'Ela Lee is a remarkable new voice in fiction ... JADED made me laugh, cry and really bloody furious' Stacey Halls, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars
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 when she's assaulted by a colleague, she starts to wonder if she really wanted to be the person she's become.
She's learned to laugh when she's felt like crying, opted to be invisible when she wanted to speak up, and adapted her identity to the person she's spending time with.
As she tries to confront what happened to her, Jade finds she has a choice to make but the question is, which is the right one?
This searing novel explores the strength we find in female friendship, the hope that lights up the dark moments, and recovery that's far from linear. JADED will leave you asking yourself: what would you have done in Jade's situation?
'This raw, dark novel explores racism, class & sexism & you'll want to savour every word on every page' Refinery 29
'JADED is a thoughtful, hard-hitting exploration of race, identity, and the rippling effects of sexual assault. Ela Lee writes with an urgency and clarity that will have you hooked until the last page.' Cecile Pin, Women's Prize longlisted author of Wandering Souls
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'A raw, compulsive and nuanced novel' i newspaper
'One of 2024's hottest reads' Sunday Times
Content warning: this novel features themes of sexual assault and violence.
'An ambitious gut-punch of a novel' Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg
' So nuanced, assured, and utterly devastating ' Layne Fargo, author of The Favourites
'Will have you hooked until the last page' Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls
She did everything right. So why did it go so wrong?
Men like him - in positions of power who watched the wheels of suppression turn from a distance, standing by and doing nothing - were the protectors of the broken system.
They're the fuel that made the fire burn.
Jade is everything she ever wanted to be. Successful lawyer. Dutiful daughter. Beloved girlfriend. Loyal friend. Until one night, something terrible happens after a work event, and she starts to wonder if she really wants to be the person she's become.
She's learned to laugh when she's felt like crying, opted to be invisible when she wanted to speak up and changed her identity to please people.
But now Jade has a decision to make.
Protect her job and reputation or expose the truth and face the consequences?
READERS LOVE JADED:
'I loved Jade. Rooting for her felt like rooting for myself'
'One of the most moving books I've ever read'
'I urge everyone to read this'
