I thought this was going to be an incredible journey of someone ‘similar’ (notice, before anyone jumps on me that I did not say ‘same’) to me, in a similar situation. And to an extent it was, but really it was just jumble of words thrown together. I found much of it highly offensive. I live under the poverty line, that’s no lie, and as harrowing and tiring as it is, it’s no where near as damning as this author makes out. I’ve used food banks, I’ve also donated to them too. The first 5% I nearly didn’t bother carrying on, but I did and I finished it too. Bravo, moi. Something I do agree on with this author is that the Tory’s suck. I hate them as much as she does. They’re ruining the country and especially targeting the poor.. and the disabled like myself.

Although, saying all that, the author has an incredible gift with words. She’s very talented but maybe instead of streaming words together that make no sense, maybe she could right in a way that does. I did find myself laughing at some parts; Cash has great humour and I did sympathise with her and her daughter. Her past that syncs into her present is an extraordinary story to tell, I’m not denying that. She’s fought against a system that seems to despise the poor and the disabled and for that I can only praise her for. She can be an inspiration to many people.

Although the story didn’t end up being my cup of tea, I did enjoy it for the most part but it did drag on a little and a lot made no sense. But it was an ‘okay’ read at best.

By the time I’d finished reading this memoir I was more or less rendered speechless and can’t stop thinking about Cash’s story. This reads as a scathing attack on Tory politics and her experiences of poverty, patriarchy and capitalism with men continually abusing their power over women, physically mentally and financially and the voices of women like her who are drowned out by the privileged elite. I experienced so many emotions reading this memoir, ranging from embarrassment and guilt that I am fortunate enough to not be living the kind of life she has,through to sadness at the degrading way she has been treated by individuals and the state as well as shock and disgust at some of the things she’s had to do simply to survive. All this in a first world society that favours the wealthy with the gap between rich and poor ever widening.
Of course there’s no way this memoir could be anything other than political and it is the kind of book that will provoke heated debate, regardless of your own politics and the author is right in saying that she will be judged, as she has been for many years but her voice deserves to be heard and reach an audience from all walks of life. However I want to try and review her memoir on her writing style alone, if that is at all possible! I think Cash is fortunate in the sense that she’s intelligent and articulate when so many who find themselves part of this ‘underclass’ aren’t and whilst this book is about her own unique experiences, a lot of what she has to say will resonate with many. Her use of language is colourful, crude, graphic and obviously intended to shock but her prose is underlined with dark humour so that you can’t help but laugh at some of the stories she’s chosen to recount. ( the train toilet anecdote is one for starters!) I loved the humour in the way she offers her opinions and observations of the Boden wearing, Mandarin tutor seeking middle class parents; accurate and well observed. Like all of us, she’s a flawed human being but makes no apologies for that fact. Having a far from idyllic childhood, she’s been battling alcohol addiction and finding herself in abusive relationships with men that are vile human beings. Discovering herself pregnant and wanting to keep her child (I’m not judging here)she has to embark on a life that severely tests her will to survive. She probably despises someone like me (a single mum but super privileged by Cash’s standards) commenting on her resourcefulness, determination and courage to simply keep on going. Despite the often sordid and grubby nature of Cash’s story, she relives her experiences without self pity and her pure love for her daughter shines through constantly. Determined to not repeat the mistakes of her own parents, she is resolute in her desire to create something better for her daughter even though the welfare system and poor choice of partners continually wear her down. I found it heartbreaking to read of the times when she considered life was no longer worth living (and I couldn’t blame her) as I did with the food bank anecdotes. I wholeheartedly agree with her statement that for some no matter how hard you work you’ll never be able to rise above your station since those in power are determined to maintain the status quo and tough luck if you happen to be part of society living below the poverty line.
Reading this memoir, I was particularly intrigued about Cash’s time as a ‘wife tourist’ and the blogs she wrote at that time and I do wonder too about the editing process of this book and the glossing over of some periods such as her time at university.
All in all you’d have to be pretty heartless not to feel compassion for this woman and her daughter and if nothing else can be gained from writing her memoir I’d like to hope it could facilitate more discussion around issues such the closure of women’s refuges, lack of adequate housing and the need to further isolate already vulnerable people by moving them further afield from their friends/family/support networks.
I will be encouraging everyone I know to pick up this book.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know what I was expecting when I started this but I wasnt disappointed.

