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readwithchar's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Grief, Death of parent, Biphobia, Death, Hate crime, Medical content, Bullying, Sexism, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Outing, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
xolobooks's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Suicide
zarlynsnook's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
5.0
This debut novel is a gem waiting to be discovered. When I requested the ARC in Netgalley, I did it on a whim because I was so intrigued by the blurb. I also haven't read a book set in Nigeria so I thought it would be nice to visit it through this book.
Honestly, once I started reading the book, I had an inkling that it would feel like reading Khaled Hosseini's books all over again. I'll never forget how I felt when I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns for the first time. It felt like opening my eyes to a wider, much cruel world I was oblivious to. And boy, this book did that again to me, and more.
The book is about August and Segun and their story of living as a young adult queer in Nigeria. They came from different upbringings but met and fell in love. Both have much to go through and have their own adversaries but share one thing - they are gay and living in a homophobic county. August was conflicted because of the pressure from his family being the only son and his mother dying after giving birth to him. Meanwhile, Segun grew up being politically aware due to his mother being an activist. The book explored August and Segun’s journey of growing up facing their personal dilemma and their romantic relationship until the societal pressure of their country’s homophobic culture caught up with them.
One thing that I can describe in this book is that it is raw. It right down told me how cruel the world is, with no sugar-coating, no introduction, and no flowery or poetic prose. Just straight-up facts and emotions and the book gets deeper and heart-breaking. When I finished reading the book, I needed a moment to process my emotions. The last few chapters are heavy; it felt like bombs are dropping continuously without stopping. While writing this review, I know August and Segun’s story will stay with me for a long.
Thank you to the author for being courageous in writing this story and putting it out in the world. Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me access to the Arc.
Honestly, once I started reading the book, I had an inkling that it would feel like reading Khaled Hosseini's books all over again. I'll never forget how I felt when I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns for the first time. It felt like opening my eyes to a wider, much cruel world I was oblivious to. And boy, this book did that again to me, and more.
The book is about August and Segun and their story of living as a young adult queer in Nigeria. They came from different upbringings but met and fell in love. Both have much to go through and have their own adversaries but share one thing - they are gay and living in a homophobic county. August was conflicted because of the pressure from his family being the only son and his mother dying after giving birth to him. Meanwhile, Segun grew up being politically aware due to his mother being an activist. The book explored August and Segun’s journey of growing up facing their personal dilemma and their romantic relationship until the societal pressure of their country’s homophobic culture caught up with them.
One thing that I can describe in this book is that it is raw. It right down told me how cruel the world is, with no sugar-coating, no introduction, and no flowery or poetic prose. Just straight-up facts and emotions and the book gets deeper and heart-breaking. When I finished reading the book, I needed a moment to process my emotions. The last few chapters are heavy; it felt like bombs are dropping continuously without stopping. While writing this review, I know August and Segun’s story will stay with me for a long.
Thank you to the author for being courageous in writing this story and putting it out in the world. Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me access to the Arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Outing, Death of parent, Suicide, and Homophobia
emmas_bookshelf's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
As the synopsis indicates, this powerful story touches on a lot of really tough topics - homophobia, violence against LGBTQ+ folks, straining against family and cultural expectations, and more. All that said, it was an excellent read and it gave me a lot to think about and a sliver of insight into a culture that’s totally foreign to me. I appreciate the author illuminating these subjects and doing it with writing that is intimate and beautifully written. CWs for all the stuff mentioned above and also suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Alcohol, Blood, and Violence
kristenlcoates's review
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Self harm, Biphobia, Bullying, Hate crime, Outing, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
jukietoss's review
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.75
This is a searing and intimate look at the impact of nationally sanctioned homophobia on the queer community. Seen through the worlds of August and Segun, we witness a range of ways that queer men in Nigeria fight to thrive and make tradeoffs about how they live in order to do it. It's devastating and captivating. As a new anti-gay law is passed in Nigeria, the love between August and Segun is fractured, and both men struggle to determine how to move forward in a country that so publicly hates them.
I couldn't help but think of Awkwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji as I read this--another gorgeous novel set in Nigeria and taking a devastating look at the impact of the country's homophobia. Kayode's novel felt in conversation with that one--in some ways more personal, bringing the reader in tight to the pain and struggle as it unfolds.
This feels like a novel that you want to turn away from, but can't and shouldn't. It's devastating in micro ways--like the small fractures that August and Segun suffer by being so close and so in love--and in macro ways, as legislation directly impacts how the queer community is seen by the country, granting impunity to the homophobes that surround our protagonists.
I recommend this book for people willing to take a look at the real life impacts of anti-queer legislation on individuals and communities, and to reckon with our own complicity if we turn away. Read it for a complicated love story that explores how much pain two people can carry, and how breaking points are weathered and succumbed to. It's heart-breaking and un-put-down-able.
I couldn't help but think of Awkwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji as I read this--another gorgeous novel set in Nigeria and taking a devastating look at the impact of the country's homophobia. Kayode's novel felt in conversation with that one--in some ways more personal, bringing the reader in tight to the pain and struggle as it unfolds.
This feels like a novel that you want to turn away from, but can't and shouldn't. It's devastating in micro ways--like the small fractures that August and Segun suffer by being so close and so in love--and in macro ways, as legislation directly impacts how the queer community is seen by the country, granting impunity to the homophobes that surround our protagonists.
I recommend this book for people willing to take a look at the real life impacts of anti-queer legislation on individuals and communities, and to reckon with our own complicity if we turn away. Read it for a complicated love story that explores how much pain two people can carry, and how breaking points are weathered and succumbed to. It's heart-breaking and un-put-down-able.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Suicide
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