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unmistakablyphoenix's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
3.75
This is one of those books that is well written with an important story to tell, but it’s not for me. As in, it literally was not written for me.
I’m glad I read it, I feel I gained something from learning about such interesting cultures and perspectives so far removed from my own. It was difficult for me to read at points, but I still felt compelled to see how the story ends and it didn’t disappoint.
I’m glad I read it, I feel I gained something from learning about such interesting cultures and perspectives so far removed from my own. It was difficult for me to read at points, but I still felt compelled to see how the story ends and it didn’t disappoint.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Infidelity, Misogyny, Colonisation, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Self harm, Rape, Pedophilia, and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse
amberinpieces's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Self harm, Slavery, Grief, Death, Rape, Blood, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
litletters's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A perfect dark domestic noir set in Lagos. I need more from this author!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Pedophilia
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
Content Warnings
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
jazzyreads_99's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
As a black woman myself, I’ve been looking for more black female authors to read from and support. I love reading black literature and hearing the thoughts of different black people from all around the world. But in all honesty, I honestly hated this book so much. And that disappoints me because I wanted to like this book so bad.
This is the first book I’ve read this year that I’ve given one star. This book is completely marketed wrong. Not a thriller by any means. More of just a family/rich people drama. (And even with that being said, it’s still a whole lot of nothing.) The author includes way way WAYYY too many details of random, pointless things throughout the book instead of writing actual story. And this is clearly done, in my opinion, just to fill the pages up. I’m assuming she does this to pace the story and not give too much away too soon. But, it’s done so poorly. I would start reading a chapter that would begin with a small crumb of story and then the author would just divulge into a TON of pointless details that didn’t matter in the end and would go on for so long, I literally forgot what the beginning of the chapter was even about.
This book claimed that it was going to be about the aunt searching for Nicole and eventually find out her “darkest secrets” and that she was involved in something so dark and mysterious ooooh!!! But really, there were no dark secrets and nothing mysterious about this book. The twists were bland and no where near thrilling. (Again, just revealing a bunch of family drama and reasons why the family had beef and using those things as a “twist”, when really and the story does this over and over again as if we didn’t see it coming a mile away.)
The ending was extremely rushed and, as another reviewer here on GoodReads put it, “a hot mess”. And I couldn’t put it better myself. I hate it when a random plot twist (that barely makes any sense) is written into the story just to add a bit of that “shocking” twistiness that the reader has been waiting for for a whole 298 pages. But it’s so rushed and clearly so forced, you can’t help but roll your eyes and say “Are you serious?”, out loud to yourself in the coffee shop you’re reading this book in. Plus, the book is again, written with so many pointless, random, annoyingly unnecessary details that the book feels way longer than it actually is. So by the time you get to the big “plot twists”, you don’t even care anymore because you’ve pretty much guessed everything that’s gonna happen and it took so long to get there, you don’t care. This book makes 303 pages feel like 503 pages.
There’s only one detail that was mentioned in this book that had significance in the end, which was the pear tree. And once the author started giving into what that all meant, it was actually gorgeous, beautiful, somewhat thrilling writing. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until literally the very end to get that writing. I loved learning about the different aspects and complexities about Nigerian culture here. There were some extra things I didn’t know before that I now know (like how some Nigerians will wrap their mangoes newspaper so that they will ripen quicker.) That was an interesting quip, as well as a few other ones. But the majority of Nigerian facts in this book, I feel like these are things most people (atleast black people), already know about Nigerian culture.
All in all, if you love family/rich people dramas, this is definitely for you. If you love thrilling, heart pounding, or at the very least, mysterious thrillers, you can absolutely skip this one.
This is the first book I’ve read this year that I’ve given one star. This book is completely marketed wrong. Not a thriller by any means. More of just a family/rich people drama. (And even with that being said, it’s still a whole lot of nothing.) The author includes way way WAYYY too many details of random, pointless things throughout the book instead of writing actual story. And this is clearly done, in my opinion, just to fill the pages up. I’m assuming she does this to pace the story and not give too much away too soon. But, it’s done so poorly. I would start reading a chapter that would begin with a small crumb of story and then the author would just divulge into a TON of pointless details that didn’t matter in the end and would go on for so long, I literally forgot what the beginning of the chapter was even about.
This book claimed that it was going to be about the aunt searching for Nicole and eventually find out her “darkest secrets” and that she was involved in something so dark and mysterious ooooh!!! But really, there were no dark secrets and nothing mysterious about this book. The twists were bland and no where near thrilling. (Again, just revealing a bunch of family drama and reasons why the family had beef and using those things as a “twist”, when really and the story does this over and over again as if we didn’t see it coming a mile away.)
