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anarmandameg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Child death, Colonisation, Infidelity, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Racism, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, and Murder
Minor: Medical content, Abandonment, Self harm, Sexual content, and Classism
starrysteph's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
An uneasy dive into familial pressures, hierarchies, and trauma that highlights cultural isolation - and a slow-burn mystery.
Claudine’s niece Nicole has disappeared, and she’s determined to uncover the truth. So she steps into Nicole’s seemingly-perfect life in Nigeria, with a wealthy family, two young kids, and a mansion overlooking beautiful waters. But the deeper she digs - combating the detached family of Nicole’s husband and the tight lips of those who surround them - the more disturbing elements come to light.
Claudine’s current day search is woven side-by-side with Nicole’s timeline from the past. We watch Nicole slowly unravel amidst her difficult marriage and complicated friendships (many with fellow ‘Nigerwives’, foreign women who moved to Lagos after their marriage), and the two stories slowly come together as past secrets are revealed.
I wouldn’t quite call it “twisty and electrifying” per the blurb, but it held my attention with a slowly-mounting sense of dread. The cultural elements were detailed & fascinating (from the fabrics to the food to the strict hierarchies and pressures around social images), but occasionally the dialogue & writing in general were a bit too meandering and dry for my taste.
I could really feel Claudine’s frustration & guilt, and although some ‘twists’ were predictable, I still thought the reveals were well-executed. It was less about the surprise element and more about seeing the reveal through the eyes of the person narrating at the time.
It was also not my favorite type of ending - but there was at least some resolve and satisfaction.
CW: violence, death (incl. child death), murder, sexism, misogyny, rape, pedophilia, domestic abuse, toxic relationship, self harm, animal death, addiction, body shaming, classism, colorism, racism, slavery (discussed), infidelity
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Body shaming, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Addiction, Classism, Infidelity, Murder, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
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