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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
I guess it's safe to say the author is free from the “one-hit-wonder curse.” I enjoyed this one. Maybe even too much. I found myself laughing a lot, especially as one who’s Nigerian.
It follows the story of Temi, a 20-year-old graduate who, after years of experiencing body-shaming, decides to “renovate her bum bum”. It'll help her find true love and eventually settle down. She reveals this during a family gathering that has in attendance: Her mum, sister, and two aunties. Like most Nigerian families, surgically enhancing one’s bum is frowned upon and almost related to one suffering from a mental illness and that's putting it mildly.
*What worked for me*
-I appreciate that Temi’s character is written from a second-person point of view. It's rare but very much needed. Readers are almost forced to wear Temi’s shoes and I couldn't love the decision more.
-I don't know how, but the title just works. Lol.
*What didn't work for me*
-Following two characters' POVs can be a lot, let alone four different characters. At some point, I started to mix characters and had to reread some chapters. The story becomes easily unmemorable.
-The story touches on heavy topics such as abuse, colourism, and so on, but the humour in the book made it kind of easy to gloss over. I guess it's just the Nigerian way of making light of every situation. A.k.a therapy. As a Nigerian, I'm honestly not mad at it lol, but then again, as a group, we all need actual therapy. So…
In summary, it was such an easy read. I couldn't put it down from the moment I started reading. Precisely how I like my books. Just as Damilare said, “For the ones like me who stare at a mirror all day hoping to fix it all with their eyes. I have broken my mirror, please break yours.”
Thanks to Simon & Schuster via Net Galley for the ARC.
P.S. The author’s note is simply adorable.
It follows the story of Temi, a 20-year-old graduate who, after years of experiencing body-shaming, decides to “renovate her bum bum”. It'll help her find true love and eventually settle down. She reveals this during a family gathering that has in attendance: Her mum, sister, and two aunties. Like most Nigerian families, surgically enhancing one’s bum is frowned upon and almost related to one suffering from a mental illness and that's putting it mildly.
*What worked for me*
-I appreciate that Temi’s character is written from a second-person point of view. It's rare but very much needed. Readers are almost forced to wear Temi’s shoes and I couldn't love the decision more.
-I don't know how, but the title just works. Lol.
*What didn't work for me*
-Following two characters' POVs can be a lot, let alone four different characters. At some point, I started to mix characters and had to reread some chapters. The story becomes easily unmemorable.
-The story touches on heavy topics such as abuse, colourism, and so on, but the humour in the book made it kind of easy to gloss over. I guess it's just the Nigerian way of making light of every situation. A.k.a therapy. As a Nigerian, I'm honestly not mad at it lol, but then again, as a group, we all need actual therapy. So…
In summary, it was such an easy read. I couldn't put it down from the moment I started reading. Precisely how I like my books. Just as Damilare said, “For the ones like me who stare at a mirror all day hoping to fix it all with their eyes. I have broken my mirror, please break yours.”
Thanks to Simon & Schuster via Net Galley for the ARC.
P.S. The author’s note is simply adorable.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Everyday women and our impossible beauty standards, it’s a never ending debate with countless victims.
Temi dreams of getting a BBL and moving to Lagos, Nigeria to find a man who will fall madly in love with her. Her only obstacle is her family and the secrets they hold.
Beauty standards are a tough topic to cover, and I believe this story succeeded in showing the generational effect of society induced insecurities. I didn’t quite enjoy the ending, but I respect the realistic approach.
I was under the impression that this would be a funny feel-good story, but it was much darker, dealing with trauma and assault. I believe it is a great read, but the descriptions might be a bit misleading. Read the content warnings!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for this ARC.
Temi dreams of getting a BBL and moving to Lagos, Nigeria to find a man who will fall madly in love with her. Her only obstacle is her family and the secrets they hold.
Beauty standards are a tough topic to cover, and I believe this story succeeded in showing the generational effect of society induced insecurities. I didn’t quite enjoy the ending, but I respect the realistic approach.
I was under the impression that this would be a funny feel-good story, but it was much darker, dealing with trauma and assault. I believe it is a great read, but the descriptions might be a bit misleading. Read the content warnings!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for this ARC.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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:
No
emotional
funny
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
Disclaimer: I received a free advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. (Releases July 30, 2024)
Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow by Damilare Kuku is a story about family secrets and BBLs. Temi a 20-year old recently graduated students wants to go to Lagos to surgically enhance her backside, but once she finally tells her family the news doesn't go over well, and they begin to tell her secrets they've held close to their chest.
I have to admit that I was originally drawn to this title by the cover and the title. I had no idea what to expect but I assumed it would be a light-hearted tale about a young woman who wanted a bigger butt to impress men. There were definitely light-hearted moments in the book, but there were also some very heavy moments that could use trigger and content warnings (I don't recall seeing them in my ARC, but that does not mean they won't be there in the final copy; the book releases half a year from now). Each of the character's stories are filled with misfortune and harm to their bodies that is difficult to bear. I was saddened that this harm and mistreatment caused unexplained (to each other)rifts between these women and their own conception of self-worth. It angered me that rather than speaking up for themselves, they took the blame and mistreatment by others as their own fault and shame.
There were a few things that I didn't appreciate. First, the ending felt abrupt and nothing seemed to really be resolved, except for the start of one fractured relationship being mended. And while I can harp on the ending that left me dissastified, the most egregious thing to me is part of the book's description, which reads, "In Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow, Damilare Kuku brings her signature humor, boldness, and compassion to each member of this loveable but exasperating family, whose lives reveal the ways in which a woman’s physical appearance can dictate her life and relationships and show just how sharp the double-edged sword of beauty can be." Damilare Kuku absolutely brought humor and boldness to the story, however saying that this story shows "just how sharp the double-edged sword beauty can be" displays no compassion for the women of this book or victims of assault in all its forms. Their beauty was not the cause for what has harmed them and assault is not a hazard or risk of beauty. The issue and blame for assault belongs to those who do the assaulting.
Perhaps the author did not write her own description because I do not believe that this was the message she was sending. In fact, she includes a note at the end which indicates that her message is about loving yourself and your body and only getting augmentation if it is for you (and not the gaze of others). Her message seemed to be filled with positivity, but after reading the book that book description left me feeling angered.
Outside of the ending and the description, the story of these women was still a decent read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic