ONCE BAD INTENTIONS

A Love Story of Triumph and Redemption

Laugh, cry, reflect: Once Bad Intentions, promises a rollercoaster of emotions in this gripping page turner for the ages described as ‘painfully realistic and beautifully composed’ in chronicling the redemptive journey of Stephanie Johnson (Steph), a young, Black spirited and spirited, though troubled, eleven-year-old girl seeking to find her place in a world that doesn’t understand her.

As she and her girlfriends navigate their experiences of friendship, family and first love, Steph seeks a better future for herself – but will she be able to escape the hand she’s been dealt?

Once Bad Intentions, is an authentic redemptive journey into womanhood. A compelling, heartfelt story that unfolds over a decade in 90s working-class Black London, where suffering and love, humour and forgiveness, triumph and loss all co-exist as part of a passage toward redemption. Its characters are worth celebrating: self-disciplined and morally complex, big on image, and who like to floss!

London’s Black culture, the music, style and fashion of its time is celebrated alongside the resilience of its characters.

One Bad Intentions is as authentic and genuine a depiction of South London urban life as I have read. It takes its place among every black working-class novel in the canon.

Alex Wheatle

Author of Brixton Rock

HAPPY READERS

Readers Reviews

This book had me captivated from the beginning to end. Such a true and vivid depiction of South East London in the 1990’s. Monique takes us on a journey with lead character Stephanie Johnson and shows us the gritty ghettos of South East London and the characters within. I enjoyed the use of Jamaican patois and other cultural references that ran throughout the book which really added flavour to this multi faceted story.

VIDAL-URBAN

A Black Girl's Experience

This book had me captivated from the beginning to end. Such a true and vivid depiction of South East London in the 1990’s. Monique takes us on a journey with lead character Stephanie Johnson and shows us the gritty ghettos of South East London and the characters within. I enjoyed the use of Jamaican patois and other cultural references that ran throughout the book which really added flavour to this multi faceted story.

TJG

What a read!!!

This book took me back to my childhood being a black girl coming from the same area, going to a similar school and experiencing similar challenges with expressing my emotions as a young teenager. The author sheds light on what was really happening in 1990s London and demonstrates that its extremely hard to grow up and become a healthy functioning member of society being trapped in a life with so much poverty, negativity and self destruction all around.

Marsha

Real, raw and thought provoking

Growing up in the 90’s myself meant that, while the environment and upbringing of the protagonist – Stephanie – were very different to my own, the author’s ability to leverage fashion and pop culture references made this a believable and compelling account of her journey from confused pre-teen to thriving young adult. Oh, to own a Moschino jacket in those times!

Caroline Fox

Gripping read from start to finish

Before reading Once Bad Intentions I had reservations about its subject: a young girl who’s brought up amidst violence and then becomes violent, a criminal, joins a girl gang and becomes part of a world that seems common amongst a social class with dysfunctional parenting. Yes, the story covers some of the common experiences shared by a marginalised section of society, but I fell in love with the protagonist, Stephanie Johnson.

Marcia morgan

I fell in love with Stephanie Johnson

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