annie26's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Full review on my booksta but this book demonstrates why Ayobami is one of the literary greats of our time. 5 stars easily.
katiemack's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The two parts to this book read more like separate short stories, despite the way the two families come together at the end; this made the narrative flow tough for me to get through. Regardless, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ writes her many characters beautifully; the way she imbues each of them with a fleshed-out backstory is admirable and doesn't bog the story down--it made me want to read more about all of them. The sense of place and culture is equally impressive and rich.
As you may have surmised from the synopsis, this does not have a happy ending, but it's worth a read for the descriptions of Nigerian politics, culture, and socioeconomic interplay.
The two parts to this book read more like separate short stories, despite the way the two families come together at the end; this made the narrative flow tough for me to get through. Regardless, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ writes her many characters beautifully; the way she imbues each of them with a fleshed-out backstory is admirable and doesn't bog the story down--it made me want to read more about all of them. The sense of place and culture is equally impressive and rich.
As you may have surmised from the synopsis, this does not have a happy ending, but it's worth a read for the descriptions of Nigerian politics, culture, and socioeconomic interplay.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Minor: Murder
dylankakoulli's review against another edition
2.0
I was honestly SO excited to not only read -but to have actually been sent(!) Adebayo’s upcoming novell. Mainly as I was so utterly blown away by her debut “Stay With Me” (almost two years ago now!)
Unfortunately -and maybe this is due to my setting very high expectations, this book sadly fell short, of that same masterfully written magic.
“A Spell of Good Things” tenuously ties together the opposing lives of two characters -Eniloa and Wuraola, whiles also tackling (or at least trying to) much wider issues of; poverty, class, politics and culture within Nigeria.
The stories of our two main protagonist -whom I’m sorry to say felt weakly undeveloped, were supposed to be “woven together”, yet it couldn’t have come across more opposite -or at least not until the last 1/3 of the book was there some semblance of “connection”. Personally I found that I was much more drawn to the secondary characters -Busola, Motara -heck even Eniola’s father! Especially as he was clearly suffering with mental health issues, which is so under acknowledged/spoken about within the black community.
Honestly, reading this felt disappointingly chunky, disjointed and emotional void of all that I had previously loved -and admired, of Adebayo’s writings.
2.5 stars
PS -regardless of my review, thank you again to Canongate for sending me a copy to review!
Unfortunately -and maybe this is due to my setting very high expectations, this book sadly fell short, of that same masterfully written magic.
“A Spell of Good Things” tenuously ties together the opposing lives of two characters -Eniloa and Wuraola, whiles also tackling (or at least trying to) much wider issues of; poverty, class, politics and culture within Nigeria.
The stories of our two main protagonist -whom I’m sorry to say felt weakly undeveloped, were supposed to be “woven together”, yet it couldn’t have come across more opposite -or at least not until the last 1/3 of the book was there some semblance of “connection”. Personally I found that I was much more drawn to the secondary characters -Busola, Motara -heck even Eniola’s father! Especially as he was clearly suffering with mental health issues, which is so under acknowledged/spoken about within the black community.
Honestly, reading this felt disappointingly chunky, disjointed and emotional void of all that I had previously loved -and admired, of Adebayo’s writings.
2.5 stars
PS -regardless of my review, thank you again to Canongate for sending me a copy to review!
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book broke my heart! That's probably all the review I need to give, right? The book starts slow and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Then we settle in to our two storylines. There is Eniola, a 16 year old whose father has lost his job which results in Eniola being beaten regularly in front of his classmates for not having his school fees paid. At first this really made me cringe. I recognize it is a different culture but beating children isn't ever comfortable. By the end of the story I realized that this was how the author chose to remind the reader that her characters' lives weren't easy. The reader follows Eniola as he finds a path for himself that gives him what he wants (money for an education) but comes at a horrific cost. The other story line is Wuraola, a doctor working her residency whose family spends most of their time wondering when she is going to get married. I spent a good portion of the book trying to figure out when and how these two storylines were going to merge. When they finally did it was a gut punch! I love how Ms. Adebayo brings her culture to life in her stories. The intermingling of language, the descriptions, and of course her memorable characters. This may be a book I come back to upgrade to 5 stars later. ,
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
bookswithboo's review against another edition
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
📖 A Spell Of Good Things
✏️ Ayobami Adebayo
📍Nigeria
👥 Wuraola. Eniola. Yeye. Busola. Motara. Kunle.
