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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Dara, Amaka, and Lillian are expats living in Singapore and navigating what it means to be women of Nigerian heritage living in an Asian city. It’s a fun concept- like “Crazy Rich Asians” was mixed with a Nollywood movie. The author gives a somewhat detailed profile of the three protagonists, but dwells a bit to heavily on Lani- the gorgeous Nigerian man who has come to seduce Amaka, steal Dara’s job, and trigger Lillian. I think this book would have been a lot better if it focused more on the women than in Lani, but everything works out in the end. If you’re in the mood for a dramatic, colorful novel that ties everything up in a neat little bow at the end, pick up your copy of “The Sun Sets in Singapore”. It was cute, but I’m noticing that cute doesn’t cut it for me on this reading challenge. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for permitting me to read this work prior to its release.
I won this in a goodreads giveaway and overall enjoyed it. It was interesting to read about the expat communities in Singapore and each story was interesting and didn’t turn out how I expected.
I hated all of the characters. Didn't care what happened to any of them.
Huge thank you to Grand Central Publishing for this gifted copy!
Oh this one was messy!
Oh this one was messy!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Again, this was another book that took me a bit to get into, but once I did, I was intrigued by the various characters, and loved the way their stories were woven together, with relationships that dealt with past, present, and future. Well done, Kehinde Fadipe.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dara is a highly successful lawyer in line for a partnership and the only Black woman working at her Singapore law firm. She's best friends with Amaka - a banker from Nigeria who has a secret shopping addiction and a lot of family drama/baggage. The friends then meet Lillian, a Black American woman, nursing secret trauma, who is in Singapore with her husband. When Lani, a super hot British Nigerian lawyer joins Dara's law firm, he throws the lives of the three women into unexpected chaos.
I really, really wanted to love this (the cover alone!), but it ended up being kind of slow yet simultaneously very soap-opera-y in a way I didn't super enjoy. It felt very Sex in the City/90s "chick lit" (I absolutely hate that term, but it gets the point across, I guess). I'd definitely read another book by Fadipe in the future because her perspective as a Black woman and ex-pat living in Singapore is fascinating. I do think this would make a great book club pick because there's lots to discuss (and I love that the three women are in a book club together)!
Side note: I ended up listening to the audiobook rather than reading my NetGalley copy. The narrator was excellent, but something was hinky with the editing - there were very clear differences in volume and tone when words or phrases were spliced in from another take, and it was really jarring and distracting.
* thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the NetGally review copy. THE SUN SETS IN SINGAPORE published in October 2023.
I really, really wanted to love this (the cover alone!), but it ended up being kind of slow yet simultaneously very soap-opera-y in a way I didn't super enjoy. It felt very Sex in the City/90s "chick lit" (I absolutely hate that term, but it gets the point across, I guess). I'd definitely read another book by Fadipe in the future because her perspective as a Black woman and ex-pat living in Singapore is fascinating. I do think this would make a great book club pick because there's lots to discuss (and I love that the three women are in a book club together)!
Side note: I ended up listening to the audiobook rather than reading my NetGalley copy. The narrator was excellent, but something was hinky with the editing - there were very clear differences in volume and tone when words or phrases were spliced in from another take, and it was really jarring and distracting.
* thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the NetGally review copy. THE SUN SETS IN SINGAPORE published in October 2023.
While I enjoyed the cultural aspect of this book (having grown up with expats myself in Southeast Asia) and many of the depictions of what life is like as an expat, the plot itself is a bit slow for me. I skimmed through many of the chapters just to get to the end. The concept is interesting but execution could be better.
Personally, I like Dara and the trajectory of her character. I wasn’t convinced with the progression of Lillian and Amaka - the development of these two characters were kind of abrupt in how things unfolded for them.
I don’t think this book is for me but I think someone who enjoys a slow-pacing plot would appreciate it more.
Personally, I like Dara and the trajectory of her character. I wasn’t convinced with the progression of Lillian and Amaka - the development of these two characters were kind of abrupt in how things unfolded for them.
I don’t think this book is for me but I think someone who enjoys a slow-pacing plot would appreciate it more.