A troubling read, and one that made me so angry for what some have to face.
Our main character writes about his life growing up in Peckham. Older brother to someone who admires him, and son to a Nigerian mother who is determined to uphold standards, Kenny is a character that you can’t help but admire. Personable and intelligent, Kenny has a strong sense of pride for his background but is also keen not to be shaped by his home situation.
From early on he leads a double life. Talented student but also someone prepared to do what is necessary to make a bit of extra cash. Dealing drugs but trying hard to make something of himself it is clear that Kenny is not quite the same as his peers. However, when he is arrested by the police for the murder of a young boy on his estate and charged under the Joint Enterprise law, its hard to see how he’ll break free from the expectations that others seem to have of him.