It's a memoir of poverty and hard times. Its raw and honest. 

It should be read by everyone

This is an eye opening read. Cash’s story shows how bad poverty is in Britain and how hard it is to get out of. She has suffered abuse and had to live in women’s refuges and use food banks. There is so much talked about in this book that people need to be more aware of. Cash tells everything in her own unique style. I had never heard of Cash before I read this book. Her story is definitely memorable.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this, because I think this is a tough subject. But the author has written this so well, and it is completely refreshing to read something so raw and honest. I think it should be read by more people who look down on others in situations like this, you do what you have to, to survive. I’m lucky that I have seen all sorts in my life, but many are very sheltered from this and have no understanding. This book is a MUST for those people. And I really hope that the author stuck her two fingers up to her parents, they are not deserving of her love.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

If you are one of those people who:

1. Think people on benefits are lazy scroungers
2. Think people on benefits just can't be ar**d to get up and find a job
3. Go to food banks because, well, who wouldn't when the food is free?
4. Think women who end up in refuge accommodation must have 'asked for it'

Well, the list could go on and on, but I think you know the type of person I mean (and may God forgive you if you are one of those people). Then read this book. If it doesn't change one iota of your cold, hard soul, then you deserve to experience just one teeny tiny percent of what Cash Carraway has gone through, all in the name of the indomitable love for her daughter. I was blown away.

'Skint Estate' is an awful story that should be read. Cash Carraway has lead a harsh life and this angry memoir bares all. It is well written with both humour and horror. However this is NOT the story of a working class woman in poverty. This is the painful story of a survivor of child abuse and domestic abuse. While some parts resonate with me - moving from flat to flat and finally accepting I was outpriced from my home and having to move an hour away for any chance at stability, most of Carraway's history is because of the abuse and abandonment she has suffered. A difficult book to read, but worth it.

This book is absolutely essential in the UK; now and in the future. It's visceral and takes a long, hard look at life when the system continually fails. All future politicians should have to read this book to truly understand what the life of those they ignore is like: the struggle, the poverty, the sheer drive to continue. Cash Carraway's book is an absolutely must-read and a completely accurate account of life under Tory rule during the 2010's.

Refreshingly honest, pulls no punches - this should be on everyone's reading list for years to come.

This book should be compulsive reading for all Daily Mail journalists and readers, who think that somehow people living on benefits in the UK all live in palaces with more income than "decent, honest working folk" etc etc ad nauseum. Carraway shine a bright unflinching light on modern-day poverty in the UK - zero working hour contracts, social housing, benefits eligibility, food banks - all of it a far cry from the images regularly portrayed in the media.
As a single mother, she is driven by her instinct to provide for her child - from dancing in a Soho strip club while heavily pregnant, to penning articles about life below the poverty line which get twisted to support the media's ongoing narrative about benefit scroungers.... It's a stark account of the harsh realities behind the sensational headlines. The reality of not having a fixed address and how that affects your ability to work, have a bank account, etc. The reality of not having a full-time job, and the reluctance of landlords to then let accommodation to you. The challenges of being a single parent and caring for your child.... Carraway's strength and resilience through it all is truly inspiring, which makes her moments of vulnerability all the more hard-hitting.
This is an important book that should be widely read. Highly recommended.

What a read! The first few pages left me feeling I wasn’t going to get into this book but then I did and wow!
It’s very down to earth, a very gritty, truthful insight into what living in real poverty in the UK is like.
There is a certain humour alongside the shocking and sad stories of her life.

A raw account of what life is like at the bottom of society, with no money, no future. Carraway is articulate and angry and with no family support. She tells it as it is. I wouldn't willingly read this again but I am glad I read it. I, like most of us, am very guilty of burying my head and hoping that things are ok. Clearly they are not.

This is such an important book that I recently read it again and will now be seeking out further titles from Carraway. Touching, profound and inspirational, the way Carraway has written is unique and addictive. Highly recommend.

I read this book not really sure if it was real or not yet knowing that even if it wasn’t it could well be.
The reality of living in poverty, of being pregnant and knowing that you’ll do whatever it takes to have the baby and give it the love that you always wanted but never got.

