Alex Wheatle: Brixton Rock

South London in the 1980s. Sixteen-year-old Brenton Brown is the mixed-race child of a mother he has never met. He's been living in a children's home all his life, and when he is unexpectedly reunited with his mother, Cynthia, his whole world seems poised to change. The best thing happens: Brenton has a family at last. And then the worst: Brenton falls in love with his beautiful half-sister, Juliet. As tensions brew in Brixton, Brenton finds himself embroiled in a violent feud with a killer. Vengeance seems like the only option as Brenton hurtles towards an explosive climax which will risk everything. Brixton Rock is the extraordinary debut of one of the UK's finest writers, a pitch-perfect depiction of South London life.