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girlglitch's review
4.0
Locks is a compelling autobiographical coming of age novel.
Like all stories with a solid core of truth to them, its real power lies simply in the fact it is being told. Aeon's misadventures are framed as a heroic quest, so that this cocky, conflicted British-Jamaican teen is cast as part of an established literary genre. Even as events spiral out of control, and he is thrust into increasingly bewildering situations, Aeon never gives up his search for a sense of agency and authenticity in his own skin. The section set in a juvenile prison is particularly engaging, and I felt entirely immersed in the boys' world.
Humorous and heartbreaking in equal measures, Locks is a powerful debut.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Like all stories with a solid core of truth to them, its real power lies simply in the fact it is being told. Aeon's misadventures are framed as a heroic quest, so that this cocky, conflicted British-Jamaican teen is cast as part of an established literary genre. Even as events spiral out of control, and he is thrust into increasingly bewildering situations, Aeon never gives up his search for a sense of agency and authenticity in his own skin. The section set in a juvenile prison is particularly engaging, and I felt entirely immersed in the boys' world.
Humorous and heartbreaking in equal measures, Locks is a powerful debut.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
jendella's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
charlottesometimes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
13rebecca13's review
5.0
This book is just wonderful and I am in awe that it is based on a true story.
The novel follows Aeon, a mixed race 16 year old from Searbank (a fictional suburb of Liverpool). Growing up in England with a Black father and white mother, he was subject to racial abuse but he was never really in tune with that part of his heritage. He decides to embrace it and visits Jamaica, where his father is from, to see if he can learn more about his culture, but in Jamaica he is seen as the White boy.
He travels with his (reluctant) cousin Increase who is eight years his senior. Increase has shunned his heritage after his father (Aeon's uncle) died in the 1981 riots. Jamaica is not kind to Aeon and within a matter of days he is mugged, stabbed, arrested and jailed. Whilst imprisoned, someone he had a run in with is wanting money, going after Increase to get it.
Once Aeon is bailed, they decide they need to get out of Jamaica as quickly as they can, illegally.
Honestly, I couldn't put this down. Ashleigh Nugent is a storyteller, that's for sure. I was so immersed in the story and felt like I could picture everything so clearly. I think having the Jamaican patois and Scouse dialect really helped - I could hear every "like" and "la"! The scenes of the prisons Aeon was kept in and his relationships both in there and with Increase are fantastic. It is a wonderfully descriptive story about a boy trying to find himself.
Aeon thinks back to his teenage years with his mates, Kissy Sunshine (the only girl he ever liked) and his teacher Miss Elwyn and everything that she taught him about being a hero.
It made me want to cry, I felt shocked, I laughed out loud, it educated. It gave me everything. I know it is only part fact but reading this after knowing that Nugent himself fled a Jamaican jail at the age of 17 just blows my mind. The Q&A with Nugent at the end of the book is massively insightful.
I must add that there are a lot of racial epithets used throughout the book that would have been the norm in the 80s and 90s. Just to make readers aware in case that is something that they'd like to avoid.
The novel follows Aeon, a mixed race 16 year old from Searbank (a fictional suburb of Liverpool). Growing up in England with a Black father and white mother, he was subject to racial abuse but he was never really in tune with that part of his heritage. He decides to embrace it and visits Jamaica, where his father is from, to see if he can learn more about his culture, but in Jamaica he is seen as the White boy.
He travels with his (reluctant) cousin Increase who is eight years his senior. Increase has shunned his heritage after his father (Aeon's uncle) died in the 1981 riots. Jamaica is not kind to Aeon and within a matter of days he is mugged, stabbed, arrested and jailed. Whilst imprisoned, someone he had a run in with is wanting money, going after Increase to get it.
Once Aeon is bailed, they decide they need to get out of Jamaica as quickly as they can, illegally.
Honestly, I couldn't put this down. Ashleigh Nugent is a storyteller, that's for sure. I was so immersed in the story and felt like I could picture everything so clearly. I think having the Jamaican patois and Scouse dialect really helped - I could hear every "like" and "la"! The scenes of the prisons Aeon was kept in and his relationships both in there and with Increase are fantastic. It is a wonderfully descriptive story about a boy trying to find himself.
Aeon thinks back to his teenage years with his mates, Kissy Sunshine (the only girl he ever liked) and his teacher Miss Elwyn and everything that she taught him about being a hero.
It made me want to cry, I felt shocked, I laughed out loud, it educated. It gave me everything. I know it is only part fact but reading this after knowing that Nugent himself fled a Jamaican jail at the age of 17 just blows my mind. The Q&A with Nugent at the end of the book is massively insightful.
I must add that there are a lot of racial epithets used throughout the book that would have been the norm in the 80s and 90s. Just to make readers aware in case that is something that they'd like to avoid.
bookshortie's review
5.0
Aeon and increase leave the UK to go to Jamaica which they find is very different to the world to the one they’ve left behind. Unfortunately this isn’t a normal holiday and one that they won’t forget for all the wrong reasons. Whilst in Jamaica Aeon is stabbed and also end us up in prison. However, this isn’t Aeon’s first brush with the law. Aeon was first arrested at the age of 14 for something that had nothing to do with him and following that he was arrested again several times during his youth. Racial profiling is dealt with in a very honest and open way in this book. Unfortunately it’s a topic that’s spoken about often and may seem shocking but still happens today.
The theme of racism and identity is evident and plays a big part in this book. As a mixed race man Aeon is defined by the colour of his skin wherever he goes. In the UK he is perceived as a black male and in Jamaica he is perceived as a white male. As for the ending it was definitely intense.
This was a really interesting read and one I wasn’t aware of until the blog tour invitation. I can only describe this as an eye opening read following Aeon’s journey of self-discovery and working out who he really is.
It was one book that left me utterly speechless. At times I felt like I was with Aeon during his journey. It’s a book that definitely made an impression on me and is very relevant to not only people of colour but anyone who has been impacted by the black lives matter movement.
This was a hard hitting read, which in parts might make you feel uncomfortable but it's a book that everyone should read. It’s very relevant to current issues and puts into words a lot of issues that many people have raised in the past. It gives an honest and hard hitting book to anyone who would like a glimpse into the life of a young black man in the 90s.
A book I would highly recommend!
I received gifted copy of an honest review.
The theme of racism and identity is evident and plays a big part in this book. As a mixed race man Aeon is defined by the colour of his skin wherever he goes. In the UK he is perceived as a black male and in Jamaica he is perceived as a white male. As for the ending it was definitely intense.
This was a really interesting read and one I wasn’t aware of until the blog tour invitation. I can only describe this as an eye opening read following Aeon’s journey of self-discovery and working out who he really is.
It was one book that left me utterly speechless. At times I felt like I was with Aeon during his journey. It’s a book that definitely made an impression on me and is very relevant to not only people of colour but anyone who has been impacted by the black lives matter movement.
This was a hard hitting read, which in parts might make you feel uncomfortable but it's a book that everyone should read. It’s very relevant to current issues and puts into words a lot of issues that many people have raised in the past. It gives an honest and hard hitting book to anyone who would like a glimpse into the life of a young black man in the 90s.
A book I would highly recommend!
I received gifted copy of an honest review.
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