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Lightseekers by Femi Kayode
Lightseeker is a propulsive thriller that combines a who/whydunnit with a thought-provoking social commentary. Set in Nigeria, Lightseeker is predominantly narrated by Dr. Philip Taiwo, an investigative psychologist who has recently returned to Nigeria after having spent years in the United States. A husband and a father of two, Philip struggles to readjust to Nigeria’s…
3 STARS, Adult, affairs, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, CRIME, cults, cultural dissonance, DEATH, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), Femi Kayode, graphic content, Lightseeker, male authors, MURDER, My reviews, MYSTERY, Nigeria, Nigerian author, politics, PSYCHIATRISTS & THERAPISTS, published in 2021, read in 2022, reading, SMALL TOWN, small town crime, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, social issues, THRILLER, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE, violence -
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Pet is my second book by Akwaeke Emezi and while I did find it to be an engaging read it didn’t quite hit me the way as their The Death of Vivek Oji did. I had a similar experience when I read All Our Hidden Gifts, Caroline O’Donoghue’s foray into the MG/YA genre. I couldn’t…
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The Baby is Mine by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Like Treasure, The Baby is Mine is not in the same league as Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer. Still, if you are looking for a short and relatively compulsive read you should consider giving this short story a try. The Baby is Mine takes place in lock-down Lagos and is narrated by Bambi a…
1st pov, 3 STARS, Adult, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, cheating, Contemporary, female authors, My reviews, MYSTERY, Nigerian author, NOVELLA/SHORT STORY, Oyinkan Braithwaite, paranoia, published in 2021, read in 2021, reading, short stories, SUSPENSE, The Baby Is Mine, THRILLER -
Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo
A poignant novel exploring a complicated father-daughter relationship is ultimately weighed down by unnecessary side-characters and by a superficial approach to serious issues. While I appreciate the themes the author touches upon in Sankofa, I found this novel to lack cohesiveness. The story begins with Anna, daughter of a white Welsh mother and a Black…
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An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon
“With no words, Yeyemi says, I am the strength and fire in you, I am everything that is and was and every will be. You are the stuff my stars are made of. I am you and you are me.” An Ordinary Wonder tells a moving coming of age, one that will definitely appeal to…
1990s, 20th century, 3 STARS, An Ordinary Wonder, Black & Black heritage authors, boarding/private school, Buki Papillon, bullying, CHILDHOOD, coming of age, curses, family, female authors, FOLKLORE, friendships, gender identity, gods, growing up, identity, intersex, lgbtq+, MAGICAL REALISM, mothers & daughters, Nigeria, Nigerian author, published in 2021, read in 2020, twins, YOUNG ADULT -
Zikora: A Short Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once again showcases her beautiful in Zikora. The story begins with the titular character, Zikora, who is about to give birth. The father of her soon to be born child is not there with he left her months prior, after she hinted at the possibility of being pregnant. As Zikora goes into…
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Travellers by Helon Habila
“Are you traveling in Europe?” he asked. I caught the odd phrasing. Of course I was traveling in Europe, but I understood he meant something else; he wanted to know the nature of my relationship to Europe, if I was passing through or if I had a more permanent and legal claim to Europe. A…
4 STARS, Adult, beautiful prose, Berlin, Black & Black heritage authors, bulgaria, Contemporary, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), england, family, Germany, GRIEF, Helon Habila, homelessness, interconnected stories, Italy, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, literary references, male authors, MARRIAGE, migration/immigration, Nigeria, Nigerian author, philosophical, Poverty, published in 2019, read in 2020, refugees, social issues, tragedy, trans side characters, trauma, Travellers, unnamed narrator, zambia -
Treasure by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Treasure is a short story story that explores the darker side of Instagram fame. Treasure is an aspiring influencer who is quite willing to present a glamorised version of her life to her follower. She likes the attention, the compliments, and the devotion of her fans. User @Sho4Sure has become particularly obsessed by Treasure and…
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My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
“Ayoola lives in a world where things must always go her way. It’s a law as certain as the law of gravity.” Having read this novel twice I can safely say that I find it to be an exceptionally riveting read: once I start it, I just want to keep reading.My Sister, the Serial Killer…
1st pov, 4 STARS, abuse, Adult, Black & Black heritage authors, Contemporary, dark humor, DEATH, HOSPITAL, jealousy, millennial, MURDER, My Sister The Serial Killer, Nigeria, Nigerian author, Oyinkan Braithwaite, re-reads, read in 2018, read in 2020, read in 2021, serial killers, SISTERS, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, social media, SUSPENSE, terrific prose -
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi — book review
The Death of Vivek Oji is an enthralling novel. Akwaeke Emezi’s lyrical prose is by turns evocative, sensual, and heart-wrenching. With empathy and understanding Emezi writes about characters who are grappling with grief and otherness, as well as with their gender identity and sexuality. “Did it feel like terror? More like horror, actually. Terrible sounded…
1990s, 20th century, 4 STARS, Adult, Akwaeke Emezi, arc, Black & Black heritage authors, Contemporary, DEATH, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), friendships, gender identity, GRIEF, incest, intergenerational, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, LITERARY FICTION, mental health, MYSTERY, netgalley, Nigeria, Nigerian author, published in 2020, queer, read in 2020, SEXUALITY, social issues, The Death of Vivek Oji, tragedy, TRANSGENDER, trauma
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