Reviews

Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions: A Novel in Interlocking Stories by Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi

alenezela99's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

keegan_leech's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was great! An interconnected collection of short stories is a difficult thing to write, and it's rare to read even a collection of standalone stories that is consistently this good. Jollof Rice has been one of my favourite reads of the year so far. The characters are well-rounded, the writing is interesting, and the stories are fun. (That's not to say they're entirely lighthearted. The collection covers sombre themes including police brutality and religious intolerance with appropriate gravitas. Though there's a kind of infectious joy that drives the collection as a whole and makes for great reading.)

Not every story is perfect. There's a couple of lackluster ones, but no outright duds. If I had one complaint it would be that the whole thing wasn't long enough. The final story in the collection takes place after a jump in time and suffered from having to cram in a lot of exposition. A few extra stories to fill the intervening time would have given that final one some needed room to breathe. But even where there are rare lulls in the writing, the momentum of the whole collection makes them plenty interesting and worthwhile.

I'll be on the lookout for more of Ogunyemi's work, and I only hope it's as good as this collection. If this is all I get though, I'm grateful for it.

I keep going back to what an impressive feat it is to pull off a collection like this. Connected short stories come with the pressure to include work that is crucial to the narrative but not an author's best writing. And a thematic connection can quickly become boring when repeated across a dozen stories. (On the other hand, trying to broaden the focus too much can make everything less cohesive.) Ogunyemi makes the whole thing seem effortless. The stories cover so many characters, perspectives, arguably even genres that each one is something fresh and new. Characters get a lot more development than an individual story could give them; they have space to be interesting but flawed, compelling and really human. The connections between each story make the whole collection more engrossing and exciting to read. And despite the variation, the standard of quality throughout is exceptionally high. Everything feels like part of a greater whole, and yet stands up well on its own. A really remarkable book.

If you like stories like Taiye Selasi's Ghana Must Go or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus then this is right up your alley, but I'd recommend it to anyone really. It is an absolute blast to read, and goes quickly.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Racism, Xenophobia, and Police brutality

Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, and Religious bigotry

daydreamereyes's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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

4.0

jendella's review against another edition

relaxing 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? No

3.5

caribbeanempress's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Love the characters!

lucie_norel's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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? Yes

4.0

henriettaenam's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was well written and the intertwined nature was well written with all the timelines clearly written and not confusing 
I loved the characters and their stories touched deeply

librarydancer's review against another edition

DNF.

Beautifully written stories that were increasingly heartbreaking, so I put the book down.

djpenpal's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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? No

4.5

myrthekorf's review against another edition

reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75