Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - Dele Weds Destiny

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow-burn drama that spans multiple decades and focuses on three strong female characters--it's a recipe for a strong debut, and Obaro delivers. She explores Funmi, Enitan, and Zainab's history and personalities in a tender and thorough way; I felt like I really got to know them and that she cared about her characters while writing this. Admittedly, the section of the book that focuses on their youth is more compelling than the present-day events, but the whole thing is strong. There are parts of the story that end abruptly (especially the, well, actual end of the book) or could have used more depth, but not everything can be wrapped up neatly.

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emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.5

Thanks to AA Knopf for the free advance copy of this book.

- DELE WEDS DESTINY is a beautiful character study of three wildly different women, whose friendship has endured across decades, distance, and differences.
- I was quite engrossed in their stories, particularly once we got to the flashback section and found out where the cracks in their relationships began.
- However, I found the ending totally abrupt. Not only did the book end at the climactic moment, but hardly anything that was unearthed in the flashbacks was addressed in the present day, and not in any let's-work-through-it sort of way. It was just told to us and then left there. I found it to be a bit baffling for a story and characters that had such promise.

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