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Top Girl
Gritty...shocking...true.
Top Girl is the tell-all true story of a grammar school girl turned county lines drug dealer.
Danielle has a safe, happy childhood growing up in West London, but her bright future fades as she turns her back on school for gang life and crime.
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.
Heartbroken, Danielle spirals deeper into gang life and becomes a key player in a sprawling county lines operation, running drugs to satellite towns all over the UK from the gang’s London HQ.
The Harrods shopping sprees, designer handbags and hedonistic lifestyle are the envy of her friends, but the good times and cash mask the grim realities of her life.
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?
Danielle’s gritty, emotional, no-holds-barred memoir lays bare the reality of a county lines insider and reveals the truth about life on the frontline of Britain’s biggest drug threat for a generation.
Top Girl is the tell-all true story of a grammar school girl turned county lines drug dealer.
Danielle has a safe, happy childhood growing up in West London, but her bright future fades as she turns her back on school for gang life and crime.
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.
Heartbroken, Danielle spirals deeper into gang life and becomes a key player in a sprawling county lines operation, running drugs to satellite towns all over the UK from the gang’s London HQ.
The Harrods shopping sprees, designer handbags and hedonistic lifestyle are the envy of her friends, but the good times and cash mask the grim realities of her life.
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?
Danielle’s gritty, emotional, no-holds-barred memoir lays bare the reality of a county lines insider and reveals the truth about life on the frontline of Britain’s biggest drug threat for a generation.
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Published March 3, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
August 8, 2023
This book gripped me from the get go, partially because the story was so interesting, and also because the narrator was excellent. She's actually one of the best narrators I've ever listened to and would happily listen to again. Her voice was perfect for the story.
It's a very dark read however, and I had to pause it several times when something terrible happened to Danielle. I'd be like "okay that's enough for now, I'll calm down and continue later".
But because it deals with the author's teenage years I'd still recommend it to teens, especially those with a higher risk of being sucked into something like this.
I only wish it was longer, and that we got even more updates on Danielle's life after she got out. I'm so proud of her, not only succeeding, but for also helping other girls leave too, she's an inspiration.
It's a very dark read however, and I had to pause it several times when something terrible happened to Danielle. I'd be like "okay that's enough for now, I'll calm down and continue later".
But because it deals with the author's teenage years I'd still recommend it to teens, especially those with a higher risk of being sucked into something like this.
I only wish it was longer, and that we got even more updates on Danielle's life after she got out. I'm so proud of her, not only succeeding, but for also helping other girls leave too, she's an inspiration.
February 10, 2022
Danielle Marin grew up in London with first generation immigrant parents and was accepted into a local grammar school. However, after a brutal attack, her life changed completely and led to her involvement with ‘gangs’ and drug crime. “TOP GIRL” is Danielle’s true story, told first hand by her, in a voice you will instantly find compelling and addictive.
- “Danielle has a safe, happy childhood growing up in West London, but her bright future fades as she turns her back on school for gang life and crime. 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. Heartbroken, Danielle spirals deeper into gang life and becomes a key player in a sprawling county lines operation, running drugs to satellite towns all over the UK from the gang’s London HQ” -
I really couldn’t believe what I was reading - the intensity of the narration and the emotional trauma the author must have suffered made this book a gut wrenching experience. The brutal attack Danielle suffered at the age of twelve was truly horrendous and extremely harrowing to read. You’d normally only encounter these sorts of incidents in fiction novels and just knowing this happened in ‘real life” was enough to make your toes curl.
Her honesty and her no holds barred account, from barely a teenager to her life to date is to be commended. It’s meant to shock and really it should be read by teenagers up and down the country to show that ‘gang’ life for girls is not glamorous but dangerous and menacing. I did at times find Danielle very hard to empathise with but I haven’t gone through what she has, so it’s probably not right for me to say that.
You really do need to read “Top Girl” for yourself and encourage your teenage family members also, especially if London based - it’s as much educational as anything else.
Gritty, explosive and darkly emotional, this factual true crime memoir needs as much publicity as it can, to raise awareness of ‘gang’ life and drug crime and I’d happily recommend to any reader who isn’t easily upset or offended.
#TopGirl - 4.5 stars (half a star dropped purely for the ‘gang’ slang used that sometimes I struggled to comprehend).
- “Danielle has a safe, happy childhood growing up in West London, but her bright future fades as she turns her back on school for gang life and crime. 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. Heartbroken, Danielle spirals deeper into gang life and becomes a key player in a sprawling county lines operation, running drugs to satellite towns all over the UK from the gang’s London HQ” -
I really couldn’t believe what I was reading - the intensity of the narration and the emotional trauma the author must have suffered made this book a gut wrenching experience. The brutal attack Danielle suffered at the age of twelve was truly horrendous and extremely harrowing to read. You’d normally only encounter these sorts of incidents in fiction novels and just knowing this happened in ‘real life” was enough to make your toes curl.
Her honesty and her no holds barred account, from barely a teenager to her life to date is to be commended. It’s meant to shock and really it should be read by teenagers up and down the country to show that ‘gang’ life for girls is not glamorous but dangerous and menacing. I did at times find Danielle very hard to empathise with but I haven’t gone through what she has, so it’s probably not right for me to say that.
You really do need to read “Top Girl” for yourself and encourage your teenage family members also, especially if London based - it’s as much educational as anything else.
Gritty, explosive and darkly emotional, this factual true crime memoir needs as much publicity as it can, to raise awareness of ‘gang’ life and drug crime and I’d happily recommend to any reader who isn’t easily upset or offended.
#TopGirl - 4.5 stars (half a star dropped purely for the ‘gang’ slang used that sometimes I struggled to comprehend).
March 2, 2022
Top Girl is Danielle (“D”) Marin’s first-hand and frankly harrowing account of her journey from twelve year old schoolgirl to county lines drug dealer and her eventual decision, at the age of twenty-five, to turn her back on the only world she knew. A solid family background and a prized place at a grammar school should have been an opportunity for Danielle to escape the poverty and violence surrounding her on a West London estate but instead it’s just the backdrop to her descent into a very different world.
Danielle’s takeaway from her early first encounter with law enforcement is leaving court with a reprimand and small fine and the view that there was nothing to fear, in contrast to the street justice that went on around her. Groomed by her first boyfriend who takes her virginity at thirteen, it opens her eyes to the possibility of a job as a drug dealer that is eventually realised. For me the defining moment in Danielle’s story is the appalling lack of response by the authorities who effectively sold her down the river after a sustained and violent gang rape. What should have been an opportunity for intervention instead ostracises Danielle from the very people that should have been responsible for helping her and leaves her deeply traumatised. When her allegiances to a local gang bring violence to her door and see her baby son removed from her care, Danielle throws herself into a lucrative county lines operation running hard drugs from London to the surrounding towns. Where the drugs are stored is just an indicator of how far from glamorous the realities of this life are and that’s without even considering the mental health impact.
I read Top Girl with fraught nerves and such investment in Danielle’s story that several events hit me like an emotional gut punch. The writing style is informal and conversational throughout which helps to make Danielle’s account not only immensely readable but accessible and relatable to a younger audience. It’s a propulsive and pacy read too with Danielle charting her distressing progression to fully-fledged ‘top girl’ in an uncompromising manner that makes for a real eye-opener. I am usually fairly sceptical about bad girl type memoirs which can often feel like an opportunity to garner a bit of sympathy or pass the buck. Danielle’s is nothing of the sort and right from the off she is upfront and takes responsibility for her actions. Even when to an outsider it seems patently obvious like she was failed by the authorities, Danielle does not look for excuses and I found it impossible not to empathise with her. That Danielle came through her experiences is testament to her strength of character and her story is full of insight and lessons for not just teenagers, parents and teachers but anyone who that wants to understand why so many young people pursue this path and how we can ever hope to change that. What the book makes apparent is that exiting gang life is far from simple as Danielle’s own struggle evidences and making a conscious decision is just the first step.
Danielle’s takeaway from her early first encounter with law enforcement is leaving court with a reprimand and small fine and the view that there was nothing to fear, in contrast to the street justice that went on around her. Groomed by her first boyfriend who takes her virginity at thirteen, it opens her eyes to the possibility of a job as a drug dealer that is eventually realised. For me the defining moment in Danielle’s story is the appalling lack of response by the authorities who effectively sold her down the river after a sustained and violent gang rape. What should have been an opportunity for intervention instead ostracises Danielle from the very people that should have been responsible for helping her and leaves her deeply traumatised. When her allegiances to a local gang bring violence to her door and see her baby son removed from her care, Danielle throws herself into a lucrative county lines operation running hard drugs from London to the surrounding towns. Where the drugs are stored is just an indicator of how far from glamorous the realities of this life are and that’s without even considering the mental health impact.
I read Top Girl with fraught nerves and such investment in Danielle’s story that several events hit me like an emotional gut punch. The writing style is informal and conversational throughout which helps to make Danielle’s account not only immensely readable but accessible and relatable to a younger audience. It’s a propulsive and pacy read too with Danielle charting her distressing progression to fully-fledged ‘top girl’ in an uncompromising manner that makes for a real eye-opener. I am usually fairly sceptical about bad girl type memoirs which can often feel like an opportunity to garner a bit of sympathy or pass the buck. Danielle’s is nothing of the sort and right from the off she is upfront and takes responsibility for her actions. Even when to an outsider it seems patently obvious like she was failed by the authorities, Danielle does not look for excuses and I found it impossible not to empathise with her. That Danielle came through her experiences is testament to her strength of character and her story is full of insight and lessons for not just teenagers, parents and teachers but anyone who that wants to understand why so many young people pursue this path and how we can ever hope to change that. What the book makes apparent is that exiting gang life is far from simple as Danielle’s own struggle evidences and making a conscious decision is just the first step.
February 2, 2023
This book shows how life can change and be on the wrong side of the tracks, county lines drugs and how low you can go though
January 25, 2022
Wow! What a read. Utterly compelling, I just couldnt put this one down.
The trues life story of Danielle Marin, a school kid in London who at the age of 12 is groomed and becomes involved in drug dealing and "gangs".
This one is brutally honest, disturbing yet immensely readable. Danielle is our narrator throughout as she tells us her life story from age 12 to current day. There is no sugar coating here and there is no passing the buck, Danielle owns totally what she did. She comes across as an incredibly strong character and she raises some interesting philosophical questions about the lifestyle.
Its not pretty, its very disturbing, there really are some awful scenes in this(I call them scenes but this is real life!). It was hard not to empathize with Danielle. She came across as both ruthless(she admits being in it for the money)but also incredibly fragile and traumatized. The fact that she led the lifestyle she did and came out the other side while carrying all that emotional baggage shows an incredibly strong woman, a real survivor.
If there is one non fiction book you read this year then make it Top Girl. You wont be able to put it down.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
The trues life story of Danielle Marin, a school kid in London who at the age of 12 is groomed and becomes involved in drug dealing and "gangs".
This one is brutally honest, disturbing yet immensely readable. Danielle is our narrator throughout as she tells us her life story from age 12 to current day. There is no sugar coating here and there is no passing the buck, Danielle owns totally what she did. She comes across as an incredibly strong character and she raises some interesting philosophical questions about the lifestyle.
