Dead Ends

Dead Ends is the next soaring YA verse-novel by Carnegie-nominated author and poet Ashley Hickson-Lovence. 
 
Something is going down at Singer Court. 
 
Something big. 
 It’s Saturday morning and fourteen-year-old Toby “Mastermind” McKenzie and his younger brother Tré are forced to evacuate their block by armed officers. 
 Set over the course of a single day, this is the nail-bitingly thrilling and poetic tale of a bright young Black boy using the power of courage, friendship and community to save the day.

Ashley Hickson-Lovence is a novelist, poet, literary critic, and Lecturer of Creative Writing. 
Wild East is his first YA verse-novel, and was partly inspired by his time as a secondary school English teacher, his own move from London to Norwich, and tutoring a group of asylum seekers at an Arvon retreat. Wild East also weaves in Ashley’s love of British hip hop. 
Ashley has also written two adult novels, The 392, and Your Show, which was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards.

Something is going down at Singer Court. 
 
 
Something big.It’s Saturday morning and fourteen-year-old Toby “Mastermind” McKenzie and his younger brother Tré are forced to evacuate their block by armed officers.Set over the course of a single day, this is the nail-bitingly thrilling and poetic tale of a bright young Black boy using the power of courage, friendship and community to save the day.

Ashley Hickson-Lovence

A powerful story of resilience, friendship, discovery and growth...Ashley has that rare ability to draw you in quietly and leave you feeling totally invested. I’m certain that if I had this when I was younger it would have changed my life, genuinely

Jeffrey Boakye, author of Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer

I loved the way you name checked other writers and the power of their words...Most of all, I loved Ronny. I loved Ronny's kindness, vulnerability, empathy, tenacity and open-heartedness

For reluctant readers in need of a gentle route towards poetry...heartfelt and up-to-the-minute...A reminder that even short lines can take you a long way

A book meant to be heard...It's the fresh, "spoken word" style that makes Ronny's story special

This empowering verse novel announces the arrival of an exciting new talent in YA fiction

Loved this book. Raw, moving, and so accessible. A powerful spoken-word style verse novel

Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of How To Be Extraordinary

A cocktail of prose, poetry and creative writing that welcomes all types of readers...Hickson-Lovence has crafted a superb piece

DD Armstrong, author of Ugly Dogs Don't Cry

Compelling coming-of-age story inspired by the author’s own experiences

An astonishing and emotional story...an amazing tale of self-reflection, acceptance, and achieving your greatest aspirations

A positive, uplifting tale that will inspire future word-smiths and those who dare to dream of better things to come

A brilliant verse novel for fans of Jason Reynolds

This book is really a love letter to words and writing, designed to help young people find their own voices as they watch Ronny embrace his

A love letter to poetry and rap lyrics. Celebrating diversity and identity, its verses are influenced by the creativity of Dean Atta, Manjeet Mann and South African writer Katherine Kilalea. Hickson-Lovence uses his personal experiences as the backbone of his narrative… Wild East empowers young adults to discover their own voices and to enjoy their creative abilities

If you've never tried a verse novel, this could be one for you as it cleverly links rap, slam poetry and verse together...an ideal read for short attention spans or anyone who loves a fast read.

When fourteen-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move out of East London. 
 
In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggles to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper. 
 
But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before. Rap is like spoken word, bars equal poetry – and maybe the combination of both could be the key to achieving his dreams?

Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Praise for Wild East

A powerful story of resilience, friendship, discovery and growth...Ashley has that rare ability to draw you in quietly and leave you feeling totally invested. I’m certain that if I had this when I was younger it wou ...

I loved the way you name checked other writers and the power of their words...Most of all, I loved Ronny. I loved Ronny's kindness, vulnerability, empathy, tenacity and open-heartedness

For reluctant readers in need of a gentle route towards poetry...heartfelt and up-to-the-minute...A reminder that even short lines can take you a long way

A powerful story of resilience, friendship, discovery and growth...Ashley has that rare ability to draw you in quietly and leave you feeling totally invested. I’m certain that if I had this when I was younger it wou ...

I loved the way you name checked other writers and the power of their words...Most of all, I loved Ronny. I loved Ronny's kindness, vulnerability, empathy, tenacity and open-heartedness

For reluctant readers in need of a gentle route towards poetry...heartfelt and up-to-the-minute...A reminder that even short lines can take you a long way

A powerful story of resilience, friendship, discovery and growth...Ashley has that rare ability to draw you in quietly and leave you feeling totally invested. I’m certain that if I had this when I was younger it wou ...

I loved the way you name checked other writers and the power of their words...Most of all, I loved Ronny. I loved Ronny's kindness, vulnerability, empathy, tenacity and open-heartedness

For reluctant readers in need of a gentle route towards poetry...heartfelt and up-to-the-minute...A reminder that even short lines can take you a long way

Books by Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter