Jaded | A Truthful, Impactful and Crucial Book | Book Review

Fiction can be a great form of escapism, yes, but it can also be a fantastic tool to tell crucial stories and to help people gain further insight and understanding into human emotions and complexities. Into lives that are unlike their own. Jaded, the debut novel from Ela Lee, is one such book that tells a crucial story. One that, sadly, is all too real for far too many people, yet is often swept under the rug. Well, not in this book’s case. This is an example of just how powerful and impactful books can be. 

Book: Jaded
Author: Ela Lee
Genre: Literary/Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5 Stars
Release date: 08/02/2024 – out now!

*This book does have some trigger warnings, please check them out before reading*

To bring you all up to speed, following is the synopsis for Jaded, taken from Waterstones:

A multi-faceted and brave exploration of race, power and violence, Jaded finds a successful young woman’s life irrevocably change after she is sexually attacked at work.

‘Jade isn’t even my real name. Jade began as my Starbucks name, because all children of immigrants have a Starbucks name.’

Jade has become everything she ever wanted to be.

Successful lawyer.
Dutiful daughter.
Beloved girlfriend.
Loyal friend.

Until one night after a work event she suffers an unspeakable attack.

As she tries to confront what happened to her, she finds herself caught between her parents who can’t understand, her boyfriend who feels betrayed, and her job that expects silence. The world Jade has constructed starts to crumble.

This raw, darkly funny novel explores the ‘grey-area’ of consent and recovery that’s far from linear, and will leave you asking yourself: what would you have done in Jade’s situation?

From the moment I started reading this book, I was hooked straight into the story. Lee has a writing style where the story flows beautifully and although the content itself is not easy to read, it has been written in a way that makes the book easy to fly through. There’s really clever use of language in this book, where it felt at times as if the writing mirrored Jade’s headspace; alternating between calm, steady and beautiful passages and scenes, to scenes full of anger, fire and deep sadness, all of which were palpable from the pages.

It cannot have been easy to take such a heavy theme and write it enjoyably, and yet Lee has done just that. It feels almost ironic – of course, parts of the book were not enjoyable, but on the whole, I did really like going on this journey with Jade and seeing how this one experience is the catalyst for her own self-discovery, self-worth and realising she deserves better and shouldn’t mould or lessen herself for others comfort. It was a really refreshing character progression to read about, and I think something not seen enough of in books where the characters are adults; the theory is as adults, everyone is comfortable within themselves and has their identities fully figured out – when almost everyone will be able to confirm that the reality is far from being that straightforward! This truth – that identity is personal and can change at any time, for an infinite number of reasons – being reflected in fiction was validating to read.

As well as the main plotline of Jade’s assault and her life after that, there is a continuing theme within the book surrounding Jade’s identity; more specifically, her identity surrounding her ethnicity. Jade is the daughter of a Korean mother and a Turkish father. Reading Jade’s experience of being born and brought up in Britain but with a mixed-race background felt so incredibly validating and relatable. I am British-born and bred, with an English mother and Turkish father; this mixed heritage led to me being able to see so much of myself in Jade’s character and the experiences she goes through regarding her ethnicity. Reading Turkish words and phrases occasionally within the pages, seeing elements of my own dad in Jade’s father, and reading about the ways and traditions of Turkish cultures I see in my own life made my heart so very happy.

Lee has encapsulated what it’s like to be the daughter of immigrant(s), and the frustrations that can bring. However I also really love how Jade celebrates her mixed-race identity. The celebration of both cultures and their holidays, the mentions of both cultures’ food and traditions being joined and integrated into their daily lives was really heartwarming to read about. Furthermore, Jaded addresses the stereotypes and breaks them down in a way that feels natural. As Lee herself is British-Korean-Turkish (As seen on Penguin UK Author Profile), matching the ethnicity of Jade, this brings so much authenticity to the book and makes a huge difference. This authenticity brings so much added depth to Jade, her family life, her experiences and her story, further evidence of just how much own voices matter within stories.

Whilst this book will be so validating for children of immigrant(s) to read, it is also a fantastic way for people who don’t have that identity to read and understand the experiences of those different to their own. Books can be a fantastic tool to open people’s eyes, aid understanding, promote empathy and tell meaningful stories – stories that need to be told; Jaded is one such book. Jade’s story is one that needed to be told, and has been done in a way that is engaging, heartbreaking, hopeful and sensitive all at once.

Additionally, the characterisation in this book is brilliantly written. Throughout the book, I was left fumingly angry, yet what is scarier is that the characters in this book are all so real. It’s not as simple as a fantasy book with heroes and villains; people seen every day can turn out to be awful human beings. People who have known each other for years can suddenly not be the person initially thought. I found Jade as our leading lady so interesting to read and learn more about as the book progresses. Whilst she is coming to terms with this awful experience she has had, there’s a real shift in her as a person, as she faces parts of herself she’s always hidden or dulled down for other people’s comfort; this realisation and what she does following that had me rooting for her every step of the way. Similarly, her behaviour and actions towards others throughout the book aren’t always ‘good’; yet this is what makes her so human. No one can imagine what their reaction would be like, or who they would be were they to go through these same events. What I did love is her friends giving Jade the time and space to begin her recovery and healing, however works for her, and I loved the clear distinction that this is not something easy and linear. It is messy and this was reflected in Jade’s character in a really honest way by Lee. 

Whilst Jaded is a work of fiction, it is a brutally honest reflection of a reality many people face. This is an example of the kinds of books that are needed; those that are eye-opening and thought-provoking and tell crucial stories. Whilst this book is hard-hitting, Lee’s writing style flows effortlessly; this writing style combined with characters and a plot that absorbs from the start makes the book one that is quick to get through, yet the impact of it stays long after the final page. 

I truly have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it and think it is one every adult should read at some point in their lives. It’s a journey, a book of heartbreak, grief, hope, healing, self-discovery, identity and so much more. A fantastic piece of literature, Jaded being Ela Lee’s debut already pens her as a masterful author.

Jaded is out now.