This is somewhat like a female/British version of American Psycho. Its violent, unpleasant and graphic, but also funny. Irina is a very unlikeable central character but all the more entertaining for it. It also reminded me a little of Ottessa Moshfegh in its griminess. The relationship with her 'friend' is especially funny/awful. Its definitely not something everyone would enjoy and is not for the squeamish, but if you're OK with fairly graphic sex and violence then this is for you. ( )

3.5 stars the story was good, a little wild I liked it but don't think it would be one I would read again. ( )

3.5 stars the story was good, a little wild I liked it but don't think it would be one I would read again. ( )

I came to this book knowing very little about it bar a couple of snippets people had shared and I am immensely glad for that experience. If you like very dark comedies with twists and turns that leave you wondering what is going on, stop reading this review and go and pick up a copy.

Did you ever have that one friend when you were in your twenties who seemed to have it all. Talented, beautiful, single-minded, and did not give a shit what anyone else thought of her?

Boy Parts tells the story of Irina, a photographer who takes explicit fetish photographs of the men she scouts on the streets of Newcastle. She picks normal looking men, men who others wouldn’t find attractive enough to photograph. She uses her body and sexuality to get what she wants and manipulates the people around her (her best friend included) into giving it to her along with the power over them that she craves.

In the opening pages we meet her hungover and struggling through a day at her part-time bar job when she is assaulted by the mother of one of the men she has photographed (who turns out not to be as old as he said)... things don’t get better from there.

Clarke weaves a very careful spell with Irina. She is harsh, difficult to be around and self centered. I instantly liked her but as the story unfolded it became difficult to trust what Irina is telling us. Brutal attacks and memories are presented in the hazy half light of drugs, alcohol and a lack of evidence to the point that we cannot tell what is real or what is imagined. In preparing for an upcoming exhibition Irina goes back through her archive and in doing so gives us a timeline - of sorts - to her spiraling memories and mental health. We begin to question everything.

A very dark, difficult and gory read at time so beware if that is not your thing but a remarkable debut novel from a voice to watch in the future. ( )

How do I get off of the gender-swapped-American-Psycho side of BookTok? ( )