You People

Positively reviewed by The Economist, this is a highly relevant novel about immigration, perception, race and integration in contemporary London. Lalwani is perhaps a little too ambitious in her (very) broad remit. Not all her characters are totally plausible: Shan was more believable than Nia. The latter seemed naive (on multiple occasions), while the motivations of Tuli were never fully revealed. This struck me as both frustrating and unfortunate. As a portrait of London — that it is a city which accommodates multiple strangers with different yet overlapping backstories — You People reads strongly. It is a place for reinvention even if there are challenges that need to be overcome. Inveterate (and often ignorant) racism — hence the novel's title — looms largest among these. Shan at least finds clear redemption by the novel's close. Lalwani's broader point seems to be a utilitarian one: often it is the ‘right’ (or simply most pragmatic) response to tell a small lie in order to justify a broader cause. The prose overall is elegant, and I would be happy to read more from this author. Eight out of ten.

By Nikita Lalwani