The ending was extremely rushed and, as another reviewer here on GoodReads put it, “a hot mess”. And I couldn’t put it better myself. I hate it when a random plot twist (that barely makes any sense) is written into the story just to add a bit of that “shocking” twistiness that the reader has been waiting for for a whole 298 pages. But it’s so rushed and clearly so forced, you can’t help but roll your eyes and say “Are you serious?”, out loud to yourself in the coffee shop you’re reading this book in. Plus, the book is again, written with so many pointless, random, annoyingly unnecessary details that the book feels way longer than it actually is. So by the time you get to the big “plot twists”, you don’t even care anymore because you’ve pretty much guessed everything that’s gonna happen and it took so long to get there, you don’t care. This book makes 303 pages feel like 503 pages.
There’s only one detail that was mentioned in this book that had significance in the end, which was the pear tree. And once the author started giving into what that all meant, it was actually gorgeous, beautiful, somewhat thrilling writing. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until literally the very end to get that writing. I loved learning about the different aspects and complexities about Nigerian culture here. There were some extra things I didn’t know before that I now know (like how some Nigerians will wrap their mangoes newspaper so that they will ripen quicker.) That was an interesting quip, as well as a few other ones. But the majority of Nigerian facts in this book, I feel like these are things most people (atleast black people), already know about Nigerian culture.
All in all, if you love family/rich people dramas, this is definitely for you. If you love thrilling, heart pounding, or at the very least, mysterious thrillers, you can absolutely skip this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, and Domestic abuse
heather667's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Body shaming, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Murder, and Rape
Minor: Deportation, Kidnapping, and Vomit
christinesreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, and Murder
bookdragon217's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
"The last photo of Tonye and Nicole showed a man in love with his wife, but pictures could lie. Men lied all the time. Men held you in their arms and lied and smiled and lied...Even with their last breath."
The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters was just the story I needed to whisk me away for a while. The dual POV's and air of mystery kept me interested the entire time. Walters' vibrant storytelling brought the culture and vibe of Lagos to life. Seeing the story unfold in pieces through different characters and flashbacks really built up the suspense nicely. The themes of generational trauma, abandonment, and classism of Lagos blended nicely with the overall story. Thrillers after a while start feeling redundant but this one had a unique feel and a cast of characters that had me looking at everyone suspiciously. I love when authors can write a unique blend of characters without it feeling muddled and confusing. Also, the idea that nothing is at it seems echoed throughout the story and fit the reveal perfectly.
If you're a thriller reader and looking for a new author to add to your TBR, consider picking this one up. Thanks to @atriabooks for the gifted copy.
You'll love this one if you like stories with:
🇳🇬 dual POV's
🇳🇬 Nigerian setting and language
🇳🇬 secrets of elite society
🇳🇬 diasporic experiences
🇳🇬 fast paced thrillers where everyone is a suspect
🇳🇬 slow reveals
🇳🇬 secrets and lies
🇳🇬 suspicious characters
I can't wait to read more from Vanessa Walters. I thoroughly enjoyed her way of storytelling and her ability to bring the setting to life.
The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters was just the story I needed to whisk me away for a while. The dual POV's and air of mystery kept me interested the entire time. Walters' vibrant storytelling brought the culture and vibe of Lagos to life. Seeing the story unfold in pieces through different characters and flashbacks really built up the suspense nicely. The themes of generational trauma, abandonment, and classism of Lagos blended nicely with the overall story. Thrillers after a while start feeling redundant but this one had a unique feel and a cast of characters that had me looking at everyone suspiciously. I love when authors can write a unique blend of characters without it feeling muddled and confusing. Also, the idea that nothing is at it seems echoed throughout the story and fit the reveal perfectly.
If you're a thriller reader and looking for a new author to add to your TBR, consider picking this one up. Thanks to @atriabooks for the gifted copy.
You'll love this one if you like stories with:
🇳🇬 dual POV's
🇳🇬 Nigerian setting and language
🇳🇬 secrets of elite society
🇳🇬 diasporic experiences
🇳🇬 fast paced thrillers where everyone is a suspect
🇳🇬 slow reveals
🇳🇬 secrets and lies
🇳🇬 suspicious characters
I can't wait to read more from Vanessa Walters. I thoroughly enjoyed her way of storytelling and her ability to bring the setting to life.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
mysterymom40's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Violence, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Murder, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Body shaming, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, and Vomit
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.)
Content Warnings
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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