Hello Mum

by Bernardine Evaristo

It's a hot summer afternoon. Tension is in the air. A gang of youths on bikes gathers outside a chip shop. A teenage boy is stabbed and left bleeding on the street. The boy's mother wonders how this could have happened to her son. She is full of questions, but when the answers lie so close to home, are they really what she wants to hear?

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Young Adult, Contemporary, Crime, Novella

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2010

About the author

Bernardine Evaristo is the Anglo-Nigerian award-winning author of several books of fiction and verse fiction that explore aspects of the African diaspora: past, present, real, imagined. Her novel Girl, Woman, Other won the Booker Prize in 2019. Her writing also spans short fiction, reviews, essays, drama and writing for BBC radio. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University, London, and Vice Chair of the Royal Society of Literature. She was made an MBE in 2009. As a literary activist for inclusion Bernardine has founded a number of successful initiatives, including Spread the Word writer development agency (1995-ongoing); the Complete Works mentoring scheme for poets of colour (2007-2017) and the Brunel International African Poetry Prize (2012-ongoing).

Reviews

[Henk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing and deserved to see Bernardine Evaristo celebrated by the Women's prize!: https://womensprize.com/announcing-th...
Bringing everyday dreariness and the tragedies behind knife related violence to life in a sharp manner
I was already thinking how if I was earning big money I could get Shontelle a proper fifth birthday present. Like one of those talking dolls she's always going on about and some pretty dresses from Mothercare instead of Primark. And how I could take you shopping in Sainsbury's instead of Iceland.

I was happily surprised to find this short little book of Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo at my library today. In less than 100 pages it tells the story, in letter form, of 14 year old JJ, who explains to his mother and us readers how he got embroiled in gang violence.
Maybe more striking than the violence itself is the societal fabric JJ finds himself in, nudging him to this. It is distinctly uncool to be schooled (You can't be a nerd at secondary school and be liked by the people who count. You can't waste your time reading books when you're teenager, either.) and a classmate who has aspirations to go to university is laughed at. The teenage need to conform reminded me of Connor from Normal People, except JJ does not get the chance to change this habit.

Also the multi ethnic dimension was well captured by Evaristo, with children being threatened to be send to Ghana for both disciplining and safety (To be honest, it was safer to leave London than to move across it.). Finally the glimpse we get in the life of the mother of JJ, as a single mother falling for the wrong kind of guys, touched me quite a bit.

For such a short work, Hello Mum packs a real punch, even though the twist at the end is quite foreseeable (if not less tragic because of that) and JJ's slang is at times a bit annoying.
3.5 stars rounded up.

[Katie.dorny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, powerful novella about a young boy telling recounting to his mum the story of how he ended up stabbed in the street.

The narrator of the audiobook brought this child to life so vividly it seemed as though you were sat across the room from him listening as he told his tale.

[Carly Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick novella about a teenage boy who comes into trouble with London gangs. It’s in the format of a letter to his mother.

Beautifully written and narrated.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short story written in the style of a young boy's letter to his mother.
Whilst this was not a bad read it was very predictable

[Erica⭐ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a letter from JJ to his mum. In the letter he attempts to outline to his mother what life is like for him growing up as a black teenager on a council estate in London surrounded by gangs, judgmental “geriatrics”, the Fedz (who have searched him four times for no reason) and his little sister Shontelle, who he loves very much. JJ is trying to explain how these circumstances led up to a certain event in his life - the event is not revealed until the end of the book but it is fairly obvious (intentionally so) what is going to happen.

JJ’s voice is so strong and alive. He’s a sweet young boy who gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and the readers sees it all unfolding like a tragic event that you hope will play out differently even though you know deep down that it will end exactly as you expect.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Hello mum neemt Jerome het woord. Hij vertelt in een brief aan zijn moeder hoe het is om 14 te zijn in Londen. Over de gangs die de straten onveilig maken, maar tegelijkertijd bescherming bieden. Over geweld, drugs en rijk worden. Dit korte verhaal van Bernardine Evaristo is een aanrader voor de liefhebbers van Long Way Down (Jason Reynolds) en The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas).

Mijn complete recensie lees je op Boekvinder.be.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up staying up until half one in the morning finishing this even though I knew how it was going to end. The story is told in an engaging way, through the point of view of a child trying to be a 'man'. A heartbreaking look at the intricacies of how children get drawn into knife crime and drug dealing in the hopes of protection and a better life from an unjust education/police system, poverty, domestic abuse and toxic masculinity. It should be used as a discussion point or adapted to teach kids in pshe, especially as it begins with an idealised perspective on gang culture, but later reveals the realities.

