One of my most anticipated reads of the year and Josh Silver absolutely delivered. Fruit Fly is a wild journey down the rabbit hole of desperation, addiction and a writer’s obsession. It’s hard not to compare Fruit Fly to Yellowface given they both tackle the idea of authenticity in publishing. But Fruit Fly feels like the darker companion and I couldn’t completely hate the characters even if they were immensely dislikable.The story itself had me in a chokehold – telling it through perspectives was the perfect choice to keep the tension high. Leo and Mallory made the worst decisions but I couldn’t look away at the car crash they were making of their lives. Complicated characters being unhinged are fun to read, but Silver added emotional depth that made me understand their desperation. Something I loved about Silver’s YA work was how he tackles tough subjects with nuance and dark humour. Seeing it carry over into adult fiction is brilliant. This feels like the natural continuation of the themes in Traumaland, Silver’s 2025 YA novel looking at who profits off trauma in a Black Mirror-style scenario. I urge anyone who discovers Silver through Fruit Fly will go back and read his teen novels. Fruit Fly is an addictive literary thriller. It’s a brilliant read and undoubtedly will be among my favourites of the year. Go read it!

This is my first book by this author, who is publishing his debut adult book, but, on the back of what I read herein, I have added all his other books to my TBR! So.. in this book we meet author Mallory who, years ago, shot to stardom with her debut book. But it's been seven years since then and she hasn't managed a follow up. Suffering from crippling writer's block, as well as suffering a breakdown, she needs inspiration.. something to ignite the spark that she knows still lies within her. And soon, cos she really can't keep lying to everyone... So, looking at what is hot at the moment in the world of fiction, she decides that "going gay" is the way forward... Problem is, she knows nothing about that, being a married, cis-gender, heterosexual woman and all! But there are dating apps to download and investigate and, long story short, dipping her toe in that water, introduces her to Leo, a young, gay, homeless, addict, who swiftly, inadvertently, unbeknownst to him (initially anyway) becomes her muse. And a successful one at that. And so begins a car crash, bonkers, ride of your life, as Mallory crosses every boundary, takes every advantage, in the name of a good story. And it is so much fun to read. She really has no sense of anything, danger, ethics, and the lies... Oh my days, so delicious! I bloody loved her - from a distance, you understand! And then we learn more about her relationship with husband Ronan... Oh My Days... And Leo, he's a tortured soul with many demons who really doesn't do himself any favours. But even though there's rock bottom and that's where he nearly is himself, he still wants more from life. He's still fighting. He is so real and I just wanted to hug him. But then he does that... Although it contains quite a few dark topics, and it pulls no punches on these, there are some great funny moments, both light and dark humour which do manage to keep it from going too dark, and also allow the reader a bit of respite along the way. I'm also a bit unsure how I feel about the ending. I can't spoil it here but, and here's the rub. I'm not totally keen about how the book ended for Mal or Leo, yet I can't actually find the ending I wanted more for either of them. I guess it's a question of accepting what is, and finding solace in that.

Read it in 3 days, loved it