A review by sarahmatthews
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks

Read on audio

Narrator: Leonie Elliott

Jonathan Cape

Pub. 2022, 340pp

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I enjoy following the Women’s Prize for Fiction and this novel was one of the few that appealed to me this year. Set in South London, Bristol and Jamaica, it follows Yamaye and her friends as they discover the world of dub reggae and nights out at The Crypt, a nightclub under a church in Norwood.

The first part of this book was very engaging and I really enjoyed how the audiobook incorporated music in some sections as it added atmosphere and is something I’ve not come across before. It evokes a specific time in British history and the adventures of the 3 girlfriends illustrates what it was like to grow up as a second generation immigrant in London. The audiobook narrator was excellent, often bursting into song and switching to patois effortlessly.

As a young black British woman in the 80s, Yamaye is faced with so many challenges, from the secrecy of her father to the brutality of the police. The writing is beautifully poetic with a unique voice that kept me reading when the really traumatic sections came along.

The book started to lose its way for me a little in the Bristol based chapters but picked up at the end which was quite a ride! 

I found the pacing uneven and this may be because the book was written over the span of 10 years so probably underwent many rewrites and edits.

I’m so pleased it was included in the Women’s Prize shortlist as I may not have discovered it otherwise.