Fire Rush – Jacqueline Crooks

READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE

Yamaye is a young Jamaican woman living in 1980s London. She dances at an underground dub reggae club and suffers daily from her lack of familial ties. Like her friends she does her best to avoid the harassment of Babylon (the police) but sometimes there is no escaping their brutality.

● The strong linear plot of Fire Rush has a beautiful rhythm, like the music of the Crypt where the characters dance freely night after night. The language and the pacing is hypnotic and I felt like I more than reading this book, I was living it. I was invested in Yamaye’s life almost immediately and as each new character was introduced I connected with them also.

The narrative was truthful and redemptive and I appreciated that, as well as the conclusions that weren’t out of place. Fire Rush is haunting, rhythmic and addictive and I would highly recommend it. – Rachel

One o’clock in the morning. Hotfoot, all three of us. Stepping where we had no business. Tombstone Estate gyals – Caribbean, Irish. No one expects better. We ain’t IT. But we sure ain’t shit. All we need is a likkle bit of riddim. So we go inna it, deep, into the dance-hall Crypt.

● As well as a beautifully winding storyline and believable, fallible characters it was Jacqueline Crooks’ ability to bring us so completely into the various settings that was the standout quality for me. She did a phenomenal job of placing us right there with Yamaye and I felt either uplifted or almost claustrophobic depending on where she was.

I quickly settled in to dialogue of the 1980s Jamaican migrant community and this language also contributed greatly to the authenticity and events of the novel. I loved Yamaye and Fire Rush and believe it’s a strong contender for the big prize. – Suzy

Published 2023
Viking
352 pages