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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa by Stephen Buoro is set in Nigeria, which includes approximately 250 ethnic groups. The religious population is split between Muslim, Christian, and Indigenous religions. Even with so much diversity, Nigeria has a history of civil wars and political unrest. The history of Nigeria is fascinating. I'm still learning.
The book follows Andy as he learns the secrets of his own life and life in Nigeria in general. He is a teenager with a brilliant mind but not the best relationship skills. His mother is incredibly protective of him and will not tell him who his father is. Most people believe that Andy's father is her ex-husband but Andy doesn't think so.
Andy is also obsessed with blonde women. When he meets Eileen, the first young white woman that he has seen, Andy falls in love. They have a brief relationship but I don't think it is what he expected. Interracial relationships can be difficult. He begins to think more about what love really is in all of his relationships - with his mother, his friend Fatima and his Uncle.
He thinks about leaving the country someday. Would it be the best thing for him? Would he be running away from the truth or towards it? Andy does quite a bit of reflection about how things should be and how he needs to grow. I am reminded of the quote, "Wherever you go, there you are." A person can't ever escape themselves.
Recommendation
Personally, I enjoyed reading the story from Andy's perspective. He is so intelligent and yet still does dumb stuff that teenagers do. He is funny but still kind of mean and selfish. It is really great to see how he changes and matures.
If you are a fan of coming-of-age books, then you will probably enjoy The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa.
If you are not interested in learning about different cultures, religions, or people, then your life must be truly boring. Stop being boring - read a book!
The book follows Andy as he learns the secrets of his own life and life in Nigeria in general. He is a teenager with a brilliant mind but not the best relationship skills. His mother is incredibly protective of him and will not tell him who his father is. Most people believe that Andy's father is her ex-husband but Andy doesn't think so.
Andy is also obsessed with blonde women. When he meets Eileen, the first young white woman that he has seen, Andy falls in love. They have a brief relationship but I don't think it is what he expected. Interracial relationships can be difficult. He begins to think more about what love really is in all of his relationships - with his mother, his friend Fatima and his Uncle.
He thinks about leaving the country someday. Would it be the best thing for him? Would he be running away from the truth or towards it? Andy does quite a bit of reflection about how things should be and how he needs to grow. I am reminded of the quote, "Wherever you go, there you are." A person can't ever escape themselves.
Recommendation
Personally, I enjoyed reading the story from Andy's perspective. He is so intelligent and yet still does dumb stuff that teenagers do. He is funny but still kind of mean and selfish. It is really great to see how he changes and matures.
If you are a fan of coming-of-age books, then you will probably enjoy The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa.
If you are not interested in learning about different cultures, religions, or people, then your life must be truly boring. Stop being boring - read a book!
sad
slow-paced
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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
💫Gist: This “tragicomic” coming-of-age follows one Nigerian boy and his obsession with blondes as he navigates the turbulence of family, religion, and politics.
Andy Africa offers a lot of the qualities I look for in a literary award nominee… complex symbolism, a strong sense of place, and a unique look into interfaith & intertribal conflict in Nigeria. I believe it’s likely a shortlist contender for the Aspen Words Prize due to the quality writing and the many issues it encompasses.
HOWEVER. Andy Africa is ultimately “not for me.” Outside of readers with a specific interest in this region, topics, or prize list… I would probably not recommend. 👀
For one, I personally struggled with the narrative POV of a teenage boy… like, do they all think this much about the sagginess of their mother’s breasts? (Don’t answer that.) I also found the exploration of contemporary issues somewhat lackluster. I wanted more in-depth criticism of Andy’s relationship with Eileen, while this novel seems to hold them at arms length.
When specifically considering the unique power dynamics of their relationship, I found myself thinking about “If An Egyptian Does Not Speak English,” which approaches a similar topic in a more impactful—though confrontational—way.
Andy Africa offers a lot of the qualities I look for in a literary award nominee… complex symbolism, a strong sense of place, and a unique look into interfaith & intertribal conflict in Nigeria. I believe it’s likely a shortlist contender for the Aspen Words Prize due to the quality writing and the many issues it encompasses.
HOWEVER. Andy Africa is ultimately “not for me.” Outside of readers with a specific interest in this region, topics, or prize list… I would probably not recommend. 👀
For one, I personally struggled with the narrative POV of a teenage boy… like, do they all think this much about the sagginess of their mother’s breasts? (Don’t answer that.) I also found the exploration of contemporary issues somewhat lackluster. I wanted more in-depth criticism of Andy’s relationship with Eileen, while this novel seems to hold them at arms length.
When specifically considering the unique power dynamics of their relationship, I found myself thinking about “If An Egyptian Does Not Speak English,” which approaches a similar topic in a more impactful—though confrontational—way.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa because it has been longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. It’s a book I constantly struggled with and seriously considered DNFing. I came to the conclusion that I was not the reader this book was geared towards - and that is perfectly okay and exactly as it should be. I decided to continue reading, not for personal enjoyment, but to look through the proffered window and learn what the author was saying through his protagonist, a 15 year old Nigerian boy called Andy. In many ways this is a coming of age tale as Andy negotiates some very complicated relationships including with his first white girlfriend, his mother, his unknown father, his friends, his stillborn brother, and his country. Some storylines brought up issues I was already familiar with - the cultural clash between Muslims and Christians and the exploitation of migrants by human traffickers. One thing that especially stuck out was the impact western (particularly American culture) had on Nigeria’s youth- altering expectations including standards of beauty (and doubtless responsible for Andy’s obsession with blonde haired girls), and creating artificial dissatisfaction. Andy had a unique way of trying to make sense of his country through mathematics and the concept of HXVX. I didn’t always understand this - and I think that may have been at least partly the point. In terms of writing some sections were poetic in style and I enjoyed those finding they powerfully captured Andy’s emotions, whereas the dialogue with its slang and abbreviations was not to my personal taste - but doubtless authentic to its protagonist. This may not have been a book for me but it’s not a bad book and I did gain some perspective and insight from my reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Colonisation
informative
tense
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes