Books like Poppy Shakespeare

Lifelong "dribbler" "N." is asked to show new arrival Poppy Shakespeare around the Dorothy Fish, the North London day hospital where she has spent her adult life after an unenviable childhood of getting "moved around more than a pass-the-****ing-parcel" (p. 104). Poppy is a definite shout of stylishness as she asserts that she doesn't really belong there. And other residents aren't so glad to see her, feeling that she's meant to replace a much-loved former resident. As N. introduces her to the farty couch, MAD Money, Banker Bill, Brian the Butcher, Canteen Coral, "Astrid A***wipe", and "Sue the Sticks, formerly known as Slasher Sue before she give up self-harming", Poppy offers N. a view of life outside the Dorothy Fish and Abaddon Hill (looks/sounds too much like "abandon," doesn't it?)."If you gone up the eighth floor you never come back, just disappeared like crap up the hose of a hoover." (p. 6)"Unbe****inglievable! I finally get there and look where I am with my chapters!" (how she begins "Chapter 14" on page 47)"And I told her about the waiting list, how long it was, and all the people on it. 'There's people...go on when they're born and they's drawing their pensions before they've moved up three places. There's people whose GRANDPARENTS was on, and THEIR grandparents too, and they taken their places when they passed and they still ain't here yet. ....I heard if Jesus been put on the list like when he was born--or even before, when Gabriel told Mary he was coming--...if they'd put his name down then, he's still only be at three hundred and fifty-seven.'" (p. 100)"'...it was like a proper postcard--and on the back I seen it said THE PALACE OF VERSIZE, and I've heard of that, do you know what I'm saying. It's France or something innit?' 'Dunno,' said Poppy. 'It is,' I said, 'Or Spain, maybe. Somewhere foreign. I know it ain't in London.'" (p.117)"Carmel's complaint been building for fifteen years. No one knew what it was sparked it off, not even Carmel no more. Carmel's comment was a great-grandma at least. It been married, had kids and the kids had had kids and half of them was divorced and remarried or living together or living alone and all the stepchildren, half-brothers and sisters, and foster kids too; her complaint had great nieces and their nephews had cousins and their cousins had more cousins four-times-removed, and to find the complaint what started it all, do you know what I'm saying, was trying to find Eve at the top of a family tree. Dr. Azazel weren't nothing to the main complaint. He was something like a stepson of the step-step-step-half-brother. But one step at a time, said Carmel, and he was her job for today." (my favorite passage, at p. 129)POPPY SHAKESPEARE was made into a (British)-TV-movie in 2008, starring Anna Maxwell Martin as N. and Naomie Harris as Poppy; you should be able to find it at YouTube. But I hope you'll enjoy reading the book!Thanks for reading.