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floralfox's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
This book was stunning. I was intrigued by the premise, and made some assumptions about obvious things that I thought would happen based on it, and those things DID happen, but never quite how I expected. I loved how the plot unfurled—shocking reveals with motivations peeled back slowly. You think you have the whole story, but you never do. Every scene is always getting recontextualized by later information. Time bends and loops and moves forward in equal measures. And the ending! Bittersweet in a way that I'll be thinking about for a long time.
I especially loved the characters. They were so desperate and so flawed. Above all, Akin wanted Yejedi, and the lengths he went to keep her were the very ones that drove her away. And Yejedi wanted a child, and the lengths she went to be a mother and the wringer that life put her through as a mother was absolutely brutal.
Yejedi is a product of her history as an illegitimate daughter of a mother who died, thought to be cursed at birth and ostracized by her father's other wives, treated like an orphan. The created a deep loneliness in her. Her desperation for a child was so visceral that I was half-tempted to believe her even when there was more compelling reasons to doubt her. Akin's betrayal cut so deep that I understood every awful thing she did in response to it.
And Akin was a coward in so many ways—his decisions ruled by his fragile sense of masculinity. And yet that fragility underscores that there was sacrifice in the act of deepest betrayal, too. He could appear cruel and indifferent, but also incredibly gentle and romantic.
They were complicated, and I didn't them, but I understood them, and for that I loved them.
I especially loved the characters. They were so desperate and so flawed. Above all, Akin wanted Yejedi, and the lengths he went to keep her were the very ones that drove her away. And Yejedi wanted a child, and the lengths she went to be a mother and the wringer that life put her through as a mother was absolutely brutal.
Yejedi is a product of her history as an illegitimate daughter of a mother who died, thought to be cursed at birth and ostracized by her father's other wives, treated like an orphan. The created a deep loneliness in her. Her desperation for a child was so visceral that I was half-tempted to believe her even when there was more compelling reasons to doubt her. Akin's betrayal cut so deep that I understood every awful thing she did in response to it.
And Akin was a coward in so many ways—his decisions ruled by his fragile sense of masculinity. And yet that fragility underscores that there was sacrifice in the act of deepest betrayal, too. He could appear cruel and indifferent, but also incredibly gentle and romantic.
They were complicated, and I didn't them, but I understood them, and for that I loved them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexism and Child death
keenreader's review against another edition
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? No
4.25
Found the characters interesting, however what was most interesting was the revelation to the reader that the woman who went to University seemed to be confused by her husband impotence in the sense of not realising it.
How do you understand biology, but don't realise your husband is soft, accepting you are the reason for not being able to get pregnant
How do you understand biology, but don't realise your husband is soft, accepting you are the reason for not being able to get pregnant
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
prairiek's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content, Bullying, Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Death
plantedjess's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Child death, Grief, and Pregnancy
sakisreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
✨ Thrifted ✨
This was a weird read for me. I kept putting it down and picking it back up, so I definitely didn’t process all of it fully.
I was SHOCKED at the twist (I’ll put the spoilers in below) but I ate it up 😳
The fact that Akin knew he was impotent and then asked Dotun to SEDUCE Yejide… It was WILD. I gasped so much when I read that part 😂
The content warnings will also be included in this review.
Akin and Yejide were so human and that always interests me in books; I’ve often seen too many ‘perfect’ characters that don’t feel real to me.
There were definitely peaks and troughs in this story, so I’m giving it 3.5 stars out of 5. Thank you ✨
This was a weird read for me. I kept putting it down and picking it back up, so I definitely didn’t process all of it fully.
I was SHOCKED at the twist (I’ll put the spoilers in below) but I ate it up 😳
The content warnings will also be included in this review.
Akin and Yejide were so human and that always interests me in books; I’ve often seen too many ‘perfect’ characters that don’t feel real to me.
There were definitely peaks and troughs in this story, so I’m giving it 3.5 stars out of 5. Thank you ✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Medical trauma, Blood, and Death
spkme_44292's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infertility, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity
littlemisselvis's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I liked the changes of narrator occasionally. Not sure I liked the ending though - felt like the most important part of the story, but also was very quickly over. Maybe I missed the point. Took a long, but very readable, journey to reach its conclusion which ended up feeling anticlimactic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
aleshkosa's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is so sad in many parts it punches you with each one that you really understand what the characters are going through.
I really enjoyed how this story was intertwined with learning about Nigerian history, culture and folktales.
I really enjoyed how this story was intertwined with learning about Nigerian history, culture and folktales.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
sharifas's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Infertility, and Misogyny
analice's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Rape