A review by amyayeme
Keisha the Sket by Jade LB

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A 2005 wattpad story about the highly sexualised (and sexual) Keisha - The Sket of Hackney. 
The book has been cited as a linguistic first, as it is the first instance of a text completely printed in Multicultural London English (I.e "skn" for "understood", "gwan" for go on, "yard" for house - you get the memo). I definitely agree, and feel that it's a true commemorative piece of teen culture and communication.

The original story is followed by a re-written (and, thankfully for me, less graphic) version that was created by the author more recently. It maintains the sense of youth of the original, but ties up previously left lose ends and downplays some overly exaggerated aspects of the original. For example, a teen marriage is replaced with a reminder that the couple is in love. 

I do wish that Keisha the Sket was something that I was familiar with as a young person, but I think I just missed it! However, it was still strangely nostalgic 

I give it a 4.25 for being such a leading text and for what it means, but I don't think it's particularly re-readable for me.



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