I absolutely loved Fruit Fly by Josh Silver. It’s bold, uncomfortable in places, and completely gripping from start to finish. What really stood out to me was how sharp and self-aware it felt. The story digs into ambition, authorship, and the messy line between inspiration and exploitation and it doesn’t shy away from making the reader sit with that discomfort. The characters are flawed in a very human way, which made everything feel more real and a little bit unsettling.It’s darkly funny at times, but there’s also an underlying tension running through the whole book that kept me hooked. I found myself constantly questioning motives and wondering how far things would go. Clever, provocative, and thought-provoking, this really stayed with me after I finished it.Definitely a five-star read for me.

Fruit Fly is one of those books that really stays with you after you finish it. It’s a dark and uncomfortable read at times, but also incredibly sharp and well written. Beneath everything, it explores loneliness, addiction, queerness and the publishing industry’s obsession with traumatic stories in a way that feels very current and thought-provoking.What I found most interesting was the relationship between Mallory and Leo. I actually liked both of them, even though they frustrated me at times. They are both deeply flawed characters, constantly making questionable decisions, but that is also what makes them feel believable. In many ways they are completely different people, yet also surprisingly similar in how damaged, lonely and desperate they both are — both wanting validation, connection and escape in different ways. That contrast is part of what makes their relationship so compelling and uncomfortable at the same time.The writing itself is excellent — witty, fast-paced and emotionally raw. Josh Silver balances heavy themes with dark humour really well, which stops the novel from ever feeling overly heavy despite the difficult subject matter.I also liked that the book doesn’t try to neatly resolve everything. It leaves some ambiguity and discomfort behind, but I think that suits the story and characters. They are messy people making messy decisions, and the ending reflects that honestly.It definitely isn’t a light or easy read, and there are some quite difficult themes throughout, but I found it original, compelling and very hard to put down. One of the more memorable books I’ve read recently.

I absolutely adored reading this book. Mallory is a writer. 10 years ago, she had a hit. She has the writing talent, clearly, but she’s missing the key to her next book: a story. Leo is in trouble. He is young, vulnerable, and gay. All things Mallory believes will be the key to her next bestseller. This is an exceptionally crafted tale about exploitation of almost every variety. Both characters were fantastically written, and I loved that the dual narrative allowed full insight into their, often incredibly frustrating and perplexing, minds and behaviours. This was sold to me as ‘Yellowface’ meets ‘Trainspotting’, and if you loved either of these books you will love this. But it is also so much more, and feels entirely fresh and invigorating.