Loom in the Loft - Jay Black

Pubescent short story writer Drew has two dreams: to become a New York Times bestselling novelist, and to convince his single, 30-something neighbour Sasha to tutor him in the intimate arts. When an aged, terminally ill neighbour offers Drew the cash fortune stashed in the walls of her house, he enlists Sasha to assist with its post-mortem extraction. Pressed by the looming arrival of the deceased's estranged adult children, both eager to inherit her estate, Drew and Sasha bank on their promise to keep secrets neither can afford to have exposed.

 

What did I think?

Loom in the Loft is a quick read at just 86 pages long but there is a lot going on in the book to keep the reader entertained.

Set in Canada in the 1970s, Drew is 13 years old but he works hard both inside and outside of school to make his single mother proud of him.  Drew mows lawns for his neighbours and he's so highly regarded that one of his elderly neighbours leaves him a life-changing inheritance.  It's one of the younger neighbours who catches his eye though...

Sasha works from home making blankets in her loft and she sees an opportunity to get Drew working for her, keeping her house clean and her bed warm.  It is clear to everyone but Drew that he is being groomed and manipulated by Sasha, but Drew doesn't really care as his wet dreams are becoming a reality.

It's no surprise which direction the story goes in and I was prepared to feel really angry on Drew's behalf but he is so mellow that I ended up having no ill-feelings towards Sasha as both characters got what they wanted in the end.

I really enjoyed the story and felt it was perfectly paced from start to finish.  The only slight criticism I have is that my reading rhythm was slowed somewhat by the conversion to today's money whenever a monetary figure was mentioned.  It didn't slow me down much though!

Nostalgic and captivating, Loom in the Loft is a very entertaining coming of age story and I think it's well worth reading.

I chose to read a digital ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Kissing Emma - Shappi Khorsandi

 

Emma and her mother are down on their luck. They're taking turns sleeping on the sofa in her nan's tiny flat - and desperately trying to come up with an escape plan.

Emma is struggling with her family, struggling at school where the girls are bitchy towards her and the boys only seem to want one thing, and struggling with never having enough money for anything, ever.

Just as she's contemplating quitting school to get a real job, she meets two men who convince her that she has a shot at modelling. But their motives are far from innocent, and Emma is soon pulled into a dark world. And then she meets Con, who is rich, handsome and so romantic! Has Emma's luck finally changed?

Kissing Emma is inspired by the real life and untold story of Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson's mistress. But Shappi Khorsandi's modern Emma is going to get the happy ending her namesake never did - and stick two fingers up at the men who dare to take advantage of young women while she's doing it.

Not suitable for younger readers

What did I think?

I loved Shappi Khorsandi's debut novel, Nina is Not Ok, so I was eager to see how she would follow it. Wow! Kissing Emma completely blew me away; it is so outstanding that I was left speechless and completely bereft after I turned the final page.

Inspired by the story of Lord Nelson's mistress, Emma Hamilton, this is a raw, honest and and often difficult to read 21st century coming of age story. Emma doesn't have a decent male role model to show her what love is and she finds out the hard way that sex isn't love. Emma's story is often disturbing and horrifying as she makes awful decisions and is consequently taken advantage of; I just wished I could have reached inside the book and helped her.

It's quite a short read at only 296 pages but it is so powerful. All teenage girls should read this book to learn to value themselves instead of trying to make boys love them by offering their bodies on a plate. Back in my day, Judy Blume's Forever was the coming of age novel all girls wanted to read but it really showed relationships through rose-tinted glasses. 

Shappi Khorsandi's Kissing Emma is a stark, honest coming of age story for a new generation and it is destined to become a classic. It's quite simply brilliant!

I received a copy of Kissing Emma for free from the Amazon Vine programme and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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