[Scott Baird (Gunpowder Fiction and Plot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the authors equivalent of a mic drop. Wow!

[Marte · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that I look forward to using in the classroom next week, but not a new favourite or anything.

[Gabrielle Hyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Jo Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely upsetting yet powerful. Unfortunately so very real and current. Moving use of the short story form to reflect the split second it takes for it to all go wrong.

[Molly Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up as a quick read to catch up on my reading challenge and wow it hit me hard! The wanting to be accepted for Jerome is something I feel like we all have felt as teenagers. This book shows that for some kids the want to be accepted and liked no matter what can put them at massive risk as they are forced to be part of thing they never signed up for. They take on such responsibility. They’re then portrayed as such horrible parts of society when no one ever bothers to think about the story behind these kids lives. People blame parents , schools etc but in a teens mind that need to be part of something is bigger than any adult remembers!

[Iselin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like to read. I hate to read when I'm forced to read.
I can't stand this book. It's short, and that's the only reason why it doesn't get a one star rating.
It's so fucking obvious that he's dead. You know the blurb on the back of the book? Yeah, nothing more happens. Nothing more.
The character is so unlikeable it's cartoonish. He thinks Afghanistan is in Africa and compares himself to jews during WWII.
I don't care that it's "important"
There are far better books discussing gang crime, being different, and being poor and a social "outcast" or "underdog" than this one.
This reads like someone read a factual text book about being poor and black in the London slum and then googled "cockney slang" and then sat down and wrote this mess.
The slang is literally written out and explained, and the swear words censored. What even. Ew.

[Susan Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello Mum is part of the Quick Reads series. It is written as a letter from a 14 year old boy to his mother to explain the circumstances that led to a street gang stabbing in London.

Evaristo skilfully describes the relationship between a mother and her son who is desperate for acceptance, belonging and security but natively makes wrong choices to achieve these things. Interweaved into the story is the nature of street gangs, the complicated lives of single mothers and siblings with different parents. Writing the story as a letter Evaristo convincingly portrays the thought processes of a 14 year old.

In some ways it is a cautionary tale for young teenage boys that shows how quickly and badly things can go desperately wrong.

An engaging story.

[F J Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story, published as a book, is about a boy's involvement with gang culture in London, set in Deptford and other areas in London. It shows how a boy gets sucked into violence and drug dealing, even though he doesn't want to get involved. It is a heart rending account, emotional and realistic.

[Kirstie Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very short story about a boy, who becomes caught up in a gang, and its told as if he was writing a letter to his mum.
A good read, and definitely opened my eyes a little to what life is life on the streets, if you are part of a gang.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a Quick Reads book so under 100 pages, but that doesn't make the story any less powerful. The book is a letter from 14 year old JJ (Jerome) which he writes to his mum to explain what's happened to him.



If I'm honest, maybe having read what it was about, I expected it to be a little more emotional throughout than it was. Instead it comes across as quite angry at first, but you have to remember it's meant to be written by a 14 year old boy. The language and the slang used may not be what you or I are used to reading but don't let that make you under appreciate what this story is trying to tell you.



As you read further you learn about Jerome's home life, where he lives, how he feels about school and gangs. This is a child who is growing up in a bedroom the size of a cupboard, in a rough neighbourhood, never having a holiday and watching every penny. You can see how and why he looks up to the older kids, the ones with flashy trainers and platinum chains. 



He's a bit of a lad but you can tell he loves his mum and sister. You can tell he's a good person inside, just lacks direction and feels the world is against him. He's not wrong. As a black teenager growing up in a rough part of London, the world is mostly against him.



I said it wasn't emotionally written throughout but the ending did get me and it is a sad story. And sadly, probably a case of fiction heavily inspired by real life. Knife crime is a real situation and this book shows one way how youths can get drawn into it. I'm not sure if the book is aimed at teens or adults but I think it's a great book that shines a light on gang culture which will hopefully lead you into doing further research and learning more about a world so many of us will never experience.

[Libbysbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

HELLO MUM by BERNARDINE EVARISTO

My only EVARISTO novel is GWO, and I knew that needed to change, so when I saw this book for £1.99 I jumped at the chance to experience more from this wonderful writer.

She delivered yet again.

