This is well written and an interesting read. It was thought provoking.
It was different to my usual style of books

I don't know whether me being from Liverpool has made this book funnier, but it certainly adds to it. The phrases, words and locations are all very familiar as well as the attitudes of most people in the 1980s and 1990s. Nostalgic and humorous: I hope that's what Nugent was aiming for. Because this is a tragic and disturbing tale about racism, someone who suffered for being Black - and White. Not a laughing matter.

The narrator of this tale has a dual heritage and all his life he has been called racist names relating to him being Black. At the age of sixteen he decides to travel to Jamaica to find his roots and be with his people. However, it doesn't turn out like that. He isn't as dark skinned as most Jamaicans and despite his best efforts to become more Black, he is nicknamed White Man. Other typically Jamaican activities are practically beyond him. And while this is cringeworthy in a lot of ways (boys trying to act like hard men is universal, too) there is a sad element as he ends up going to prison and then to a young offenders centre. Bullied and beaten and a long way from home.

This is a talented writer who writes with originality, warmth and sensitivity. The Jamaican Patois is a large feature and does take some getting used to but it rather funny at times especially when the characters use it to describe or explain things. There is a feeling of authenticity, which makes this story more distressing - but there is always the witty comment to bring everything back down to earth.

A book about identity, belonging, duality, prejudice, injustice and all things coming-of-age. But mostly it is about stories. Absolutely brilliant read.

Aeon McMenahem is a mixed race teenager from Liverpool in the early 1990s. He makes poor life choices but seems to be a fundamentally good kid.

Aeon decides to travel to Jamaica for his seventeenth birthday - partly in search of his roots and partly in search of a party. He travels with his older cousin Increase and they book into Peach Paradise resort in Montego Bay. Aeon soon discovers that he has little in common with the locals, and that Jamaica is not always the party haven he had hoped. His holiday starts badly and gets worse.

Locks is an interesting and convincing travel back in time to the 1980s. The social values differ from today and Ashleigh Nugent acknowledges this up front. Some of the racial language used would not be acceptable in 2023. The systematic and overt social exclusion - with teachers, police and officialdom judging people on the melanin in their skin - would not fly today. That doesn't, of course, mean there is no longer racial discrimination, but it is probably more subtle and dressed up more as a meritocracy based on social class.

Aeon doesn't fit comfortably in the accepted categorisations, being deemed black when in England and being deemed white when in Jamaica. He is not poor and not streetwise in England, and is not smart and patrician in Jamaica. He manages always to be on the wrong side - on the outside. Increase, on the other hand. seems much more worldly wise and after trying out various different world-views has fallen for the side of pragmatism. He seems to have reconciled being both black and British.

The story is really farcical and jaw-dropping. It is therefore a surprise to read Nugent's endnotes claiming that the novel is basically autobiographical. This would explain why the creation of the world - of Montego Bay, of Kingston, and of the way Jamaican society functions is so convincing. But it doesn't sit easily to know that a real 16 year old could be treated the way Aeon is treated.

The novel is written with some heavy patois (with a particular focus on feminine hygiene products) that takes some acclimatisation. There is switching back and forth from the present day in Jamaica to back story in Liverpool - sometimes in the middle of conversations. This, too, takes some getting used to. And there are some dreamlike sequences that would be attributed to drugs but which offer important historical context. This is not perfectly executed but worth persevering with.

Overall, this is a work that seems teenage rite-of-passage but which has real hidden depth in social commentary on race and colonialism.

Recommended.

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Wowsers... this accelerates fast and badly for young Aeon. But I am getting ahead of myself... Aeon is desperate to find himself. To fit in. But he is a young mixed race man in a world of white people. So has few people to help him understand his origin and heritage. So he ups sticks and, along with his cousin, Increase, goes to Jamaica. But he soon finds out that maybe this wasn't the best idea. Maybe he has made a mistake. Maybe Jamaica isn't the green grass over the other side of the fence... And he finds this out the hard way. With devastating consequences. Mostly perilous but also, often, very very funny... laughing with not at... In fact, where he was seen as black in England, he is singled out as white in Jamaica... Food for thought there methinks...
It's a hard hitting book and shows a side of Jamaica that I didn't know existed in the 80s but then, in the 80s I was playing Radio1 pop tunes and not really paying attention to much else. It reflects a time where things were different and this is displayed in the language and actions depicted. Racism and homophobia get a big look in but are not exclusive. Gangs and drugs also feature...
I found the parts in the detention centre to be quite harrowing, but also amusing. And that's not disrespectful. There is a lit of black humour to be found herein. I guess anything that gets you through, right? I've seen the book billed as "based on true events" but I have yet to find out which bits and how true... but I can well believe that some at least is autobiographical as it is so very well written and really gets to the emotions behind the actions. It was well easy to immerse myself wholly and completely into Aeon's world, harrowing though it was. Increase added quite a lot of the comedy moments... It was also a trip to the past for me as there were several pop culture reference which made me smile...
All in all, a both interesting and intriguing book that I feel privileged to have read. His star shines brightly in my world and, if this is a debut book, I really can't wait to see what's next on the menu...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Aeon is mixed heritage but in the UK is judged too black to be white. Interestingly, on his trip to Jamaica, he's judged too white to be black!

Following Aeon's rambling monologue, charting his coming of age experiences in the UK and while on his trip to Jamaica; where he seeks to connect with his roots. This is an eye opening and engaging look at racism and how the expectations placed on you pose serious ramifications.

Containing references to racism, violence, drug taking and sex, Locks also contains a number of recognisable popular culture references specific to the time period in which it's set which, if like me, were of your formative years will add additional hooks to the sad tale.

What a fantastic debut. Ashleigh Nugent uses the "the hero's journey" narrative to tell the story of Aeon, an English-Jamaican teenager trying to find his place in the world and understand his identity. The hero's journey takes him to Jamaica where he quickly becomes out of his depth as an outsider. The themes of social injustice, prejudice and race are powerful in Locks and at times are difficult to read. However, there are amazing moments of beauty and humour throughout the story. I would absolutely recommend this novel.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Despite the serious subject matter, "Locks" is also a deeply personal and engaging memoir, filled with humor, warmth, and affection. Nugent's writing is lively and poetic, capturing the richness and diversity of Black culture and experience.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Beautifully, and poetically, written, Ashleigh Nugent’s Locks is one to watch out for! I had the great privilege and honour to hear Ashleigh speak about his upcoming autobiographical novel, and to say an author sells their own story has never been truer. He is such a compelling speaker, you can’t help but be drawn to him and need to know more of his story; and that same engagement can be found in his writing just as clearly and as beautifully.

The story is an eye opener; it covers injustice and prejudice, race and identity, and you’ll feel a whole range of emotions. To know this is based on true events, and not just that, events experienced by the author himself, makes for a very special reading experience. An absolutely stunning debut from a hugely talented author, and a story that will stay with me for a long time.

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.

I thought I was downloading the book Locks by Ashleigh Nugent, and after reading the excellent synopsis was really looking forward to getting stuck in. I was so disappointed when I realised this was only three copies of sample book covers, rather than the book itself!
For what it is worth, my preference is for the yellow cover, then the black, pink then white. They are all very attractive as the artwork is excellent and the synopsis is gripping which is why I had selected the book to read.
I will wait have to wait until next year when this book is available!