Here it is, my first five star review of the year and it is for a debut novel.
Ela Lee is a British author with Korean and Turkish heritage and was a lawyer in the City Of London. Main character and narrator Jade has a Korean mother and Turkish father and is a lawyer in the City. There's obvious elements of the "Write what you know" mantra here but I hope that most of this novel's events come from the author's imagination as you really wouldn't wish the challenges and predicaments Jade faces on anybody.
Jade's real name is Ceyda. She refers to "Jade" as her 'Starbucks name' simplified so it can be called out by a barista felt-penning it onto a cup in the coffee shop. This is one of the ongoing things she feels she has to do to fit in. She has what would be deemed a good job within her law firm but they are worked so hard with scant respect for a personal life. And as they are expected to work hard they are also expected to play hard when the company deems it. At a firm's event Jade drinks too much and cannot remember how she got home. As she begins to piece things together something feels very off.
I've given the issue of consent five stars before for the outstanding legal thriller by Kia Abdullah "Truth Be Told" (2020). There the emphasis was on the handling of the case here it is focused on the reactions of one person and the rug is continually pulled away from Jade in this very impressive but so challenging work.
It starts off almost in rom-com territory and morphs into a biting examination not just of consent but of race and power within work settings and relationships and yet, even when at its darkest, the author is able to inject dark humour very effectively. Characterisation is strong, you will totally root for Jade, even when questioning the route she seems to be following, the reader may not agree with her every decision but will be convinced as to why that decision has been made. Her parents are vividly brought to life and their sacrifices, confusion and extreme good nature comes across so well and will linger long after the book is finished. Also lingering long will be the quandaries the author, through her main character, puts the reader into. So much is challenged, it makes for difficult reading at times for everyone. As a white male I was often squirming and some may find the events depicted triggering and not get through it.
But, if you can stick with the author's challenges, handled in such a skilful way, with understanding, often with wit, sometimes with disdain and a shrug and also with fury, in fact a range of techniques which keeps the reader totally involved and adds much richness and certainly complexity to the novel then you are in for a highly memorable reading experience.
Jaded is published on the 8th February in the UK by Harvil Secker in hardback and in an e-book version by Vintage Digital. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.
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