{read: snippets from a debut novel} Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman

I've just started this, but it's so good so far that I wanted to share a few snippets in hopes of enticing some of you to read it before my review comes along.

Harri has recently emigrated from Ghana to London lives with his mother and sister in its housing projects. He's in Year 7. As the story opens, one of his classmates has been murdered.

Here are the snippets:

"I pretended like if I kept looking hard enough I could make the blood move and go back in the shape of a boy. I could bring him back alive that way."

"In England there's a hell of different words for everything. If's for if you forget one, there's always another one left over. It's very helpful."

"An orange lady got hit by a tro-tro, nobody even saw it coming. I pretended like all the oranges rolling everywhere were her happy memories and they were looking for a new person to stick to so they didn't get wasted."

{His friend Manik's father shows him how to tie a tie and how to take it off without untying it.}
"Now I'll never have to tie my tie my whole life. I beat the tie at his own game!"

If you liked Incendiary by Chris Cleave or Room by Emma Donoghue, this will be one you'll enjoy. I can't wait to read more.