[ book tip by Jade Weighell ] This is an incredibly important novel. It is a brutally honest exposé of life on one of London’s many estates. It shows that no matter how much you may want to escape, it is all too easy to get sucked into the seedy world of drugs and criminality that penetrates these estates.  

The novel tells the story of two black teenagers, Sean and Cory. The cousins live together on the Greenside Estate in West London. From a very young age their lives were affected by violence and they are both desperate to form new lives for themselves away from the estate. Cory feels that escape lies through the instant prizes of crime but Sean is trying to do it through study and hard work. Whatever their intentions they are soon both embroiled in a dangerous crime racket and find things going from bad to worse. 

Courttia Newland has had many comparisons to Irvine Welsh many because of his use of language. His characters speak in a rich accent and dialogue and use a lot of slang. At first it can be a little difficult to comprehend but after a few pages it becomes enjoyable to read and adds real authenticity and character to the novel.  

The Scholar is a brilliant novel and I recommend it though I found reading it unbelievably stressful. I was completely gripped and cared about the characters to such an extent that I would think about them even when not reading. It is frustrating because the cousins are smart, warm and funny and deserve so much better. They try so hard to do the right thing but are still sucked down into the estate’s whirlpool of crime. It is poignant because it is true and happening to young people all over Britain, though the problem is regularly ignored. This novel brings these issues to the forefront in an entertaining and accessible way.  

[ Favourite quote ] '‘I know your face, pussy,’ he said, looking like a madman in his rage. ‘You’re from the manor. I’m bound to buck you up again star and when I do, I’m gonna carve you up, blatant.’'    

[ book info ] Newland, Courttia: The Scholar. (Book language: English) Abacus, 2006 (1997). ISBN: 0-349-10876-5.