I first reviewed Monique Campbell’s debut novel Once Bad Intentions in 2020 for The British Blacklist. Since then, the novel has been re-edited and re-published, so it was a great opportunity to re-read and review it once again for Just Read It.
Set in South London during the 1990s, the novel follows Stephanie Johnson, a young Black girl, as she navigates her way through family drama, friendships and first love during a turbulent period of her teens.
A vibrant, funny and intelligent teenager, Stephanie also has a growing reputation for violence and petty crime. As her choices take her down an increasingly dangerous path and the pressures at home reach way past boiling point, Stephanie has to decide on the kind of life she wants to live.
The ‘little gangsta’ with a heart
On re-reading I was once again struck by the amount of violence depicted, especially between Stephanie and her mother, Sonya. As their relationship deteriorates, it becomes clear that both are acting from a place of trauma, which Sonya tries to cover up with religion.
While being sensitive to issues around domestic violence and the horrifying impact it has on families, Campbell is careful to not use trauma as the sole reason for violence, and makes it clear that both Stephanie and her mother are accountable for their actions.
In comparison, Stephanie’s close relationship with her eldest sister Macy, is one of the few calming and positive influences in her life, as well as her relationship with her grandfather, Dada. It’s Macy who encourages her to keep a diary to release her feelings of rage and pain on the page rather than using her fists on others. And it’s Dada, who provides her with a home and some measure of stability, in addition to some good home cooking, when the situation with her mother worsens.
Furthermore, Macy’s somewhat perfect relationship with her partner, Jason, the father of her son Ricardo, enables Stephanie to see what a functional relationship looks like rather than the disfunctional ones she had grown up with.
One of many pivotal moments in the book is when Stephanie falls in love with Jason’s younger brother Tyrone. As controversial as their relationship is, it also serves as one of the novel’s main highlights. Tyrone’s unconditional love and acceptance, creates a space for Stephanie to see herself in a different light and reveals a softer, loving side to her personality.
A love letter to the 1990s
What I love most about this novel is it’s nostalgia for the 90s, more specifically, South East London in the 90s. Having grown up Lewisham where the majority the novel is set, I could relate to Campbell’s lighter and fond descriptions of Black British life in those days.
Slang terms, such as ‘giving blies’ and ‘taking liberties’ made me chuckle, as they seem so outdated now, but were very much of the time. Campbell also highlight the music trends from bashment and jungle to RnB and hip-hop, much of which formed the fashion style of the time – especially the love of designer labels such Morgan, Armani and Versace. I have to give a special shout out to Ravel shoes (sadly no more, RIP), because this was the shoe shop, and no outfit was complete without a pair of shoes from this store.
Also, the constant references to bus routes, reminded of every South London teenager’s almost encyclopedic knowledge of the local buses, which could take you as far as Croydon or to the West End, as we called Central London back then. Because to live south of the river in the 90s was to resign yourself to the lack of a tube network, and accept that outside of a car or cab fare, buses were pretty much the only way to get from A to B.
Overall Once Bad Intentions is a personal and thoughtfully written story, reminiscent of classic YA novels such as Brixton Rock by Alex Wheatle, The Scholar by Courttia Newland and The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah.
Stephanie’s journey from a scrappy ‘little gangsta’ to a maturing young woman with a clear vision for the kind of life she wants, is endearingly redemptive and offers hope for those struggling to see a way forward in difficult circumstances.
It’s a strong reminder that it’s really not where you come from that matters, but where you are headed to.
Just Read It 