Its not pretty, its very disturbing, there really are some awful scenes in this(I call them scenes but this is real life!). It was hard not to empathize with Danielle. She came across as both ruthless(she admits being in it for the money)but also incredibly fragile and traumatized. The fact that she led the lifestyle she did and came out the other side while carrying all that emotional baggage shows an incredibly strong woman, a real survivor.
If there is one non fiction book you read this year then make it Top Girl. You wont be able to put it down.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
January 11, 2022
I genuinely think that this book should be available in comprehensive schools up and down the country.
This searing, moving and , at times, gut wrenching memoir pulls literally no punches in the way Danielle describes how she fell into the county lines culture, the drugs and gang lifestyle, and the systems set in place to help her which did the complete opposite, and drove her deeper.
It is a twenty first century cautionary tale told with grit, authenticity and a brutal sense of self awareness that honestly humbled me when I read it. This is a woman with integrity looking back, at identifying the key periods in her life where she was failed by societal structures which should have pulled her away from the lifestyle which she was gradually pulled into.
Red flags abound to her, now, as an adult and as a parent, but, as a child, those you turn to for advice, or those who could have, and should have seen warning signs of grooming, abuse, sexual assault and violence encroaching on this young, very young, girl and acted accordingly. And no one did. As she says at one point -bearing in mind she was 15 at the time-she went from an exploited victim of prolonged sexual assault, to looked down upon child sex worker in the space of 24 hrs.
She grew up in a city , but this lifestyle, these situations are transferable across the UK, and are becoming even more prevalent in rural areas. A lack of strong parental role models, outsourced education via social media, opportunities to find and exploit those young people and children to separate them from the herd, make them fall guys, beat them into submission and worse, all of this is like cat nip to career criminals who know exactly how to groom them to a life they would not, given alternatives, have chosen.
Danielle starts off like every other child, full of joy and not necessarily aware of, but loving the multi-cultural and varied life style in which she was raised. Beginning with a brilliantly constructed sequence, a bait and switch which challenges commonly held misconceptions of children in council flats, run down estates and such, it quickly changes pace to her becoming more socially aware and starting to kick back against authority figures. Her step-father and mother live with her and her half brother in a flat, where she was not often hugged, told that she was loved, or felt valued. Her mother was a first generation immigrant so this might have been a kick back against what is seen as Western indulgence -apologies if I have read this incorrectly-and therefore she comes across as distant, even though she is home for most of Danielle's childhood. Danielle is therefore when her half brother is born, her step-father does his best to take care of her, but there is a glaring gap in her youth which left her open to forces which she had no defences against.
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.
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. She is the token 'poor girl' and no one really bothers with her. Before she knows it, she has a boyfriend who, whilst not yet 20, is way too old to be bothering with a 13 year old. He keeps talking about how she will soon be 'legal' and makes it out that he is being respectful, but in hindsight, Danielle is keenly aware he had a ticking clock to taking her virginity.
She has this boyfriend with stature in the local community, and because she is running with them she is in a gang before she even knows it, and, in gang rivalries whether she likes it or not. There are no warning signs, no posters or leaflets about joining gangs, they literally have you trapped before you even know it.
By 15, she has been involved in gang violence -including seeing a girl set on fire-, been brutally sexually assaulted, beaten, and yet, somehow, passed all her GCSE's. Her cleverness has been exploited by her school who never really 'got' her or supported her, she has been abandoned by her family who moved to Greece and left her in a foster home. Her resilience is something which is unbelievable, and her will to keep going in spite of this, as a teen mum, as someone who is now letting her kitchen out to local drug dealers to cook crack(and in the process, learning how to do it herself) all of this seems completely normal to her. She has been treated appallingly by everyone who was ever supposed to look out for her and she can only rely on herself.
I have a daughter the same age as Danielle was when she got involved in the gang lifestyle. And I had to stop reading several times because it was so very brutal and there is a dignity in how Danielle describes her traumas, it is not something exploitative or graphic which makes what happened to her all the more powerful.
We live in a housing association estate, due to the influx of people from England, amongst other countries, the price of living has been pushed so high that many of us born in this town, cannot afford to buy a house here. We have , in effect, been ghettoised and isolated to areas which others-read middles class people and above-see as 'no go' places to visit. My children have been the 'token poor kids' for parents in the school yard, teachers who pay little to no attention to those who are living in an area of socio-economic deprivation, and you can see how easily you become angry at the stereotypes forced upon you because of your post code. You live there, you must be like this. Thankfully, me and my other half are fiercely protective of our girls and have no issues standing up for what they deserve. I have lost count of the times my children have sat outside the head master's office listening to me raging about the latest outrageous happening. And I would do it all over again!
Not everyone has someone in their corner, and you listen to your teen daughters telling you about their deeply hurting school mates, their mental health issues, the struggles that they are having, we are clearly letting our kids down. And when we do, there are people lurking, waiting to take advantage of this. They aren't always the people you are warned about, the ones in cars who want you to see their puppies or offering you a ride home 'because your mother sent me'.
These people do exist, this is true, but there are those in shiny cars, with designer clothes, and all the accoutrements of a lifestyle which is designed to provoke envy, And when you are in that life, it is next to impossible to get out alive, let alone turn your life around to the extent that Danielle has, using the worst things which happened to her to educate others, educate us as parents, carers, teachers.
It is an incredibly moving , powerful testimony to a woman who has lived a life. She has lived, survived, and sets out her experiences without flinching, without pity, just putting it out there which accentuates how courageous she is, to this reader's mind. I finished this book in tears, and in awe, wanting to applaud this woman for her strength and the way that she continues to use her experiences to contribute to a justice system which is deeply flawed and not fit for purpose.
