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shimmery's review against another edition
4.0
What I liked about this book was that it does a really good job of showing how we experience macro/political events alongside what happens on a micro/personal level in our lives. The story of Yejide and Akin’s marriage and struggle to start a family is told against a backdrop of the political unrest in Nigeria in the 1980s, which at times pales in comparison to their personal struggles and at other times exacerbates them. An emotional read that handles complexity really well.
reydeam's review against another edition
4.0
“If the burden is too much and stays too long, even love bends, cracks, comes close to breaking and sometimes does break. But when it's in a thousand pieces around your feet, that doesn't mean it's no longer love.”
An emotionally stirring, intelligently written story told with sympathetic characters that struggle with their infertility; Yejide and Akin make choices and decisions with lasting consequences.
I was immediately drawn to Yejide and Akin’s world as they told their story from their different POVs. Their lives and struggles felt real. Their choices and actions were raw which I am sure was met with dislike by many readers. At times, I felt a weight on my shoulders from their decisions. Their trajectories, however, did not cause me to dislike them but only to embrace their story even more.
Stay with Me goes beyond the struggles of infertility to give a deeper look into love, the fragility of relationships under stress, the weight of societal and family expectations along with the effects of broken communication, betrayal, and loss. It’s a story well painted with words with an ending that was beautifully written. A ray of hope was seen.
Side note: I listened to the audiobook edition of this story. The narrator was fantastic; narrated by Adjoa Andoh. I appreciated her Nigerian accent which added depth and a greater sense of the story.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
An emotionally stirring, intelligently written story told with sympathetic characters that struggle with their infertility; Yejide and Akin make choices and decisions with lasting consequences.
I was immediately drawn to Yejide and Akin’s world as they told their story from their different POVs. Their lives and struggles felt real. Their choices and actions were raw which I am sure was met with dislike by many readers. At times, I felt a weight on my shoulders from their decisions. Their trajectories, however, did not cause me to dislike them but only to embrace their story even more.
Stay with Me goes beyond the struggles of infertility to give a deeper look into love, the fragility of relationships under stress, the weight of societal and family expectations along with the effects of broken communication, betrayal, and loss. It’s a story well painted with words with an ending that was beautifully written. A ray of hope was seen.
Side note: I listened to the audiobook edition of this story. The narrator was fantastic; narrated by Adjoa Andoh. I appreciated her Nigerian accent which added depth and a greater sense of the story.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
atan1101's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Infidelity
amber_mcneill's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
jol69's review against another edition
3.0
Started out really well, but it lost me along the way. Learning about Nigerian culture was interesting.
kellyfrecca's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
melissa_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
This blew me away. Its probably a 4.5 star read. I came in with a set of expectations from reading the blurb that this would be about a crumbling marriage, which it is in part, but it's also so much more than that.
I really felt for Yejide, the prospect of having a complete stranger come into your life (without forewarning) to share your husband would be shocking, even though it was a common practice in Nigeria. The chapters from Akin's POV have a really strong voice.
The plot is full of twists and turns, many of which I didn't see coming. The ending was fantastic. At times a heavy, emotional read but you have to keep turning the pages.
I really felt for Yejide, the prospect of having a complete stranger come into your life (without forewarning) to share your husband would be shocking, even though it was a common practice in Nigeria. The chapters from Akin's POV have a really strong voice.
The plot is full of twists and turns, many of which I didn't see coming. The ending was fantastic. At times a heavy, emotional read but you have to keep turning the pages.
mbpartlow's review against another edition
4.0
A book group read, and it generated a lot of discussion about all of the characters and how we each viewed them. Not every book does that.
This is definitely not a feel-good book, but it looks at a culture unfamiliar to me from the inside, which underscored how much human beings are really alike, beneath their differences.
There are a few occasions where the narrator shifts and it takes a few moments to realize whose head you're in now.
SPOILER ALERT: While the sadness is thick enough to cut, you get a moment of hope at the end.
This is definitely not a feel-good book, but it looks at a culture unfamiliar to me from the inside, which underscored how much human beings are really alike, beneath their differences.
There are a few occasions where the narrator shifts and it takes a few moments to realize whose head you're in now.
SPOILER ALERT: While the sadness is thick enough to cut, you get a moment of hope at the end.
perusebookclub's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
jennyluwho's review against another edition
Maybe I’ll return to this one, but a dead SIDS baby at 5 months is something I can’t quite handle while sleep training my 6 month old.