New York story mixes bleakness with verve

There are more killer one-liners in Jade Sharma's Problems than in most comedy festivals, including a note-perfect dissection of the legions of struggling artists in New York

Jade Sharma: uses her writing as a way to ‘make something out of all the ugliness’ Pic: Tracie Williams

Fiction: Problems, By Jade Sharma, Tramp Press, €15

As the title suggests, Maya, the narrator of Jade Sharma’s New York-set debut novel, has issues that need resolving. She’s in a marriage that’s petering out in every sense; she’s engaged in a self-destructive affair with an older college professor that she knows is going to end badly; she struggles with self-image, has an eating disorder, and a heroin habit that’s fast becoming a full-blown ...