This searing, moving and , at times, gut wrenching memoir pulls literally no punches in the way Danielle describes how she fell into the county lines culture, the drugs and gang lifestyle, and the systems set in place to help her which did the complete opposite, and drove her deeper.
It is a twenty first century cautionary tale told with grit, authenticity and a brutal sense of self awareness that honestly humbled me when I read it. This is a woman with integrity looking back, at identifying the key periods in her life where she was failed by societal structures which should have pulled her away from the lifestyle which she was gradually pulled into.
Red flags abound to her, now, as an adult and as a parent, but, as a child, those you turn to for advice, or those who could have, and should have seen warning signs of grooming, abuse, sexual assault and violence encroaching on this young, very young, girl and acted accordingly. And no one did. As she says at one point -bearing in mind she was 15 at the time-she went from an exploited victim of prolonged sexual assault, to looked down upon child sex worker in the space of 24 hrs.
She grew up in a city , but this lifestyle, these situations are transferable across the UK, and are becoming even more prevalent in rural areas. A lack of strong parental role models, outsourced education via social media, opportunities to find and exploit those young people and children to separate them from the herd, make them fall guys, beat them into submission and worse, all of this is like cat nip to career criminals who know exactly how to groom them to a life they would not, given alternatives, have chosen.
Danielle starts off like every other child, full of joy and not necessarily aware of, but loving the multi-cultural and varied life style in which she was raised. Beginning with a brilliantly constructed sequence, a bait and switch which challenges commonly held misconceptions of children in council flats, run down estates and such, it quickly changes pace to her becoming more socially aware and starting to kick back against authority figures. Her step-father and mother live with her and her half brother in a flat, where she was not often hugged, told that she was loved, or felt valued. Her mother was a first generation immigrant so this might have been a kick back against what is seen as Western indulgence -apologies if I have read this incorrectly-and therefore she comes across as distant, even though she is home for most of Danielle's childhood. Danielle is therefore when her half brother is born, her step-father does his best to take care of her, but there is a glaring gap in her youth which left her open to forces which she had no defences against.
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.
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. She is the token 'poor girl' and no one really bothers with her. Before she knows it, she has a boyfriend who, whilst not yet 20, is way too old to be bothering with a 13 year old. He keeps talking about how she will soon be 'legal' and makes it out that he is being respectful, but in hindsight, Danielle is keenly aware he had a ticking clock to taking her virginity.
She has this boyfriend with stature in the local community, and because she is running with them she is in a gang before she even knows it, and, in gang rivalries whether she likes it or not. There are no warning signs, no posters or leaflets about joining gangs, they literally have you trapped before you even know it.
By 15, she has been involved in gang violence -including seeing a girl set on fire-, been brutally sexually assaulted, beaten, and yet, somehow, passed all her GCSE's. Her cleverness has been exploited by her school who never really 'got' her or supported her, she has been abandoned by her family who moved to Greece and left her in a foster home. Her resilience is something which is unbelievable, and her will to keep going in spite of this, as a teen mum, as someone who is now letting her kitchen out to local drug dealers to cook crack(and in the process, learning how to do it herself) all of this seems completely normal to her. She has been treated appallingly by everyone who was ever supposed to look out for her and she can only rely on herself.
I have a daughter the same age as Danielle was when she got involved in the gang lifestyle. And I had to stop reading several times because it was so very brutal and there is a dignity in how Danielle describes her traumas, it is not something exploitative or graphic which makes what happened to her all the more powerful.
We live in a housing association estate, due to the influx of people from England, amongst other countries, the price of living has been pushed so high that many of us born in this town, cannot afford to buy a house here. We have , in effect, been ghettoised and isolated to areas which others-read middles class people and above-see as 'no go' places to visit. My children have been the 'token poor kids' for parents in the school yard, teachers who pay little to no attention to those who are living in an area of socio-economic deprivation, and you can see how easily you become angry at the stereotypes forced upon you because of your post code. You live there, you must be like this. Thankfully, me and my other half are fiercely protective of our girls and have no issues standing up for what they deserve. I have lost count of the times my children have sat outside the head master's office listening to me raging about the latest outrageous happening. And I would do it all over again!
Not everyone has someone in their corner, and you listen to your teen daughters telling you about their deeply hurting school mates, their mental health issues, the struggles that they are having, we are clearly letting our kids down. And when we do, there are people lurking, waiting to take advantage of this. They aren't always the people you are warned about, the ones in cars who want you to see their puppies or offering you a ride home 'because your mother sent me'.
These people do exist, this is true, but there are those in shiny cars, with designer clothes, and all the accoutrements of a lifestyle which is designed to provoke envy, And when you are in that life, it is next to impossible to get out alive, let alone turn your life around to the extent that Danielle has, using the worst things which happened to her to educate others, educate us as parents, carers, teachers.
It is an incredibly moving , powerful testimony to a woman who has lived a life. She has lived, survived, and sets out her experiences without flinching, without pity, just putting it out there which accentuates how courageous she is, to this reader's mind. I finished this book in tears, and in awe, wanting to applaud this woman for her strength and the way that she continues to use her experiences to contribute to a justice system which is deeply flawed and not fit for purpose.
March 26, 2025
A seriously dark read set in London's underbelly - finished it so quickly because I had to know if / how Danielle got out. Learnt a lot about gang culture
December 8, 2021
Top Girl is a non-fiction, candid account of Danielle Marin, a grammar school girl turned county lines drug dealer. Danielle gives a powerful, raw, no holds barred account of life as a gang member and drug dealer. It isn’t a glamorous story, in fact it’s an ugly one, but it’s also an important one, as it shows how bad choices, mixing with the wrong crowd can lead someone down a dark and dangerous path where violence is the everyday norm.
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.
