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tarastacy17's review
4.0
This story will be one that sticks with me. In her debut, @that.tola tells the story of four siblings in Lagos, Nigeria whose lives have been upheaved by a charismatic televangelist.
The children’s parents’ marriage falls apart and they’re left to fend for themselves. The story follows their individual journeys and battles with race, sexism and wealth.
I found this novel addictive. While the ending was somewhat surprising and to me the book felt unfinished, the author’s skill lies in creating beautiful characters that will stay with you. “All women are owned by someone, some are owned by many; a beautiful girl’s only advantage is that she may get to choose her owner”
The children’s parents’ marriage falls apart and they’re left to fend for themselves. The story follows their individual journeys and battles with race, sexism and wealth.
I found this novel addictive. While the ending was somewhat surprising and to me the book felt unfinished, the author’s skill lies in creating beautiful characters that will stay with you. “All women are owned by someone, some are owned by many; a beautiful girl’s only advantage is that she may get to choose her owner”
bridgeteke's review
4.0
I’m always in awe of authors who can simultaneously bring me pain and joy through their words. And those words so so poetic and precisely chosen. Thats it, there’s this meticulous way I’ve noticed Nigerian authors craft their words, specifically the way yoruba writers deftly include proverbs and folklore. It felt nostalgic to see references made to stories my mum would tell me as a child. Then the structure, the writing rotated between the POV of four siblings and I think at times it the story was disjointed bc I could not easily decipher the Didnt octubre speaking voice, but by the ending I came to appreciate this. It did leave so much unfinished and unspoken but that just added to the overall emotion, mirrored the way in which each of the children were picked up and carelessly abandoned (don’t know if this was intentional I don’t want to do the curtain was blue analysis).
mjbirdy's review
4.0
The plot follows the decline of a family unit over two decades, mainly focusing on the children and how their lives deteriorated on their descent from upper middle class into poverty.
I loved the writers choice to give each child the opportunity to voice their perspective because while they all shared the same tragic experiences the impact on each of them was vastly different.
The book feels like a much shorter read than it actually is, I think because it feels like 4 very short novellas.
I would have to say though that while it is all very beautifully written, I would’ve liked for the children’s voice to reflect their actual stage in life. What I mean by that is it seems everyone had to grow into their voices because they always sounded like very reflective mini adults. Also I very much enjoyed the way Abraham would complete stories for the reader about peripheral characters who do nothing for the advancement of the plot. However, in the end it seemed like she was not able to do that with the main characters. The story ends in “Keke’s” voice and we learn facts about her siblings lives from it but nothing about how any of them feel at that time about how their lives played out.
When I started this review I thought it would be a 5 star one because I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I envied Yoruba people who will get to read it and relate even more to it than I could. But as I penned my thoughts, I realised that there was more I wanted from the book. More of an understanding of the relationship between the boys and their older sisters and the boys themselves as they got older in secondary school.
Overall the book explored an ambitious number of themes including family, grief, religion, identity, abandonment,sex etc.
It would be great for a bookclub who meets to discuss chapter by chapter because there is so much to engage with with each character.
I loved the writers choice to give each child the opportunity to voice their perspective because while they all shared the same tragic experiences the impact on each of them was vastly different.
The book feels like a much shorter read than it actually is, I think because it feels like 4 very short novellas.
I would have to say though that while it is all very beautifully written, I would’ve liked for the children’s voice to reflect their actual stage in life. What I mean by that is it seems everyone had to grow into their voices because they always sounded like very reflective mini adults. Also I very much enjoyed the way Abraham would complete stories for the reader about peripheral characters who do nothing for the advancement of the plot. However, in the end it seemed like she was not able to do that with the main characters. The story ends in “Keke’s” voice and we learn facts about her siblings lives from it but nothing about how any of them feel at that time about how their lives played out.
When I started this review I thought it would be a 5 star one because I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I envied Yoruba people who will get to read it and relate even more to it than I could. But as I penned my thoughts, I realised that there was more I wanted from the book. More of an understanding of the relationship between the boys and their older sisters and the boys themselves as they got older in secondary school.
Overall the book explored an ambitious number of themes including family, grief, religion, identity, abandonment,sex etc.
