Kae Tempest's Standout Second Novel Explores Trans Identity and Survival
Having Spent Life Seeking by Kae Tempest is now available from the Mail Bookshop, published by Jonathan Cape at £18.99 for 352 pages. This remarkable second novel from the award-winning poet, playwright, and songwriter reflects Tempest's personal journey, having come out first as non-binary and then as a trans man.
A Tale of Shame and Self-Discovery
The story centres on Molly Taylor, who grows up never feeling at home. Nicknamed Rothko due to their crimson blushes, the emotion they know best is shame, particularly regarding their own body. Their mother is lost to drugs, while their father is an uptight suburbanite. Only their fearless friend Dionne truly understands them.
Rothko's teenage coming-of-age narrative is framed by a storyline set fifteen years later, showing them released from prison. Tempest employs agile shifts in perspective to extend his 360-degree compassion, bringing marginalised lives into sharp focus. He writes brilliantly about addiction and desire, creating a tough yet lyrical tale of survival and becoming.
The novel earns the grace of its moving conclusion, offering a profound exploration of identity and resilience.
Lisa Lee's Korean-American Family Drama Navigates Dysfunction
American Han by Lisa Lee is available from Algonquin Books at £25 for 288 pages. Set in the early years of the 21st century, this Korean-American family drama elevates dysfunction to new levels.
Complex Characters and Racism
Jane Kim is finishing law school in San Francisco when her sexagenarian mother arrives, intent on securing real estate after leaving her abusive husband. Meanwhile, Jane's father embarks on a post-retirement odyssey as a trucker. Her brother Kevin has reinvented himself from a wannabe professional tennis star to a city cop, but his toxic upbringing leaves him primed to explode.
Lee rewinds to the siblings' childhood, depicting the casual racism they endure and the broader experiences of the diaspora. While there is occasional humour, such as a toddler banging out Rachmaninoff unnoticed, this is ultimately a serious and deeply felt novel about navigating love beyond an irredeemable past.
Josh Silver's Adult Debut Satirises Publishing Industry
Fruit Fly by Josh Silver is now available from the Mail Bookshop, published by Magpie at £16.99 for 416 pages. This adult fiction debut by the award-nominated YA author comes with praise from figures like screenwriter Russell T. Davies.
A Dark Publishing Satire with Thriller Pace
The novel is likened to the offspring of Trainspotting and Yellowface, offering a publishing-industry satire that wraps questions of appropriation and authenticity in a plot not for the faint-hearted.
Mallory was a star in her twenties when her debut novel became a bestseller, but in her thirties, she faces writer's block. Leo was a promising writer as a teenager but is now a homeless addict selling sex to fund his drug habit. When their worlds collide, Mallory sees Leo's grim story as potential blockbuster material, but she gets more than she bargains for when she begins to manipulate him.
With the pace and twists of a thriller, this is a clever and assured, albeit pitch-black, first outing into adult fiction.