I was in awe of Danielle’s strength of character, and that she could make a conscious decision to turn her life round. Top Girl is a powerful story that applies to today’s younger generation. I think every school-age child should read this book as it’s a lesson in the consequences of making bad choices. Highly recommend.
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.
I was in awe of Danielle’s strength of character, and that she could make a conscious decision to turn her life round. Top Girl is a powerful story that applies to today’s younger generation. I think every school-age child should read this book as it’s a lesson in the consequences of making bad choices. Highly recommend.
June 12, 2022
Top Girl is a memoir about Danielle's (D's) experience of being a drug dealer and being part of a gang. It starts with her early (seemingly happy) childhood and goes all the way through to her finally leaving the gang and starting a new life.
This is not for the faint hearted. Some of the descriptions of the violence and the rape are hard to read often compounded by the fact the way it is written in an almost matter of fact tone at times. I think that makes it even more raw and intense as you quickly realise that the Danielle's coping mechanism is to shut off from her emotions and feelings. The only time they really shine through is when it involves her son.
This is a harrowing story of how failure by the school, the police and social services drives people further into the abusive dangerous lives they have become involved with. It shows how protection and safety seem more guaranteed with a gang than with the organisations that are supposed to help you. In the end Danielle is helped to leave but even then it only works because she has the intelligence to see that the agencies task to help her are only going to do a half arsed job and she must rely on the skills she has to get herself all the way there.
CW: Police brutality, Police corruption, extreme violence/torture, murder, rape, sexual assault, victim blaming, drug use and dealing.
This is not for the faint hearted. Some of the descriptions of the violence and the rape are hard to read often compounded by the fact the way it is written in an almost matter of fact tone at times. I think that makes it even more raw and intense as you quickly realise that the Danielle's coping mechanism is to shut off from her emotions and feelings. The only time they really shine through is when it involves her son.
This is a harrowing story of how failure by the school, the police and social services drives people further into the abusive dangerous lives they have become involved with. It shows how protection and safety seem more guaranteed with a gang than with the organisations that are supposed to help you. In the end Danielle is helped to leave but even then it only works because she has the intelligence to see that the agencies task to help her are only going to do a half arsed job and she must rely on the skills she has to get herself all the way there.
CW: Police brutality, Police corruption, extreme violence/torture, murder, rape, sexual assault, victim blaming, drug use and dealing.
November 13, 2024
I was fortunate enough to meet the author of this book and chat to her on her life. This is an excellent narration of her life. This book is a raw and very accurate description of how a young teenage girl gets roped into a world of drugs, gangs and violence. You cannot help but get behind her as a character and find yourself willing her to get through everything the world throws at her. You can’t put this book down as she progresses through her teens into motherhood all while being embroiled in the muddy waters of organised drug dealing in the county towns of the UK.
Written exactly how the author speaks this is an entertaining and educational read and brings home the reality of true crime on the streets of England.
Without giving away any spoilers this was excellent and well worth a read.
Written exactly how the author speaks this is an entertaining and educational read and brings home the reality of true crime on the streets of England.
Without giving away any spoilers this was excellent and well worth a read.
March 15, 2022
I was gripped to Danielle's story from page one. I felt every emotion possible reading this story of a highly intelligent girl who had everything going for her falling into a different path and making some bad life choices. Some parts were hard to read and deeply upsetting as a mother and a woman, and in honesty I was frustrated with her priorities on a few occasions; that said it is easy to judge when you're looking in. By the end I was rooting for Danielle. This book is a prime example of how one bad decision or traumatic event can effect your life so dramatically, and a reminder to never judge or label someone. A truly fantastic story. Honest and raw. You deserve every success Danielle.
March 8, 2025
Brutal, intense, distressingly and absorbing.
This is the story of an exceptionally intelligent young woman who got caught up in gangland life.
It’s a powerful, disturbing story told from the heart. There is so much violence, fear and humiliation. The author is a beautiful writer, taking you along the journey with her and letting you into her thoughts, actions and reasoning.
It frightened me to read it because had one or two tiny things happened differently then I could have ended up living a very similar life.
This book will stay with me for a long time to come and with it sincere gratitude for the life I avoided and the one I’ve lived.
This is the story of an exceptionally intelligent young woman who got caught up in gangland life.
It’s a powerful, disturbing story told from the heart. There is so much violence, fear and humiliation. The author is a beautiful writer, taking you along the journey with her and letting you into her thoughts, actions and reasoning.
It frightened me to read it because had one or two tiny things happened differently then I could have ended up living a very similar life.
This book will stay with me for a long time to come and with it sincere gratitude for the life I avoided and the one I’ve lived.
January 22, 2023
I finished this in a day. Hooked from the start. So insightful and eye opening. A massive thank you to the author for sharing her story, which must have been somewhat therapeutic. I really hope that she was able to build her relationship back with her son. I felt like a friend was telling me their story, it was real and gritty and nothing was left out. I did sometimes find it hard to sympathise with the decisions the author made but ultimately who am I to judge? I really hope the author carries on giving back to the community as she seems a natural at it! Fantastic read.
February 24, 2023
I had really mixed feelings about Danielle. The book was fascinating and I really enjoyed it, and I couldn’t believe the level of trauma she must have endured. I really admired the way she turned her back on drug dealing and is now in a fulfilling and rewarding career. I struggled to sympathise with how she didn’t seem to really fight for her son; she could easily have afforded a solicitor (given her income from drug dealing!) and tried to engage with social services, but if she did do anything like this she didn’t mention it in the book. So it was hard to feel sorry for her and truly empathise with her situation.
Listened on audible.
Listened on audible.
