectly depict a sombre and realistic view of the lives her characters live and provide insight into their many inner turmoils. Gabrielle, Zé and young Mattia will stay with me a long time.
There are excellent thriller vibes here, an underlying mystery is affecting all events, and it is revealed gradually, tantalisingly piece by piece, to eventually show how pivotal it has been in traumatising all the characters mentioned in the novel and trust me, there’s trauma aplenty to unpick.
Mattia decides to pull together the pieces of the puzzle, to try to understand what happened. Because even the dead don’t stay buried forever, and nothing is lost, ever. Will he succeed?
Medhi’s novel is a brutally raw and poignant read with plenty of twists, turns and intrigue. It is utterly captivating.
It’s difficult to say more plot-wise because, you know, spoilers, but do beware there are several potential triggering topics throughout. Suffice to say this is a book that deserves to do very well indeed. I’ll certainly be picking up more works from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an as always honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Abandonment
Minor: Vomit