Reviews

Yinka,Where is your huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

bookph1le's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this, but my frustration with Yinka sometimes made it hard for me to be as into the book as I would have liked. Some spoilers to follow.

Still, I do think the book does a good job of folding in a lot of issues worth unpacking--everything from the expectations placed on women to the conflict between being a mother and holding down a career to the detrimental effects of colorism. I thought the author did such an amazing job of conveying how the messages Yinka has internalized about beauty have deeply hurt her. I also thought the author was deft at using tiny moments--such as Yinka's foray into a hair supply store--to creating a really searing, painful image of what it means to be a dark-skinned woman growing up in a world that insists on equating paleness with beauty.

I was also glad to see that this book advocated for counseling. After reading far too many books in which mental health issues are conveyed in a negative way, I was so glad to see a book extolling the benefits of counseling and how the work Yinka did with her counselor helped her to become a better and more authentic version of herself.

As for the ending, I found it extremely satisfying.

Spoiler

I was glad to see a book showing that women need to work on themselves by resolving their own issues and fulfilling their own needs before they enter a romantic relationship. It's not that I think romantic partners can't help one another resolve personal issues, because I do, but I was SO glad to read a book that make Yinka's problems get better because of the work Yinka does and not because a romance magically fixes everything for her.

All in all, I liked the way the book showed Yinka grappling with her longing to find love and her confusion over whether that made her a bad feminist. As a feminist myself, I love seeing multi-faceted views of feminism like this, and I appreciated that the author emphasized that yearning for love is a very human emotion.

I look forward to seeing what this author does next.

a_petro's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

jamalee's review against another edition

funny inspiring lighthearted medium-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

stlkatiek's review against another edition

reflective medium-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

3.5

You can't help but compare this story to Bridget Jones, and though it was cringey to read at times, it's always good to read about a character learning to love herself.

megbarbertully's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-paced

3.0

chela_c's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny lighthearted medium-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

3.5

lindseynoelle's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

soleilrockz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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

3.25

nerdynatreads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

 
I realize the irony in having picked up this book after hearing it likened to Bridget Jones' Diary when I’ve never actually read/watched Bridget Jones, but this seems pretty true to it from my basic knowledge, though modernized and with a Nigerian twist. I wouldn’t quite say I enjoyed this book a lot of the time because Yinka became almost painful to watch, but I was also oddly invested, curious to figure out what would officially tip her too far and who would pull her back from the edge.

This was a really solid character study, watching Yinka falling into this obsession with finding love and how it changes so much of her life, her relationships with friends and family, her body image, her priorities. As I said, it wasn’t enjoyable a lot of the time because she’s so frustrating, but it was like a car crash where I just couldn’t look away. It wrapped up in a satisfying way and I was glad there was a lot of positivity around therapy. I did have a hard time getting invested in any of the possible romances because I was hoping for Yinka to focus on herself, but at least the final one seemed the healthiest. 

gills_2022's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0