This novella is a letter from JJ to his mum. In the letter he attempts to outline to his mother what life is like for him growing up as a black teenager on a council estate in London surrounded by gangs, judgmental “geriatrics”, the Fedz (who have searched him four times for no reason) and his little sister Shontelle, who he loves very much. JJ is trying to explain how these circumstances led up to a certain event in his life - the event is not revealed until the end of the novella but it is fairly obvious (intentionally so) what is going to happen.

JJ’s voice is so strong and alive. He’s a sweet young boy who gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and the readers see it all unfolding like a tragic event that you hope will play out differently even though you know deep down that it will end exactly as you expect. A bit like watching Titanic for the fifth time and hoping that Jack and Rose will get off the boat together this time.

So anyway, I’m pretty glum right now after finishing this and feeling more guilty than ever for quitting my teaching job where I was able to help vulnerable teenagers...

Happy point to end on? Help me, someone?

[Fieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heartbreaking story of a 14 year old telling his mother how he ended up dying.
It’s about the impact of racism, about how (especially young) people can make mistakes out of desperation. The main character is very flawed and he does things that aren’t smart, but it’s easy to understand why as he is very young and has a hard life. He is afraid and he just wants to make things better for himself and his family. You get to see the culture and expectations different people put on him.
It’s also nice to see the thee characters through his perspective like his mum. The writing worked really well imo (in my opinion). The language JJ uses and the way he explains them to his mum were realistic and funny at times. He was convincing as a kid.

I did think that the plot itself was original, but it didn’t always work. Because he is explaining the events in a letter to his mum, the many descriptions of moments that he was with his mum felt very much put in so that the reader would get more background on their relationship (which in general is interesting) but it didn’t feel natural or logical to actually put into a letter to her.

I feel like anything I say won’t really explain this story adequately, so if you have time to read this 80-page novella I recommend it.

“I used to lie in my room at night expecting to see dead bodies falling outside my window like in films.”

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK.

Brevity shouldn't be a key factor in choosing an audiobook. But it is. At least for me. The opportunity to get a 'book' by an author as great as Bernadine Evaristo and complete the whole thing in the drive home (about an hour and 20 minutes - I listen slightly speeded up) was too good to miss when I spotted this on my library's Borrowbox scheme.

It's a letter - or a monologue, I suppose, keeping in mind the format I had - from a 14-year-old boy to his mother. It's a thank you, an explanation, a 'welcome to my life', and perhaps also an apology. It's about love and the challenges of growing up young and black in gang-culture London.

I absolutely refuse to give any spoilers. It's a lovely book. The narrator has a beautiful voice. The tale is entirely believable. It has elements of a slow-motion car crash. Every parent - and every non-parent- should give this a read or a listen and try to understand how good kids get dragged into bad stuff.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written as a letter from a black knife crime victim to his mum, this quick read is so heartbreaking and gut-wrenching because you know from the get-go how this story ends. Through the story, you can see clearly how he is systematically set up for failure - whether it's his school system, the toxic masculinity among his peers, the idea that because the system is rigged, he can never find success. I love Bernardine wrote from his point of view cause you can see how the world looks for a 14-year-old black boy navigating this horribly unjust world! I loved it!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook through my local library. Read by Malachi Kirby, always interesting when your own name pops up.

This was a brilliant introduction to this authors work and I will definitely be checking out some of her other novels as a result. Although the storyline was predictably depressing and stereotypical of a youth growing up in impoverished London borough it still had a lot of heart and character development.

[Kritikal Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If the 1980s were the good old days, that means I lived in the bad new days, right?"
"We lived in the same flat, but we didn't even speak the same language...Every time I opened my mouth, I'd get beaten up."

Heavy themes. Epistolary format. London gangs. Teenage angst. Intergenerational chasms. The grip of poverty on lives.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read, telling the experience of a young boy getting involved in local gangs in London. Felt for the most part authentic in the storytelling voice, but I would have liked this more if it had been a fleshed out novel rather than a short story/novella.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Fantastic, very short, audiobook. A letter written by a 14 year old boy to his mum about how he got involved with the wrong crowd. The reading by Malachi Kirby made this seem so real it didn't even feel like fiction, I was immersed.

[Amy Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short enjoyable read!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, easy and emotional. Great short story

[Julie Mccluskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and packs a punch. Really set the scene of street gangs and wanting to belong. Insightful.

[Mark Manzano · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good quick read! Excellent book and made me think about the show top boy. Also had some good anecdotes about films that I enjoyed myself.

[Sal · Rating 4 out of 5]

An good easy quick read, a bit of insight into gang life.