I ‘d heard a few people recommend Fruit Fly by Josh Silver and was intrigued by the premise. It’s a look at writing, publishing and storytelling and asks the question: at what point does ‘taking inspiration’ from someone’s life actually just cross into stealing it.
Fact or fiction
We get two POVs in Fruit Fly. That of Mallory Maddox, author of a smash-hit debut novel but now suffering with writer’s block in the pressure to follow that up. She’s married to Ronan, a Netflix producer and, on the surface, lives a very boujie life in Crouch End, London, where she spends her days thinking in granular detail about home furnishings. But the reality for Mallory is something quite different…
There are many reasons Ronan cannot know, but for now, lets just say: I really don’t want to be sectioned again.
Ronan is controlling in a very clever, subtle way and Mallory is slowly suffocating in her own life. Desperate to make a change, she Googles what’s hot in publishing right now and hits upon ‘sad and gay’ as the hook everyone wants. So, she sets up a Grindr account to start her research.
As Mallory dips her toe into the world of Grindr, her lack of knowledge in the scene makes itself very clear and does result in v funny moments for the reader.
Virginia Woolf would have loved Grindr.
A common misconception
Leo is our other lead character. A drug addict and gay sex worker, he does what he can to survive. He is who Mallory uses as ‘inspiration’ for her story. In a parallel to her own tale, her view of him is far from what’s really going on.
I was so invested in both lead characters and really wanted them to come out of this unscathed but what makes Fruit Fly such an addictive read is the sense of tension and anticipation that’s so artfully woven throughout. I realised at one point I was genuinely on the edge of my seat every time a new chapter rolled around. I was nervous for both Mallory and Leo, and what would happen next to them.
Fruit Fly is a complex and emotionally charged tale with a lot to say on prejudice and classism. It asks us: can you speak authentically as an author if you’re pretending to be someone you’re not? On top of that there are so many darkly delicious laugh-out-loud moments.
I really enjoyed it and loved the ending too. Fruit Fly kept giving new plot nuggets so you were never left complacent and never knew which territory it would veer into next. A page-turning combination.
- Get your copy of Fruit Fly here;
- Published by Magpie 2026;
- 384 pages;
- Book review rating:
Books on the 7:47 