Raven Leilani's debut novel reads like a fusion of 'Queenie' and 'Such a Fun Age' as written by Otessa Moshfegh, or perhaps a Millenial Zadie Smith. It is propulsive but surreal, acerbic and wry in its skewering of what it means to be a 20-something right now. It is brilliantly written but for reasons perhaps I'll realise by the end of writing this review, I didn't love it

At its core, the book is an examination of loneliness and the wish to belong: something I think most readers will relate to. The protagonist, Edie, is orphaned and adrift, making a slew of inappropriate sexual choices and recently unemployed from her admin job in the publishing industry. She has nowhere to go beyond her roach-infested apartment.... until the wife of her married lover takes her in that is. As an unexpected member of the household, Edie now witnesses their unhappy marriage first-hand and is drawn into an uncomfortable bond with their adoptive daughter Akila who just so happens to also be black. It is an awkward (and highly unlikely?) scenario but one that initiates an interesting character study of all its inhabitants- particularly Edie, the young black woman on the intangible boundaries between ‘millennial’ and ‘Gen Z’.

Edie's narrative voice is uncompromising, blunt and raw, laced with a skepticism and disillusionment that belies her clear need for attachment and recognition. Her perceptions are witty and often hilarious, but the heaviness brought about by experiences of racism, sexism, and loneliness is never far from the surface. Though a sexual adventuress, there is a sense she is doing it more for an escape from her self, rather than anything more empowering. She has been treated cruelly throughout her life, and has now been drawn into an intensely dysfunctional household, where her trauma and insecurities are weaponised in the volatile domestic life of the white husband and wife. It is a little absurd but the character relationships, for the most part, feel truthful and realistic and, though it's hard to like Edie, it is not too difficult to empathise with her desperation. She is self-sabotaging and perplexing and I suppose that is where much of the book's power is: Edie is not a young black heroine but a flawed, vulnerable being. She is a fascinating character.

However, I just felt unable to connect with the plot overall and though I appreciate Leilani's forceful, lustrous writing here, this won't be as high up my end-of-year list as it seems to be for many others.