A review by yetanothersusan
A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

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.