September 5, 2023
⚠️ CW: drug abuse, grooming, gang violence, assault, rape, sexual assault and addiction ⚠️ This book is a gripping and enlightening memoir about gang violence and county lines drug culture. Danielle had a safe and happy childhood growing up in West London and looked to have a bright future, but this soon faded as she turned her back on academics for a life of crime and gangs. After being betrayed by the police following 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 her baby into care. As a heartbroken young woman she then spirals deeper into gang life and becomes a key player in a sprawling county lines operation. The money and glamour of her hedonistic lifestyle are the envy of all of her friends, but the good times and the money only mask the grim realities of her life when she is arrested and her life hits a turning point where she starts to question everything that has ever happened in her life. This book left me feeling so many emotions but I just could not stop reading and it has taken me nearly a week to just process Danielle's story before I could even write my review. It is a truly shocking read but so powerful and I really think her story will stick with me for a long time. Overall, I highly recommend this book and even though it is a very difficult and intense read I think everyone should read it (CW's taken into consideration).
March 20, 2023
Whoa! This is an amazing, thought provoking and perfect example of a sliding doors moment book that I have ever read. It’s astonishing how in the blink of an eye and a small white lie, this girls life can go from being a normal 12 year old, to a county lines top girl.
This scared the s**t out of me, I’m not gonna lie. You hear “stabbing in London”, “shooting possibly gang related” on the news, never knowing why, but this gives you an insight into the murky world that normally we would know nothing about.
It was amazing and an addictive book, this girl has now changed her life of selling addictive drugs, to writing addictive material. Honest and chilling. Loved it x
This scared the s**t out of me, I’m not gonna lie. You hear “stabbing in London”, “shooting possibly gang related” on the news, never knowing why, but this gives you an insight into the murky world that normally we would know nothing about.
It was amazing and an addictive book, this girl has now changed her life of selling addictive drugs, to writing addictive material. Honest and chilling. Loved it x
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2024
3.5 ⭐ Pondered on what rating to give this for almost 24 hours, it was a fascinating insight into Danielle’s life, but something was missing for me. I was also interested in what wasn’t really written about including her son and what role children’s social care / family court played (which is probably my own bias from working in the field)
January 29, 2023
Extremely sad but has the potential to positively influence a lot of people as it shows the realities of the often romanticised ‘gang’ lifestyle in harrowing detail.
September 17, 2024
such a good book!!
October 27, 2024
Horrific
August 2, 2025
So interesting and compelling!
August 1, 2025
Intense from start to finish
Fab read had me hooked from start to finish. Found the ending .a bit rushed but overall an interesting read
Fab read had me hooked from start to finish. Found the ending .a bit rushed but overall an interesting read
June 14, 2022
I received a free copy of this release from Tandem Collective UK.
Top Girl is a true story about how Danielle grew up in London surrounded by gangs, crime and addiction. The book takes us through her journey from her childhood to her adulthood where she became involved in a London gang which was rife with harrowing stories of her experience.
It’s a really hard hitting book which I struggled to put down. It’s graphic in places so not for the squeamish! It was so sad to read about her journey and how often she was failed by the services meant to protect her. However, it was also enlightening and she spoke of her personal choice to be working in a gang dealing in drugs and there had actually been some fond memories for her which I found so interesting.
I’d recommend this book to everyone, it was a very interesting read.
Top Girl is a true story about how Danielle grew up in London surrounded by gangs, crime and addiction. The book takes us through her journey from her childhood to her adulthood where she became involved in a London gang which was rife with harrowing stories of her experience.
It’s a really hard hitting book which I struggled to put down. It’s graphic in places so not for the squeamish! It was so sad to read about her journey and how often she was failed by the services meant to protect her. However, it was also enlightening and she spoke of her personal choice to be working in a gang dealing in drugs and there had actually been some fond memories for her which I found so interesting.
I’d recommend this book to everyone, it was a very interesting read.
September 16, 2024
Woweeeeee I couldn’t put this down
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May 20, 2022
This book is crazy from start to finish. Definitely heed the warnings, Danielle Martin pulls no punches, dropping you straight into her world - and I read this one Fast. Picked up up and didn't put it down again until it was finished. It's written just like her, it's vicious, jarring, and brilliant. For a book I picked up for £3, it far, far outweighed expectation.
June 19, 2025
At times I felt for her so much and at other times I felt like she was the most insufferable human alive
January 13, 2022
**Thank you NetGalley and Ab Lib Publishers for a gifted copy of this book, in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.**
This is the true-life account of Danielle Marin, "a smart grammar school student turned county line drug dealer." Hard-hitting, addictive, and thought-provoking, I 100% agree with the publishers when they said: "This book should be on the National Curriculum." It definitely needs to be studied by the younger generation, as Danielle's brutal honesty leaves nothing to the imagination. Despite the dark side to this tale, there is also a lighter side, where Danielle spreads the message that no matter what mistakes are made, there is always a way out, and there can be sunshine after the rain.
Top Girl is relatable for all readers, of all ages, with its modern and relevant tone it will appeal to YA readers, as well as those who love true crime reads. I can not praise this enough, and the awareness that Danielle brings, is not only extremely courageous, it is also very admirable.
A highly recommended five star read.
This is the true-life account of Danielle Marin, "a smart grammar school student turned county line drug dealer." Hard-hitting, addictive, and thought-provoking, I 100% agree with the publishers when they said: "This book should be on the National Curriculum." It definitely needs to be studied by the younger generation, as Danielle's brutal honesty leaves nothing to the imagination. Despite the dark side to this tale, there is also a lighter side, where Danielle spreads the message that no matter what mistakes are made, there is always a way out, and there can be sunshine after the rain.
Top Girl is relatable for all readers, of all ages, with its modern and relevant tone it will appeal to YA readers, as well as those who love true crime reads. I can not praise this enough, and the awareness that Danielle brings, is not only extremely courageous, it is also very admirable.
