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ukponge's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, and Abandonment
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-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
4.5
The enduring friendship between Funmi, Zainab and Enitan is what makes this book utterly engaging. Their personalities are so different but their connection so deep, which really becomes apparent when we begin to learn more of their history. I loved each of these women for different reasons, and I was hungry to learn everything about them that the book could offer.
Speaking of hungry, if you read this and don't find yourself Googling all the amazing dishes that are mentioned, then we probably can't be friends. From puff puff to efo to jollof rice to pounded yams, the food is so beautifully described I swear my mouth was watering. The way Nigerian cuisine and culture is so beautifully wrought throughout was just wonderful to read.
It's so interesting to start the story in 2015, when each woman has been through so much already, and then to travel back to the late '80s and see how much they each changed because of the events that surrounded them. The way Enitan is torn between her love for her friends and her desire to stop being seen as the lease independent of them; Zainab's passion for literature and her dream of becoming a writer; Funmi's fierce independence borne of a lonely childhood, that transforms into something so unexpected. I was absolutely hooked by this story from the beginning.
Speaking of hungry, if you read this and don't find yourself Googling all the amazing dishes that are mentioned, then we probably can't be friends. From puff puff to efo to jollof rice to pounded yams, the food is so beautifully described I swear my mouth was watering. The way Nigerian cuisine and culture is so beautifully wrought throughout was just wonderful to read.
It's so interesting to start the story in 2015, when each woman has been through so much already, and then to travel back to the late '80s and see how much they each changed because of the events that surrounded them. The way Enitan is torn between her love for her friends and her desire to stop being seen as the lease independent of them; Zainab's passion for literature and her dream of becoming a writer; Funmi's fierce independence borne of a lonely childhood, that transforms into something so unexpected. I was absolutely hooked by this story from the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abortion, and Abandonment
Moderate: Miscarriage and Sexual content
Minor: Self harm