Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Wahala by Nikki May

27 reviews

bonnie9595's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

This is a really fab book, but it isn't the book it is marketed as - unless you have a very different interpretation of SATC from me. The characters feel very real; sometimes, when an author writes in multiple voices, they can start to feel samey, but I thought each of the 3 girls was consistent and convincing. I also really enjoyed the unfolding of the drama! I was raised on crime so I look for twists where there often aren't any, but there is plenty to unravel here. The multiple narratives also help to create suspense, and it is quite gratifying to be able to see different perspectives on the same event.

What I didn't like:
The end feels almost abrupt - I could have used another 100 pages to flesh it out. The main characters arcs are wrapped up, but it feels a bit superficial; you don't get the satisfaction of seeing their conflicts resolve, and so it feels a bit unsatisfying. Some of the characters get more than they deserve, and others less, which is a bit frustrating as a reader, but I do think if given longer to digest the events of the climax and the ensuing carnage it would have been more palatable. Also, the fatphobia towards Ronke, who I think at one point is said to be a size 14 was a bit off-putting - the way her friends talked about her was so unkind in a way that made me really dislike them.

Very excited to see the TV adaptation and to see if they expand on anything! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault

jtpgdavey's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Murder, and Death of parent

Minor: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Car accident, Blood, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, and Stalking

sarahholliday's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

The first thing I'll say is that Wahala is incredibly readable and fun—I got about halfway through on audio (mostly doing chores and driving to work) then switched to an e-book version because I just wanted to keep reading!

The Sex and the City-meets-murder-mystery billing is spot on, and is a large part of why the story is so enjoyable. Three incredibly different women navigating modern life together? Sign me up. 

But where SATC forces its characters to grow as a result of being friends with people who have different priorities and values, Wahala leans a bit too far into the women's foibles. Instead of relying on, listening to, and learning from one another, Ronke, Boo, and Simi judge each other with a viciousness that makes their years-long friendship hard to believe. 

As far as the murder mystery goes, the opening vignette offers a completely different tone and understanding of events than what actually, eventually transpires, leaving readers feeling either confused or tricked.

Overall, I don't regret reading Wahala and look forward to reading May's future work. Like the friendship at the center of the story, Wahala is a compelling and enjoyable—as long as you don't look too closely. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Racism, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, and Stalking

Moderate: Body shaming, Xenophobia, Blood, and Abortion

meganmsmart's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The characters are mostly terrible to each other, and there's so much racism, colorism, fatphobia, and general meanness of the main voices that it was hard to sympathize when their lives fell apart from their own choices. Only really liked Ronke, who deserves better than this book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Racism, Classism, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

ohamylynnn's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Fatphobia, and Toxic friendship

jaimeeslitlife's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense 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

5.0

Wahala took me on an emotional JOURNEY! Nikki May is a powerhouse writer and sweeps the reader up in this story of friendship, flaws, vengeance, and forgiveness. I absolutely devoured this book - I can't wait to see what Nikki May does next!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Racism, Fatphobia, Violence, and Abortion

Minor: Stalking

babegladwaller's review against another edition

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

kirstenlikestoread's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Toxic friendship

Minor: Racism, Abortion, Xenophobia, Stalking, and Fatphobia

peachani's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Death, Blood, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Grief

Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Alcohol, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Minor: Bullying, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Abortion, Body shaming, and Pregnancy

briona's review against another edition

fast-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

3.5

I couldn’t put this book down; I just needed to know what happened next. The ending was rather unsatisfying & it almost seemed rush in comparison to the rest of the book. I wanted to fight both Isobel & Boo. I didn’t appreciate the racism & fatphobia in this book; it just seemed to nasty & unnecessary to me. It’s a decent book - it kept me engaged & the characters’ flaws were written so well that I genuinely hated them - however, I didn’t love it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Fatphobia, and Racism