This novel about art and identity has a curiously detached writing style. It’s set in the early 90s; that’s according to the blurb, as it wasn’t very apparent to me from the text itself. Narrated by Ruth, the story follows her obsession with Maria; they have very different upbringings but as Black girls with artistic ambitions, they are drawn together. Ruth is fascinated by Maria and is very much her follower, not her equal, while Maria is only warm when she has something to gain. It feels like they should be a couple but are destined never to be. Much of the novel is a meandering through parties, substances, odd conversations and a sort of existential crisis. It felt real, but at the same time I wasn’t keen on how directionless the story was. Still, I generally liked the novel and thought it impressive for a debut. The ending was disappointing, however, and that’s what I’ll remember about it. It’s not a good sign that you turn the page after the ending, in the hope that there’s more – not because you loved the book and didn’t want it to end, but because the ending was so abrupt and mysterious that you didn’t understand it. I think other readers must feel the same, because when I searched for this book title, a suggested search term was ‘lonely crowds ending explained’.

In summary, this is a good read, particularly as debut literary fiction, but it deserved a better ending.

Published by Canongate, 2025.