Raveheart

by Graeme Armstrong

A high NRG, whip-smart look at the state of modern Britain through the eyes of a disparate band of rave rebels, from the author of acclaimed, best-selling debut The Young Team and one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists.

William Patterson – better known as DJ Turbo – is living a soulless existence after his glory days as resident spinner at a local Coatbridge ice rink, The Time Capsule, have been snatched from him. As a far-right UK regime sweeps to power, ‘The New Greatest Britishest Party’ cracks down on youth, culture, drugs and – the final straw – electronica. Incensed by a blanket ban of their beloved tunes, Turbo and his comrades launch a rave revolt – resurrecting the illegal warehouse parties of the past in this new darker, monolithic Greatest Britain, as a powerful act of resistance.

But, as the political situation escalates and secret police surveil every corner of society, Turbo and his troops fly ever closer to the sun in the dangerous world of the anti-rave abolitionist paramilitary. Mixing classic hardcore anthems, nu-gen euphoria enthusiasts and psychotropic chemical courtships, they will fight the war for the rave. Deciding who to trust… and who may betray the cause is everything. The future of the whole nation is on the line… can Turbo be the hero not just of rave, but of Scotland?

Hilarious, tragic and incredibly clever all at once, this unique, narcotic trip of a novel is a modern, meta, mayhem-filled cultural coup d'état and cult-classic in the making, written in an inimitable and energetic voice, from one of the most electrifying young writers in Britain today.

Genres: Scotland, Contemporary

412 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 4, 2026

About the author

Graeme Armstrong is from Airdrie, Scotland. His teenage years were spent within ‘young team’ gang culture. He studied English Literature as an undergraduate at the University of Stirling; where he returned to take a Masters’ in Creative Writing. He is currently undertaking a PhD between the University of Strathclyde and the University of Glasgow.

His bestselling debut novel, ‘THE YOUNG TEAM’, is inspired by his experiences and was published by Picador in 2020. It won the Betty Trask Award, the Somerset Maugham Award, and was Scots Book of the Year 2021. It is currently being adapted for screen by Synchronicity Films (Mayflies, The Tattooist of Auschwitz) and has been commissioned as a BBC drama series with Armstrong as screen writer and executive producer. He was named as one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’ in 2023, a once-in-a-decade literary honour.

Graeme presented ‘SCOTLAND THE RAVE’, a BBC documentary exploring Scotland’s rave and PCDJ culture, which was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA Scotland and RTS Scotland Award 2022. He wrote and presented ‘STREET GANGS’, a BBC factual series exploring modern Scottish gang culture and Drill music.

Graeme works extensively in the community around violence prevention. He is an ambassador for The Hope Collective, Damilola Taylor’s legacy charity, an associate for the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice, an honorary lecturer at New College Lanarkshire and currently sits on the Strategic Advisory Board for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit.

His new novel, ‘RAVEHEART’, publishes with 4th Estate in 2026 and has been optioned for screen by Warp Films (This is England/ Dead Man’s Shoes/ Adolescence). It is available for pre-order now…

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! A lot of the rave stuff went over my head if I’m honest but I really enjoyed the story and just how clever this is.

[Amy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute feverdream of a book and i had THE BEST TIME. This book is somehow a harrowing political warning about where we could be headed in the country, an absolute laugh riot to the point I had tears down my face laughing with the nonsense and one of the most beautiful books ive ever read in parts. If Shakespeare was about now and was fae a Scottish scheme this would be what he would write. This is one of the most Scottish books I've ever read when it comes to the language and it made my heart so happy but also made it really easy to connect to these characters and after finishing the book I genuinely feel like I miss ma pals man they were a class bunch and I feel like I was really there with them at every turn.
If youre no into the rave scene some of the references and nostalgia for a specific time in Scotland might be wasted on ye but the book is still worth a read. If youre into politics you'll love all the nods to politicians, papers and incidents. When it comes to the politics me being me I cant not comment, Armstrong manages to point out tactics and strategies that are currently being used by the extreme right wing parties to divide us but is also critical of the left at times, I think you could read this book regardless of your political leaning and have something to take away from it to reflect on. He calls out the extreme right wing without being overly critical of the people who support these parties in a phenomenal show of compassion and understanding that alot of the media dont often give. Regardless of how you vote, regardless of if you like rave you could swap out the cause for one you care about and totally see how we could get to the points we do In this book from where we are now.
The ending which im no going to spoil had me greeting with both sadness and laughter an absolute first for me. I loved this top book of the year for sure nothing will top this.

[Iona · Rating 3 out of 5]

“DAFT AS A BRUSH” - enjoyed the Scottish insults and the music references!

[Samantha Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit of a feverdream of a book. Imagine this is what it’s like to trip bawls. Very funny. Think you’d only understand the majority of this if you were Scottish

[Liam Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the UK publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt like a bit of a fever dream. Mostly due to the content, but also the way it was told. The narrative was daring, felt like a play at times, others it felt like reading online articles. This format helped with the world building aspect of the story.

However, it did stop me from fully invested in the characters. What I loved about young team was how raw it felt, how we spanned the main characters life and really felt like i went on a journey with him and felt his growth.

I didn't really get that from this novel. It's focus was stacked heavily towards critiquing the society we live in and the one in this book, which was interesting for a while, but i wanted to feel invested in Turbo and the other characters more.

The ending was suitably silly for the book, and it worked really well #milkshake

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. I loved the character building and storytelling of rave and drug culture, got a bit lost with the political aspect but I'm not sure Graeme wanted it to be understood 😂

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only cause I cant score it zero

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently I am reading this before it is published despite buying it in a bookshop in Scotland!
Onyway I really enjoyed this rave fever dream of a book that chronicles a culture clash and a ned rebellion tae save the rave.
I laughed my ass off at times this is honestly one of the funniest books I've ever read. I hope the humour works outside the Scottish central belt!
I am not a regular reader of Scottish fiction not since Iain Banks passed away anyway and Tartan Noir does nothing for me. So I am glad there are books like this that show a different side to Scotland. A side more than a few of us recognise I am sure!
Just read it. The books a riot, the banter is funny, the politics on point and very much a dagger aimed at more than a few people.
You'll laugh, probably roll your eyes at the absurdity of a lot of it but I reckon you'll enjoy it!
You will however have to deal with detailed and loving descriptions of the time capsule which if you've been you'll find hard to believe!
Rave On.

[Lucy Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Hardback version not kindle)..3.5 -4 stars rounded up I think.
I loved a lot about this. Having dabbled in Glasgow club culture in the late 90s and early 00s, (less so the raves though) I recognised much here. I also really enjoyed Armstrong's documentary Scotland The Rave which covers the PCDJs and specifically Scottish rave culture too (and well.worth a watch).
This novel is frantic, feverish, and a love letter to that scene, whilst also warning us all of the perils of allowing politicians to ban working class culture that doesn't fit with their voter-friendly agendas.
I was very glad of the introduction of Juicy and the Coven as it was getting a it lad-heavy for me and definitely helped balance the novel. The inspirations of 1984, Dante, Paradise Lost etc which Armstrong notes are evident and I actually enjoyed the different styles of storytelling throughout.
The ending was pure daft though.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

An homage to 90s rave culture disguised as a pantomime of political satire. Laugh out loud funny at times, but smuggling in sharp comment there as well. There's an awful lot will go over the heads of anyone not au fait with west of Scotland patter I suspect. I don't think there is anyone else that captures the dialect and emotion hiding behind bravado of his characters as accurately as Graeme Armstrong does.

[Rab Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've got some catching up to do so expect me to flood the timeline here

Been waiting until it was officially out prior to actually writing a review as I was lucky enough to nab an early copy at the Paisley Book Festival.

While some people would want Graeme to be a one note writer and stay in the murky realism of the world he explored in The Young Team, I loved this book precisely because it didn't do that. My adoration for his first novel is well documented among anyone who talks to me about books, but this one took elements of what made that book great -- the humor, the dialogue and the inherently lovable yet flawless character-- and essentially took them to fantastical new heights.

Considering when he started writing this book, it's also alarmingly prescient in terms of its examination of today's political landscape. This book is almost satirical at times, but not in a way that shies away from the magnitude of what infringing on individual freedoms and those few things that transcend our differences like music does can have on a community. Absolute banger, would highly recommend

[Amy Malone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book as I loved “The Young Team”, but this did not cut it for me. The layout of the book and the cultural Glaswegian slang were great, and brought the book back to where I grew up, but the story line was not for me.

[Andrew M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure quality man!!!

SCOTTISH TECHNO PIRATES FUREVER YA BAS!!!

[Joel Atkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story no doubt, but didn’t bring me in as much as I wanted it to.