Jaded (Hardback) - Ela Lee

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 she suffers an unspeakable attack.

As she tries to confront what happened to her, she finds herself caught between her parents who can't understand, her boyfriend who feels betrayed, and her job that expects silence.
The world Jade has constructed starts to crumble.

This raw, darkly funny novel explores the 'grey-area' of consent and recovery that's far from linear, and will leave you asking yourself: what would you have done in Jade's situation?

'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

'This raw, dark novel explores racism, class and sexism and you'll want to savour every word on every page' REFINERY 29

'Moving' COSMO

'A raw, complusive and nuanced novel about identity, race and consent' I NEWSPAPER


Content warning: this novel features themes of sexual assault and violence.

About the Author

Ela Lee was born in 1995 and is a British-Korean-Turkish writer. She studied Law at the University of Oxford and went on to practise as a City lawyer. In 2021, during the global pandemic, Ela began work on her debut novel, JADED, which explores themes of consent, race, and identity. She lives in London, with her partner and their mini Aussie Shepherd.