📎 Contemporary Fiction
e-ARC from NetGalley and Canongate
Publication Date: 09Feb23
Wow. This is a stunner of a book. Well-written, evocative and powerful. It starts slow but by the time you’re into the second part, you’re running head first trying to keep up with it.
The story centres around two young people from opposite ends of the Nigerian social spectrum. Wuraola comes from a wealthy family and is trying to balance her flourishing career as a doctor, family expectations and a relationship with the volatile Kunle. Eniola’s family struggles to put food on the table and he is desperately fighting the shame of his poverty, trying to find a way to a better future - an uphill struggle where everything seems to be working against him leading to desperate situations.
It’s a story of light and dark. On one hand it is a stark representation of the wealth gap between Nigeria’s haves and have-nots but it is also a story of familial love and a rich culture. I read Stay With Me earlier this year and both books have convinced me that Ayobami Adebayo will be an auto-buy author for me going forward. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
✏️ Ayobami Adebayo
📍Nigeria
👥 Wuraola. Eniola. Yeye. Busola. Motara. Kunle.
📎 Contemporary Fiction
e-ARC from NetGalley and Canongate
Publication Date: 09Feb23
Wow. This is a stunner of a book. Well-written, evocative and powerful. It starts slow but by the time you’re into the second part, you’re running head first trying to keep up with it.
The story centres around two young people from opposite ends of the Nigerian social spectrum. Wuraola comes from a wealthy family and is trying to balance her flourishing career as a doctor, family expectations and a relationship with the volatile Kunle. Eniola’s family struggles to put food on the table and he is desperately fighting the shame of his poverty, trying to find a way to a better future - an uphill struggle where everything seems to be working against him leading to desperate situations.
It’s a story of light and dark. On one hand it is a stark representation of the wealth gap between Nigeria’s haves and have-nots but it is also a story of familial love and a rich culture. I read Stay With Me earlier this year and both books have convinced me that Ayobami Adebayo will be an auto-buy author for me going forward. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
jessica_h's review against another edition
5.0
Adébáyò has done it again! Fans of her beautiful debut novel, Stay With Me, will not be disappointed with this eagerly awaited return.
Set in modern day Nigeria, this novel is a deftly woven exploration of political corruption, class conflict, gender expectations and family dynamics. The main protagonists of this rich tapestry are Wúràọlá, a junior doctor, and the teenaged Ẹniọlá. Whilst the novel is predominantly told through the eyes of these two characters, we get to hear from several others, all in some way connected to the aforementioned two; parents, siblings, family friends and the like. As the narrative unfolds, their fates become increasingly interlinked, all building to a deeply affecting conclusion.
As we do get to hear from multiple perspectives throughout, it did take me a while to connect to the two we follow most closely, and sometimes left me wanting to hear more from the more minor characters I resonated with easier such as Bùsọ́lá and Mọ́tárá; two teenaged girls with very different circumstances but equally as spirited. I do not want to give too much away plot wise, so all I will say is that what is very smart about this method of storytelling is that whilst I was being drawn to focus on both Wúràọlá and Ẹniọlá and their increasingly frightening circumstances, I was less prepared for an ending in which other characters befall considerably more heart-rending fates.
Pacing wise, this started off as rather slow for me. So much so that I actually ended up putting this down early on to focus on other reads but once I came back to it, I was fully gripped and invested. Still, the pacing remains quite measured until around the 80% mark, where I really felt a crescendo building as the stakes are rapidly heightened. As I was approaching the ending, this novel almost began to feel like a play to me, a tragedy on a pretty epic scale.
(TW) Whilst they are artfully handled, there are lots of serious issues highlighted in this book, and I feel trigger warnings for violence and domestic abuse in particular, may be appreciated by some readers. Despite such issues and despite being quite a sad novel overall, this is not an overly bleak read. There are moments of real humour and levity throughout, especially in some of the dialogue, and whilst there is very much not a happy ending, I did not feel that all hope was lost.
If I have anything negative at all to say about this book, it’s in relation to a scene very near the end in a taxi (I’ve read a few comments from other early reviewers that seem to agree with me). Personally, it just felt too strong a coincidence, a little heavy handed for a novel that is otherwise seamlessly told, so it could have been left out for me.