A highly recommended five star read.
January 8, 2022
Top girl is a factual book about a young girl groomed to become a county lines drug dealer.
Manipulated and groomed at the age of twelve Danielle is soon drawn into the seedy underworld of drugs.
8 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.
It is extremely well written, dangerous, and explicit.
What a brave lady she is for giving us an insight into the daily life of drugs, the power people have over others the violence they dish out and the strength of Danielle to overcome her ordeal and write a very strong story.
I really enjoyed this book and throroughly recommend it.
Manipulated and groomed at the age of twelve Danielle is soon drawn into the seedy underworld of drugs.
8 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.
It is extremely well written, dangerous, and explicit.
What a brave lady she is for giving us an insight into the daily life of drugs, the power people have over others the violence they dish out and the strength of Danielle to overcome her ordeal and write a very strong story.
I really enjoyed this book and throroughly recommend it.
May 2, 2023
Surprisingly addictive! Struggled with first few chapters but glad I stuck with it.
January 29, 2022
I genuinely think that this book should be available in comprehensive schools up and down the country.
This searing, moving and , at times, gut wrenching memoir pulls literally no punches in the way Danielle describes how she fell into the county lines culture, the drugs and gang lifestyle, and the systems set in place to help her which did the complete opposite, and drove her deeper.
It is a twenty first century cautionary tale told with grit, authenticity and a brutal sense of self awareness that honestly humbled me when I read it. This is a woman with integrity looking back, at identifying the key periods in her life where she was failed by societal structures which should have pulled her away from the lifestyle which she was gradually pulled into.
Red flags abound to her, now, as an adult and as a parent, but, as a child, those you turn to for advice, or those who could have, and should have seen warning signs of grooming, abuse, sexual assault and violence encroaching on this young, very young, girl and acted accordingly. And no one did. As she says at one point -bearing in mind she was 15 at the time-she went from an exploited victim of prolonged sexual assault, to looked down upon child sex worker in the space of 24 hrs.
She grew up in a city , but this lifestyle, these situations are transferable across the UK, and are becoming even more prevalent in rural areas. A lack of strong parental role models, outsourced education via social media, opportunities to find and exploit those young people and children to separate them from the herd, make them fall guys, beat them into submission and worse, all of this is like cat nip to career criminals who know exactly how to groom them to a life they would not, given alternatives, have chosen.
Danielle starts off like every other child, full of joy and not necessarily aware of, but loving the multi-cultural and varied life style in which she was raised. Beginning with a brilliantly constructed sequence, a bait and switch which challenges commonly held misconceptions of children in council flats, run down estates and such, it quickly changes pace to her becoming more socially aware and starting to kick back against authority figures. Her step-father and mother live with her and her half brother in a flat, where she was not often hugged, told that she was loved, or felt valued. Her mother was a first generation immigrant so this might have been a kick back against what is seen as Western indulgence -apologies if I have read this incorrectly-and therefore she comes across as distant, even though she is home for most of Danielle's childhood. Danielle is therefore when her half brother is born, her step-father does his best to take care of her, but there is a glaring gap in her youth which left her open to forces which she had no defences against.
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. She is the token 'poor girl' and no one really bothers with her. Before she knows it, she has a boyfriend who, whilst not yet 20, is way too old to be bothering with a 13 year old. He keeps talking about how she will soon be 'legal' and makes it out that he is being respectful, but in hindsight, Danielle is keenly aware he had a ticking clock to taking her virginity.
She has this boyfriend with stature in the local community, and because she is running with them she is in a gang before she even knows it, and, in gang rivalries whether she likes it or not. There are no warning signs, no posters or leaflets about joining gangs, they literally have you trapped before you even know it.
By 15, she has been involved in gang violence -including seeing a girl set on fire-, been brutally sexually assaulted, beaten, and yet, somehow, passed all her GCSE's. Her cleverness has been exploited by her school who never really 'got' her or supported her, she has been abandoned by her family who moved to Greece and left her in a foster home. Her resilience is something which is unbelievable, and her will to keep going in spite of this, as a teen mum, as someone who is now letting her kitchen out to local drug dealers to cook crack(and in the process, learning how to do it herself) all of this seems completely normal to her. She has been treated appallingly by everyone who was ever supposed to look out for her and she can only rely on herself.
I have a daughter the same age as Danielle was when she got involved in the gang lifestyle. And I had to stop reading several times because it was so very brutal and there is a dignity in how Danielle describes her traumas, it is not something exploitative or graphic which makes what happened to her all the more powerful.
We live in a housing association estate, due to the influx of people from England, amongst other countries, the price of living has been pushed so high that many of us born in this town, cannot afford to buy a house here. We have , in effect, been ghettoised and isolated to areas which others-read middles class people and above-see as 'no go' places to visit. My children have been the 'token poor kids' for parents in the school yard, teachers who pay little to no attention to those who are living in an area of socio-economic deprivation, and you can see how easily you become angry at the stereotypes forced upon you because of your post code. You live there, you must be like this. Thankfully, me and my other half are fiercely protective of our girls and have no issues standing up for what they deserve. I have lost count of the times my children have sat outside the head master's office listening to me raging about the latest outrageous happening. And I would do it all over again!
Not everyone has someone in their corner, and you listen to your teen daughters telling you about their deeply hurting school mates, their mental health issues, the struggles that they are having, we are clearly letting our kids down. And when we do, there are people lurking, waiting to take advantage of this. They aren't always the people you are warned about, the ones in cars who want you to see their puppies or offering you a ride home 'because your mother sent me'.