As I read the first couple of pages of this book I admit I was already planning to not finish, but this is because you don’t often find a book so real, in your face, gritty and exposed. It makes you uncomfortable but I kept reading and after a few more pages I couldn’t put the book down. This is such a real story that people need to know, the writing style is effective and really quite eloquent and my eyes were opened to things that you just don’t know about when you are lucky to live a life without these kinds of problems. Really well put together book and I hope it spreads Cash’s story across the country and that it helps spark change in this corrupt and selfish society.

TW: domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, explicit language and discussions of sexual content

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read an eARC copy of Skint Estate.

Wow. All I can say to this book is Wow. It was a real eye-opener; in my job i'm no stranger to working with people who are in the depths of poverty but actually reading this deep and real experience of someone living below the poverty line was quite harrowing. I cannot imagine how Cash had such power to get up every day and carry on living. She was let down by almost everyone in her life; family, friends, loved ones, and professionals who are meant to be there to support you in the worst of times.

Cash doesn't hold back. And I don't think she should; this is the real experience of so many people and it needs to be shouted across the screens. People need to stand up and take notice and actually start doing something to change. This story just made me ache. I admire her bravery and her strength and her just real grit and determination. In the face of all this crap, she manages to have humour and an insane amount of love for her daughter. Everything Cash does she does for her daughter and that love she has for her is the thing that keeps her going. I read this in practically one sitting and literally couldn't put it down; any chance I had to pick it up and read another few pages I did.

The only only reason I gave it four stars was because the structure of the book was at times, just really confusing. The timeline jumps around quite a lot and it gets confusing at what stage in her life Cash is.

This book takes you to places you do not want to go but that you need to go to understand just what other people's lives are like. I highly recommend picking this one up but it is definitely not an easy read.

Publish Date: 12th March 2020

An amazing insight to life that isn’t filled with easy options and being saved. A true account of the horror of trying to just survive in modern day Britain.

Relatable to people who have struggled and are still struggling to find a path in life where they no longer have to worry about who is coming to the door or what that next phone call will be or even if they can afford to eat that day.

Heartbreaking in places but worth a read no matter who you are or where you come from

I read this in two sittings as found myself totally caught up! I enjoyed the conversational tone and Cash's humorous style of writing, however I do find her to be abit of an unreliable narrator at times. Not in any way saying that the events didn't happen, just that they would have read better in chronological order (for me at least).

This a brutal and unflinching look at Tory Britain's appalling treatment of poor people, and how our amazing welfare system that was so great in the 1960's and 1970's has never really recovered from Margaret Thatcher's time in power in the 1980's.

Probably not for everyone due to the language and almost every bodily function / fluid imaginable is part of Cash's story, however I loved it. Apart from the fact that Cash reeaalllly doesn't seem to like Pontefract or Wakefield (I'm from Pontefract ha-ha) I think we could be pals.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin random house UK for a this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having read some articles about Cash Carraway I was interested to find she had written a memoir, but then I saw the title and cover of the book and I have to admit I was really put off as it reminded me of a sociology set book from the 1970s!
However, I was pleased I did read it as Ms Carraway is warm, witty and wise; I laughed with her and cried for her and women in a similar position with seemingly no future to live for. I respect truth and ability to survive for her daughter, but most of all I feel ashamed that as a country we still haven't risen up against austerity and inequality.
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book

What a read! The first few pages left me feeling I wasn’t going to get into this book but then I did and wow!
It’s very down to earth, a very gritty, truthful insight into what living in real poverty in the UK is like.
There is a certain humour alongside the shocking and sad stories of her life.

My rating: ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐4 stars (out of 5)

I found Skint Estate to be a truly compulsive read. Cash is a great writer, and she tells her personal stories with depth and feeling. Yet it's the way that she always sets them against the wider context that makes this book a must read. For behind every story detailing her struggle to gain secure housing, her desire to find secure love, to ensure her daughter has what she needs, there is a Government that impoverishes through the name of austerity. There are also, abusive partners the law never quite manages to punish, neglectful parents, and a myriad of policies that make life for single, particularly working class parents based in London, basically impossible.

It's a book that should make you angry and frustrated and compels you into political action. I urge everyone to read it.