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amberinbookland's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
stardust_heidi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
martamae77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Rape
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Death of parent
crykea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
bandysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism
ekmook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
davidbythebay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Reading (or listening) in a dialect can be a struggle for me. I found listening to this book was best for me. Once I got into the rhythm of it, I found it immersive. Paired with the slow start, which provides a lot of great material to expand the story, I struggled a bit to get into the story. I also struggled because I was trying to figure out what kind of story this was. Part coming of age novel, part mystery, part literary dive into another culture very different from my own. I was best served with just enjoying the ride and not worrying about the genre. It successfully was all of those and more.
Trigger warnings are a must! Child marriage, child rape, marital rape, physical and emotional abuse, assault and violence. There are a TON of heavy topics handled delicately and beautifully throughout. It was hard to read those scenes, yet it made it all the more real and powerful.
The ending is open enough to be satisfying yet wanting that taste more. And the final action did feel a little rushed with elements and events you really want to see come to pass not happening. I could easily see this being the start of a duology or series of books following Adunni from her youth throughout her life and experiences. I would like that, but am happy enough with where this book has settled me.
A wonderful book to bridge February and March, brining together Black and Women into one focus and frame that highlights the intersectional struggles of a young poor girl in Nigeria. A story of heart and fight, one where you feel like you are reading a thriller because it is exciting, this should be a must read for anyone. That is why,despite my few peeves, I'm still giving this a5 star rating.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, Grief, and Abortion
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Infertility, and Alcohol
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This is indeed Adduni’s tale, a girl who lost a mother and her mother’s hope for her to escape a bound life like hers through education, but with her mother dead and without money her father forces her out of school at 12 and when our story starts she’s 14 and her father desperate for money sells to be a third wife to an old “rich” village man.
She wants nothing more than to escape, to study, to have a louding voice but it will take a year of tragedy and misfortune, and also miracles and love to make her dream again.
This is Nigeria, a country were women are the most hardworking and the least considered, where a women’s place is to bear children and suffer, a place that has forbidden child marriages and ritual killings but where they still happen, a country where the rich are so rich they’re the people who spend most in champagne and have the second biggest cinematic industry (first is India), but where superstition still claims lives, and also gives hope and thus, and incredibly so among such poverty and strife, they’re also the most optimist people in the world.
Adduni is somewhere in between, forced to be a wife when’s she but a child, to be raped and mistreated so she can bear more children that’ll suffer her same fortune, but when she’s faced with possible murder for a crime she didn’t commit and has no hope of being absolved from she escapes to Lagos (capital of Nigeria) with the help of someone who still owes her giving mother life and hope.
There she becomes a domestic, a maid working infinite hours in a house of violence and luxury, but it’s there she’ll meet her hopes and destiny but not before being confronted with inequality, drama, and facing the suffering of her women kindred.
There’s so much more to say about this book and its heroine, a young girl full of hope for her and her people, dreams of eduction, of own voice to speak for the countless speechless.
This book made me laugh and cry, Adduni is such a wonderful smart and naive character, with a heart of the size of Nigeria. And through her goodness she’ll bring forth people that’ll aid her in fulfilling her destiny.
The narrative is brilliant and the writing wonderful and made so it is part of the plot and narration, it’s sensorial, as to make you feel you’re truly there, the colors, the smells, the noises, the aromas of a country we have a glimpse through the author’s eyes.
Truly a must read book.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Pregnancy
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Miscarriage, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infertility, Vomit, Police brutality, Abortion, and Death of parent
samarakroeger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
However, the story itself is one giant Africa Cliche™️ that is inspiring and compelling, sure, but made the plot and hardships she went through pretty predictable. Would anyone write a book about a 14 year old Nigerian girl who is forced to marry an old man instead of going to school and dreams of a better life and end the book as dire as it started? Didn’t think so, and the feel-good nature of it got a bit old to me. (Can you tell that I hate inspirational books?)
I’d seen this book in bookstores but hadn’t gotten it because the whole thing is written in dialect (and a very broken version of the dialect at that, meant to reflect her semi-literate ness). I find dialect of any kind hard for me to read in print because I don’t hear words spoken in my head when I read. However, fear not! I found that the audio version was pretty clear to understand, especially given Andoh’s masterful use of tone and inflection. Some of Adunni’s word mixups were pretty funny, in an Amelia Bedelia sort of way.
I would love to read more from Abi Daré, as this was still a pretty solid debut despite all the cliches. I think she did a great job with the voice/tone/thought process of Adunni, the 14 year old narrator. It was believable in a way that many teen protagonists written by adults are not (looking at you, John Green). You can’t help but root for her.
plot: 2.5/5
main character: 4/5
narration: 4.5/5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Grief