It would be great for a bookclub who meets to discuss chapter by chapter because there is so much to engage with with each character.
ebonyutley's review against another edition
2.0
Black Sunday was okay. It didn’t move me one way or the other. I found the parents’ behavior reprehensible. Other than that, the novel didn’t evoke any feelings. I was a quarter the way through and had to read the book description again because I wasn’t sure what it was about or what made me want to read it in the first place. Nothing really happens. The author choses character development over plot advancement, but the book is split between four characters so we never get to know anyone as well as we could have. The writing is unobtrusive, but there’s no rewarding pose, no rewarding geographical detail, no ornate descriptions. It just is a family story in four parts by four siblings that surprisingly don’t interact much with each other. On top of that, the novel doesn’t end, it just stops. Maybe I’m not a 21st century novel person. None of these new books with high praise are inspirational to me.
rubynajinnah's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book and the story. If Goodreads had 1/2 stars, I would take away 1/2 star for the editing. Numerous punctuation and grammatical errors that should have been picked up. This really reduces my enjoyment of a book.
leamarieee's review
4.0
This book made me want to read and read and read. I particularly enjoy that Tola Rotini Abraham uses fables or scripture as an accompaniment for each morally questionable section of the storyline. Her writing, and the segments they follow, make you want to learn more about the Yoruba legends if you have not come across them before. The family relationships are interesting and although it was a welcome surprise to have chapters written from the brothers’ POV, the story does not explore the twins’ relationship as much as I expected and hoped (from reading the blurb).
The exploration of gender dynamics in Lagos, particularly when it comes to Ariyike’s decisions later in her life alongside religion, is eye-opening and at times, quite rightly uncomfortable. Abraham manages to perfectly balance these tougher moments with the fables, without detracting from the heavy emotion. There’s a toughness that is portrayed in all of Abraham’s female characters, in spite of, or maybe because of their unfair amount of adversity compared to their male counterparts. I would read another of her books exploring the strength of these female characters in a heartbeat.
Reviewed in return for a digital copy via NetGalley.
The exploration of gender dynamics in Lagos, particularly when it comes to Ariyike’s decisions later in her life alongside religion, is eye-opening and at times, quite rightly uncomfortable. Abraham manages to perfectly balance these tougher moments with the fables, without detracting from the heavy emotion. There’s a toughness that is portrayed in all of Abraham’s female characters, in spite of, or maybe because of their unfair amount of adversity compared to their male counterparts. I would read another of her books exploring the strength of these female characters in a heartbeat.
Reviewed in return for a digital copy via NetGalley.
beytwice's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the character work displayed in Black Sunday and the raw tone it sets for the entirety of its story: the bitter truths it uncovers are downright grisly and uncomfortable, with other chapters being warm and touching to read. Black Sunday's biggest flaw lies in its narrative structure and I really found it difficult to follow along with each individual perspective as well as piece together the segments into one cohesive plot. I enjoyed each separate part thoroughly but it was just hard to differentiate and didn't feel as seamless as I would have liked. I loved the thematical points hit in the book though and would love to see more from Tola Rotimi Abraham later down the line!
laurenexploresbooks's review
4.0
Black Sunday by Tola Rotimi Abraham provided me a wide array of emotional experience including heartbreak, anger, frustration, shock, sorrow, and hope. Black Sunday is by no means an easy read, but it certainly is worthwhile.
Black Sunday depicts how family is influenced by the complexities of wealth and identity within urban Nigeria. I found myself deeply invested in the children in this book, and hoping that all of their complications would be resolved, but alas, that is not how this story goes. The depiction of twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their brothers Peter and Andrew, provide an opportunity for the reader to see different choices each sibling makes and how they attempt to process and survive abandonment. Both of the brothers are able to leave Nigeria and go to college within the United States to expand their opportunities. Bibike becomes a successful healer with a supportive partner and beloved daughter, while Ariyike chooses wealth and prestige, but lacks a loving marriage, and loses her relationship with her sister. All of the characters experience beauty and ugliness while finding their way in the world.This novel captivated me with such raw vulnerability and honestly about the painful realities of broken trust, gambling, and surviving. Black Sunday also highlights the realities of gendered violence toward female characters, and contains several explicit examples of sexual violence and assault. I would highly recommend this complex and thoughtful narrative. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Black Sunday depicts how family is influenced by the complexities of wealth and identity within urban Nigeria. I found myself deeply invested in the children in this book, and hoping that all of their complications would be resolved, but alas, that is not how this story goes. The depiction of twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their brothers Peter and Andrew, provide an opportunity for the reader to see different choices each sibling makes and how they attempt to process and survive abandonment. Both of the brothers are able to leave Nigeria and go to college within the United States to expand their opportunities. Bibike becomes a successful healer with a supportive partner and beloved daughter, while Ariyike chooses wealth and prestige, but lacks a loving marriage, and loses her relationship with her sister. All of the characters experience beauty and ugliness while finding their way in the world.This novel captivated me with such raw vulnerability and honestly about the painful realities of broken trust, gambling, and surviving. Black Sunday also highlights the realities of gendered violence toward female characters, and contains several explicit examples of sexual violence and assault. I would highly recommend this complex and thoughtful narrative. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
glendareads39's review
3.0
haunting, painful, addictive and stunning debut from Tola Romiti Abraham.
teyn's review
3.0
There was nothing wrong with this book, I just couldn't get into it. The execution felt a bit clunky, and I ended up confused as to what the main plot was even supposed to be.