Brenton Brown by Alex Wheatle

Brenton Brown

Alex Wheatle

Genetic sexual attraction, Brixton at the height of the New Labour era - an unlikely sounding combination. I was prepared for possible gang warfare and the tensions of inner city life but soon found myself drawn into Brenton's struggle to come to terms with a more than brotherly relationship with his half-sister 20 years before. A period soundtrack helps create the mood - expect robust (sometimes hilarious) 'street' dialect throughout.

Extract
'I really thought she was the one,' said Juliet, still peering out the window. 'She looked after you, she's intelligent, she looked good for her age, and you had plenty in common with her.'

'I didn't want her.'

Juliet didn't respond.

'I ... I still want you,' Brenton confessed.

Juliet turned round, her arms still folded. Brenton couldn't detect any emotion in her expression. She fixed her gaze on him. He was unnerved. Maybe she'll cuss me now, he guessed.

'You can't think of me like that,' she said. 'You mustn't. It has to stop, Brenton.'
Parallels
  • The Scholar: a West-side Story by Courttia Newland
  • Londonstani by Gautam Malkani
  • Brixton Rock by Alex Wheatley
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Violence