Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad

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I honestly didn't know how to review these short stories initially, guys. What a wild ride 😆 ..but in a great way! I'd been in a reading slump prior to picking this up but the way that I really didn't want to put this down! The perfect book choice to overcome the slump.

This collection was hilarious and scandalous from the get go, and I legit spent most of the time cracking all the way up. Its characters are wild and audacious, and I found the chaos of it all thoroughly entertaining. Whilst the emphasis is on the men of Lagos, I can't lie, some of the women in the collection also displayed some very questionable behaviour 👀

Despite the fact that the collection is full of laugh out loud moments, that's not to say that it doesn't deal with some serious and more complex issues too, and Kuku strikes this balance so so well. One of the latter stories in particular has a slightly different tone and I loved its poignancy where we're brought into the exploration of loss and male vulnerability. I'd also say to approach the last story with caution as it really hones in on its own serious and triggering topic.

I've usually preferred short stories that are interconnected, so am surprised that this flowed for me as well as it did. I don't think there was one story that I didn't enjoy, and I really loved Kuku's writing style and characterisation (even when the characters were shocking and annoying the heck out of me lol). I slyly wish I'd done a buddy read for this 😆 but what a fun and engaging read this was.

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leniece94's review against another edition

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funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think this was such an example of a good short story compilation! The stories are varied but clearly follow a theme. They are the perfect length; not too long and fit a good amount of plot within. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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charcha01's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

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maritareads's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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laurenexploresbooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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sleepingsaha's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective tense

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

4.25

I raced through this collection of stories focusing on heterosexual relationships between women and men living in Lagos. I love that Kuku focused on a diversity of relationships -- from people who are in the early stages of dating to people who've been married for many years to people who have just met -- and the problems within them. And I appreciated how she wove the setting of Lagos into nearly every story. My favorites were "International Relations" and "Catfish." I did wish that some of the stories ended a bit less neatly so that the reader could sit with the tension present in the whole collection (which was something I appreciated about "Catfish" in particular).
I'll end this review with the best quote in the novel: "At least you will die with the taste of my vagina accompanying you to the hell you came from."

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