The synopsis reads: "Danielle has a safe, happy childhood in West London. But her bright future fades when, betrayed by the police after a brutal gang rape, she finds protection under the wing of local criminals and falls in love with the ‘top boy’. Her allegiances bring terror to her doorstep when gun-toting rivals target her flat – and the authorities answer by taking away her baby. Heartbroken, Danielle spirals deeper into gang life and becomes a key player in a sprawling county lines operation, running drugs to towns all over the UK from the gang’s London HQ. The designer handbags and hedonistic lifestyle are the envy of her friends, but all that cash masks the grim reality of her new life. Then, when Danielle is arrested, a probation officer has her questioning whether she really is ‘top girl’ after all – and can she leave it all behind?" A turning point comes when Danielle is arrested and – with the help of a probation officer – she begins to question whether she really is ‘top girl’ after all. But after five years deep in the high-earning street hustle, can she really leave it all behind? Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures I finished Top Girl last night. Whoa! Incredible read and had to remind myself that this isn't Crime fiction but Crime fact. Harrowing but also inspiring. * Joy Kluver, author of Last Seen, Broken Girls, Left for Dead * Groomed by a gang member from the young age of twelve, it doesn't take much imagination to see how a young girl could be manipulated and get caught up in the gang life. I really liked the fact that Danielle doesn't paint herself as a victim. She takes ownership of the path she chose. Danielle is very honest and admits that money was her motivation for drug selling, but she highlights the actual dangers associated with selling drugs, and gives a brutal insight into how and why kids get involved in drugs and drug dealing.

Groomed and manipulated from the age of 12, Danielle tells her story with startling candour and extremely graphic detail. She takes full responsibility for some of the things that she has done but when you read the unfathomable trauma that she has endured you cannot help but feel a deep level of empathy for her. She later enrolled at university and graduated with a 1st. She has since advocated within the criminal justice

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Marin commented: "People who know me and my life story were always telling me I should write it down, and I’m thrilled that it’s going to find an audience with Mardle Books. The traditional narrative you see in the media about ‘county lines’ is only part of the story. I hope the book gives some insight into how and why kids get involved in drugs and drug dealing, and I also hope younger readers will see some of the mistakes I made – and steer clear of them. Above all, what I’ve been through shows that no matter how bad things get, you can still turn them around."

system for many women: “the hidden victims and participants of organised crime”, and begins her Masters in September 2021 This was a gritty and revealing tell all about a girl's insidious drift into gangs. Growing up on council estate, academically able Danielle leaves her peers behind and goes to grammar school, where she never quite fits. Attracted always to the naughty kids, aged 12 Danielle meets a cool older guy who is a drug dealer. Through him she meets others and gradually becomes embroiled into a normality involving drugs and ganglife. Its raw and honest. It isn't a glamorous or a pretty story but I really liked 'D' and the honesty with which she told her story. I liked that she took responsibility for her own actions and didn't try to play the pity card and even though in a lot of ways she was a victim she didn't play the victim either.

Vivid, insightful and extremely powerful, I have thought about this book every day since reading it.' Marie Claire Positive News is helping more people than ever to get a balanced and uplifting view of the world. While doom and gloom dominates other news outlets, our solutions journalism exists to support your wellbeing and empower you to make a difference towards a better future. And as Positive News’ audience and impact grows, we’re showing the rest of the media that good news matters. Betrayed by the police after a brutal gang rape, she finds protection under the wing of organised criminals and falls in love with the local ‘top boy’. However, her allegiances bring terror to her doorstep when gun-toting rivals target her flat – and the authorities answer by taking away her baby. Marin’s old life is never far away. “Where I live, who I know – sometimes it’s just on the other side of the road,” she says. “I see it every day.”

Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma ComplexAnd never far from her thoughts is that little boy, her son, now 12 years old. Through the family courts, Marin is battling for a reunion. “That’s the dream,” she says. “Hopefully it’s going to happen. I’ll keep fighting until it does.” years and up should be offered this book to read as it can show how easily they can be pulled into this world by a few kind words and treats. I have tried to look for Danielle’s “raison d’être”, however here seemed to be nothing, apart from her kudos within the gang. I found Top Girl to be a heart-breaking tale of how some bad choices or difficult periods in a childhood can snowball and derail a promising child's life. Should be required reading for those making decisions about the futures of young people, many of whom have little understanding of what these lives are truly like. I suspect in the end Danielle will get every success and bit of happiness she deserves - she just took a slightly longer route to get there.' * Linda Boa, blogger Crime Worm * The warning signs come when she is separated from her friends, and passes the entrance exam to public school. Suddenly, she is travelling twice a day on a train, her friends are moving on in comp and her time to hang out with them is severely curtailed. Her efforts to stay in her friendship groups re-double as she clearly does not feel welcomed in her new school.