674 reviews for:

Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad

Damilare Kuku

4.0 AVERAGE

seakay05's review against another edition

5.0

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Such a great read! Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad is so smart and sharp, and I love when Kuku uses the second person, drawing us as the readers in and making those stories feel that much more personal. We explore men who are bad and don’t know it, men who are bad and do, good men, women hating each other, women helping each other. Every story features a different combination and a different set of challenges, but what links them all together is a sort of matter-of-fact tone that grounds you. As advertised, this is a work full of anti-romcoms--it really doesn't disappoint, and I especially love how she grants us a very vindictive and fulfilling ending with the very last story.

I've seen some reviews talking about the sensationalist aspect of the book, which I agree with. There is probably a sex scene in almost every story, and I do agree that some of them can feel unnecessary at times. They can be truly effective when it matters, though, and for that, I'm bumping up my 4.5 to a 5. All the same, the book would greatly benefit from some sort of preliminary warning to the reader. I've also seen a few reviews about the "misandric" quality of the book, which I don't believe is really there. While I don't think I'm fit to talk about the story's setting of Lagos and how it relates to the overall dynamic of man and woman in this specific context, it's safe to say that there are plenty of good men who shine in this work, and there's no need to focus on the mad men and say that's all there is. All in all, this was an insightful, fast-paced work that I enjoyed!

lovelyfate27's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 21%

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I don't think I was going to get into this book as much as I wanted.

allisonreadsabook's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

megabooks's review against another edition

4.5

challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

redrockcandyreads's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous funny relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

sammisaysread's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

ermw0's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny fast-paced

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This was incredible! I couldn't put it down and felt like cheering at the end. The writing is so full of life and evocative. When's she's writing elation and joy, it radiates. It's really funny too in moments. She skillfully tackles sensitive topics (read the TW) and centers the pleasure and experience of Nigerian women up front. I loved how most of the women/MC get's their justice at the end of their story, no matter how large or small. I've never read a Nigerian author or stories about young women in Nigeria, so I learned a lot about dating culture, the role and expectation of women and families, and how women are struggling to balance their desire for success and independence, while also finding a loyal, loving partner. This is a quick read as well and I highly recommend it. 

raelasoul's review against another edition

5.0

dark funny tense fast-paced

jamminreads's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

beccadavison's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes