Reviews

Oil on Water by Helon Habila

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heleneeeeeeeee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

amaltheasinclair's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

4.0

Klärt über die fatalen Folgen der Erdölgewinnung der Industrienationen auf die nigerianische Bevölkerung auf! Ein super wichtiger Perspektivenwechsel!

staticwaffle's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

veleda_k's review against another edition

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4.0

I received this book through Good Reads's First Reads. An unflinching look at the oil trade in Nigeria, and the ramifications thereof. Oil on Water spares no one.

Two Nigerian reporters are on the trail of kidnapped woman, the wife a British oil executive. What was supposed to be a routine ransom spins wildly out of control.

This is undoubtedly a cynical book. (Though given the subject matter one could simple call it realistic.) However, it's not unbearably pessimistic. There are good people, though bad things tend to happen to them. This is not a book that is intent on providing simple answers.

I had some minor problems with the writing. The time line jumps around, and it was sometimes jarring. I'm not sure if other people would have trouble keeping track like I did.

Oil on Water offers a searing is slightly brief view into a world I know very little of.

niceread's review against another edition

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3.0

It took me awhile to get engaged with this story, but about in about the middle of the book the plot really started to come together. The shifting back in forth from the past to the present happened before I even realized what was going on. I am glad that I kept reading this until the end.