Wild East by Ashley Hickson-Lovence

The Blurb On The Back:

Pen in one hand,
On my wrist,
A ticking clock
I’ve got to make this work,
Just need
A little luck …

When fourteen-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move from East London to East Anglia.

In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggled to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper.

But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers and opportunity he never considered before. Rap is like spoken word, bars equal poetry - and maybe the combination of both could be the key to achieving his dreams?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Ashley Hickson-Lovence’s YA novel effectively uses its verse narrative to tell a compelling story of a boy who learns how to tap into his creativity to express himself. However I don’t think that the Malachi storyline had the intended impact and nor did Ronny’s friendship with the extroverted Leigh. That said, the use of language is great and Ronny’s guilt over Maz holds true. I’d definitely check out the author’s other work on the basis of this.

WILD EAST was released in the United Kingdom on 23rd May 2024. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.