The Killing Jar: A Novel - Softcover

Monaghan, Nicola

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743299701 ISBN 13: 9780743299701

Publisher: Scribner, 2013

Synopsis

In her stunning debut, Nicola Monaghan lays bare the gritty underbelly of life in Nottingham, England.

Very early on, Kerrie-Ann begins to dream of the world beyond the rough council estate where she lives. Her father is nowhere to be found, her mother is a junkie, and she is left to care for her little brother. Clever, brave, and frighteningly independent, Kerrie-Ann has an unbreakable will to survive. She befriends her eccentric, elderly neighbor, who teaches her about butterflies, the Amazon, and life outside of her tough neighborhood. But even as Kerrie-Ann dreams of a better life she becomes further entangled in the cycles of violence and drugs that rule the estate.

Brilliant, brutal, and tender, "The Killing Jar" introduces a brave new voice in fiction. Nicola Monaghan's devastating prose tells an unforgettable story of violence, love, and hope.

About this title

Review

"Monaghan's is a powerful, loving, and honest new voice." -- A. L. Kennedy, author of "Paradise" and "So I Am Glad"

"The thrills and horrors of life as a young drug dealer play out against a backdrop of suburban decay in Monaghan's sharp-edged debut. The stark material and unsentimental prose make for a wrenching look at devotion, crime, and violence." -- "Publishers Weekly" (starred)

"Startling and potent . . . "The Killing Jar" is a vibrant, shocking blast of life from Broxtowe. [Monaghan's] convincing characters swing unpredictably between terrifying and tender, and the often violent encounters usually have a bleakly funny edge." -- "The Independent" (London)

"When literature is at its best it transports us, takes us into the souls of people we might not otherwise know; it expands our humanity, and this is the extraordinary achievement of Nicola Monaghan's novel "The Killing Jar", which opened up a world I never knew existed." -- asha bandele, author of "The Prisoner's Wife" and "Daughter"

"A gripping, mile-a-minute British debut. Enthralling." -- "Kirkus Reviews" (starred)

"This is class writing and gripping narrative, a true talent. It is an excellent piece of storytelling in language that is fully alive." -- George Szirtes, author of "Reel", winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize

"Monaghan's novel is direct and deceptively simple. In spite of suffering there are surprising touches of humour and tenderness that bloom like flowers on asphalt." -- "The Times" (London)

"Utterly gripping." -- "Booklist" (starred)

From the Publisher

A shocking, vibrant, addictive story of a girl growing up on a drug-fuelled estate in Nottingham, from an exciting and explosvie new talent.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scribner
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0743299701
• ISBN 13: 9780743299701
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 288