These people do exist, this is true, but there are those in shiny cars, with designer clothes, and all the accoutrements of a lifestyle which is designed to provoke envy, And when you are in that life, it is next to impossible to get out alive, let alone turn your life around to the extent that Danielle has, using the worst things which happened to her to educate others, educate us as parents, carers, teachers.
It is an incredibly moving , powerful testimony to a woman who has lived a life. She has lived, survived, and sets out her experiences without flinching, without pity, just putting it out there which accentuates how courageous she is, to this reader's mind. I finished this book in tears, and in awe, wanting to applaud this woman for her strength and the way that she continues to use her experiences to contribute to a justice system which is deeply flawed and not fit for purpose.
This searing, moving and , at times, gut wrenching memoir pulls literally no punches in the way Danielle describes how she fell into the county lines culture, the drugs and gang lifestyle, and the systems set in place to help her which did the complete opposite, and drove her deeper.
It is a twenty first century cautionary tale told with grit, authenticity and a brutal sense of self awareness that honestly humbled me when I read it. This is a woman with integrity looking back, at identifying the key periods in her life where she was failed by societal structures which should have pulled her away from the lifestyle which she was gradually pulled into.
Red flags abound to her, now, as an adult and as a parent, but, as a child, those you turn to for advice, or those who could have, and should have seen warning signs of grooming, abuse, sexual assault and violence encroaching on this young, very young, girl and acted accordingly. And no one did. As she says at one point -bearing in mind she was 15 at the time-she went from an exploited victim of prolonged sexual assault, to looked down upon child sex worker in the space of 24 hrs.
She grew up in a city , but this lifestyle, these situations are transferable across the UK, and are becoming even more prevalent in rural areas. A lack of strong parental role models, outsourced education via social media, opportunities to find and exploit those young people and children to separate them from the herd, make them fall guys, beat them into submission and worse, all of this is like cat nip to career criminals who know exactly how to groom them to a life they would not, given alternatives, have chosen.
Danielle starts off like every other child, full of joy and not necessarily aware of, but loving the multi-cultural and varied life style in which she was raised. Beginning with a brilliantly constructed sequence, a bait and switch which challenges commonly held misconceptions of children in council flats, run down estates and such, it quickly changes pace to her becoming more socially aware and starting to kick back against authority figures. Her step-father and mother live with her and her half brother in a flat, where she was not often hugged, told that she was loved, or felt valued. Her mother was a first generation immigrant so this might have been a kick back against what is seen as Western indulgence -apologies if I have read this incorrectly-and therefore she comes across as distant, even though she is home for most of Danielle's childhood. Danielle is therefore when her half brother is born, her step-father does his best to take care of her, but there is a glaring gap in her youth which left her open to forces which she had no defences against.
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. She is the token 'poor girl' and no one really bothers with her. Before she knows it, she has a boyfriend who, whilst not yet 20, is way too old to be bothering with a 13 year old. He keeps talking about how she will soon be 'legal' and makes it out that he is being respectful, but in hindsight, Danielle is keenly aware he had a ticking clock to taking her virginity.
She has this boyfriend with stature in the local community, and because she is running with them she is in a gang before she even knows it, and, in gang rivalries whether she likes it or not. There are no warning signs, no posters or leaflets about joining gangs, they literally have you trapped before you even know it.
By 15, she has been involved in gang violence -including seeing a girl set on fire-, been brutally sexually assaulted, beaten, and yet, somehow, passed all her GCSE's. Her cleverness has been exploited by her school who never really 'got' her or supported her, she has been abandoned by her family who moved to Greece and left her in a foster home. Her resilience is something which is unbelievable, and her will to keep going in spite of this, as a teen mum, as someone who is now letting her kitchen out to local drug dealers to cook crack(and in the process, learning how to do it herself) all of this seems completely normal to her. She has been treated appallingly by everyone who was ever supposed to look out for her and she can only rely on herself.
I have a daughter the same age as Danielle was when she got involved in the gang lifestyle. And I had to stop reading several times because it was so very brutal and there is a dignity in how Danielle describes her traumas, it is not something exploitative or graphic which makes what happened to her all the more powerful.
We live in a housing association estate, due to the influx of people from England, amongst other countries, the price of living has been pushed so high that many of us born in this town, cannot afford to buy a house here. We have , in effect, been ghettoised and isolated to areas which others-read middles class people and above-see as 'no go' places to visit. My children have been the 'token poor kids' for parents in the school yard, teachers who pay little to no attention to those who are living in an area of socio-economic deprivation, and you can see how easily you become angry at the stereotypes forced upon you because of your post code. You live there, you must be like this. Thankfully, me and my other half are fiercely protective of our girls and have no issues standing up for what they deserve. I have lost count of the times my children have sat outside the head master's office listening to me raging about the latest outrageous happening. And I would do it all over again!
Not everyone has someone in their corner, and you listen to your teen daughters telling you about their deeply hurting school mates, their mental health issues, the struggles that they are having, we are clearly letting our kids down. And when we do, there are people lurking, waiting to take advantage of this. They aren't always the people you are warned about, the ones in cars who want you to see their puppies or offering you a ride home 'because your mother sent me'.
These people do exist, this is true, but there are those in shiny cars, with designer clothes, and all the accoutrements of a lifestyle which is designed to provoke envy, And when you are in that life, it is next to impossible to get out alive, let alone turn your life around to the extent that Danielle has, using the worst things which happened to her to educate others, educate us as parents, carers, teachers.
It is an incredibly moving , powerful testimony to a woman who has lived a life. She has lived, survived, and sets out her experiences without flinching, without pity, just putting it out there which accentuates how courageous she is, to this reader's mind. I finished this book in tears, and in awe, wanting to applaud this woman for her strength and the way that she continues to use her experiences to contribute to a justice system which is deeply flawed and not fit for purpose.
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