The Killing Jar (novel)
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The Killing Jar (Chatto and Windus) is the debut novel of Nicola Monaghan, published in March 2006 to critical acclaim. It tells the story of Kerrie Ann Hill, and is set on a drug-ridden housing estate in Nottingham.
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[edit] Critical Acclaim and prizes
Monaghan was included in The Independent's New Year list of "Rising Talent of 2006" and The Killing Jar made their 50 Hot Books for summer and Books of Year features. It went on to win a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Goss First Novel Prize. It is currently on the shortlist for the Author's Club First Novel Prize and the longlist for the Waverton Good Read.
The book is released in the US in April this year, and has received rave reviews ahead of publication. It has had three starred reviews in the US publishing press, which are where magazines mark certain books as being of particular merit. Other things that have been said about the book include:
'A wonderful novel...I am full of admiration.' Alan Sillitoe
'An exuberant debut.' Independent on Sunday
'Utterly gripping reading about a dead stormy coming-of-age.' Booklist (starred)
'A powerful honest and loving new voice.' AL Kennedy
'This is class writing and gripping narrative, a true talent.' George Szirtes (Winner of the TS Eliot Prize]
[edit] Themes
The Killing Jar examines the idea of sink estates and the difficulties of escape from your upbringing. The title relates to the jar used by an entomologist to kill insects, and the idea of a poisoned trap echoes through the novel. It expands on the insect theme with an exploration of metamorphosis and transformation, both for the better and worse. It also explores the effects of drugs on people's lives and outlooks, and the contradictions in the moral codes people live by, both about intake of substances and life in general. It captures the late 80s, early 90s rave scene very evocatively.
[edit] Reviews of The Killing Jar
- US Trade Reviews
- New Zealand Listener
- The Written Nerd
- East London and West Essex Guardian
- The Observer
- Mslexia
- The Independent
- A page of links to further reviews
[edit] About Nicola Monaghan
Nicola Monaghan was born in Radford, Nottingham, the eldest of six children. Her family then moved to the Broxtowe Estate, where The Killing Jar is based. She's lived in London, Paris and Chicago, but returned to Nottingham in 2002 to do the MA in Writing at Nottingham Trent University, in which she graduated with distinction. She still lives in Nottingham, just a mile or so from where The Killing Jar is set.
