Who They Was is an electrifying autobiographical British novel: a debut that truly breaks new ground and shines a light on lives that run on parallel, but wildly different tracks. It was like this day in, day out, so I got used to it all very quickly. The screwfaces on the balcony of Blake Court, stony frowns, eyes full of black fire. Mandem shotting crack on the block, diamond grillz shining in black faces like fallen gods chewing stars. Nike hoodies and £500 Louis Vuitton trainers, Gucci belts holding up True Religion jeans and shanks in pockets so they can poke up anyone who tries it. This is the story of the other London. This is the story about what it's like to exist here right now, about boys too eager to become men, growing up in the hidden war zones of big cities and of the girls who want to be there when it happens. This is the story of reputations made, and lost, of violence and vengeance – and never counting the cost; of concrete towers and blank eyed windows; of stop...