Again, I don’t want to give away any spoilers but, in a way, this novel ends as it begins. The story comes full circle, which provides a neat ending but also suggests an inevitability; many of the characters (and many real life people that are reflected in them) are largely bound by circumstances that are out of their control and I found this imagery very poignant.
Ultimately, any book that makes me cry can get no less than 5 stars from me, and I would urge absolutely anyone and everyone to read it!
Many thanks to Canongate for providing a ebook via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Set in modern day Nigeria, this novel is a deftly woven exploration of political corruption, class conflict, gender expectations and family dynamics. The main protagonists of this rich tapestry are Wúràọlá, a junior doctor, and the teenaged Ẹniọlá. Whilst the novel is predominantly told through the eyes of these two characters, we get to hear from several others, all in some way connected to the aforementioned two; parents, siblings, family friends and the like. As the narrative unfolds, their fates become increasingly interlinked, all building to a deeply affecting conclusion.
As we do get to hear from multiple perspectives throughout, it did take me a while to connect to the two we follow most closely, and sometimes left me wanting to hear more from the more minor characters I resonated with easier such as Bùsọ́lá and Mọ́tárá; two teenaged girls with very different circumstances but equally as spirited. I do not want to give too much away plot wise, so all I will say is that what is very smart about this method of storytelling is that whilst I was being drawn to focus on both Wúràọlá and Ẹniọlá and their increasingly frightening circumstances, I was less prepared for an ending in which other characters befall considerably more heart-rending fates.
Pacing wise, this started off as rather slow for me. So much so that I actually ended up putting this down early on to focus on other reads but once I came back to it, I was fully gripped and invested. Still, the pacing remains quite measured until around the 80% mark, where I really felt a crescendo building as the stakes are rapidly heightened. As I was approaching the ending, this novel almost began to feel like a play to me, a tragedy on a pretty epic scale.
(TW) Whilst they are artfully handled, there are lots of serious issues highlighted in this book, and I feel trigger warnings for violence and domestic abuse in particular, may be appreciated by some readers. Despite such issues and despite being quite a sad novel overall, this is not an overly bleak read. There are moments of real humour and levity throughout, especially in some of the dialogue, and whilst there is very much not a happy ending, I did not feel that all hope was lost.
If I have anything negative at all to say about this book, it’s in relation to a scene very near the end in a taxi (I’ve read a few comments from other early reviewers that seem to agree with me). Personally, it just felt too strong a coincidence, a little heavy handed for a novel that is otherwise seamlessly told, so it could have been left out for me.
Again, I don’t want to give away any spoilers but, in a way, this novel ends as it begins. The story comes full circle, which provides a neat ending but also suggests an inevitability; many of the characters (and many real life people that are reflected in them) are largely bound by circumstances that are out of their control and I found this imagery very poignant.
Ultimately, any book that makes me cry can get no less than 5 stars from me, and I would urge absolutely anyone and everyone to read it!
Many thanks to Canongate for providing a ebook via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Domestic abuse
introvertsbookclub's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This novel follows two characters who you grow to empathise with and root for equally. They come from very different backgrounds and classes but many of the difficulties that they face are similar. This story shows how interconnected different levels of society are, how easy it is to rise or fall, and how little separates people who may seem worlds apart; while at the same time, the people closest to you may understand you the least. The writing brings out the humanity in its characters and the decisions they face, and reveals the human cost of political failings and corruption.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness
diamondhope's review against another edition
3.0
Gifted by NetGalley!
I actually really enjoyed this book. When you have a strong debut like Ayobami did, it's always with a little scepticism that you delve into their second. It had well developed characters – with some surprisingly similar like Motara and Busola – but Yeye was my favourite!
It tackles a lot of themes like the shame victims of domestic abuse are surrounded by, poverty and the hard choices it leaves people faced with and the violence of Nigerian politics.
Overall, it was a pleasant read but didn't quite surpass the magic of the story in Stay With Me.
I actually really enjoyed this book. When you have a strong debut like Ayobami did, it's always with a little scepticism that you delve into their second. It had well developed characters – with some surprisingly similar like Motara and Busola – but Yeye was my favourite!
It tackles a lot of themes like the shame victims of domestic abuse are surrounded by, poverty and the hard choices it leaves people faced with and the violence of Nigerian politics.
Overall, it was a pleasant read but didn't quite surpass the magic of the story in Stay With Me.
bookswithnicolee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
Minor: Murder, Injury/injury detail, Death of parent, Suicide, Blood, Death, and Medical content
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0