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mayahill22's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
OMG i looked this book. Usually I don’t go for a slow paced book but once it picked up it was riveting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide
lianne_rooney's review against another edition
dark
funny
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
3.0
Ronke, Simi and Boo are Nigerian-English friends in their mid 30's living in London. Isobel, a childhood friend of Simi's abruptly reappears in her life and has soon inserted herself into their lives and begins to exploit the tensions in their relationships leading to all kinds of drama and heartache.
This was a fairly quick, easy read and I was invested enough in the relationships to want to keep reading on. I particularly liked Ronke and her assistant Rafa but I felt frustrated with most of the other characters. I wasn't convinced they could be so easily influenced by Isobel and that it would take them so long to work out what was going on. From the description of the book I was expecting a thriller and that's not really what this is. I enjoyed the depiction of the Nigerian community in London - the food, the clothing, the family dynamics - and it was refreshing to read a book focused on three smart, capable mixed-race women in their 30's but this didn't really meet my expectations.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced review copy.
This was a fairly quick, easy read and I was invested enough in the relationships to want to keep reading on. I particularly liked Ronke and her assistant Rafa but I felt frustrated with most of the other characters. I wasn't convinced they could be so easily influenced by Isobel and that it would take them so long to work out what was going on. From the description of the book I was expecting a thriller and that's not really what this is. I enjoyed the depiction of the Nigerian community in London - the food, the clothing, the family dynamics - and it was refreshing to read a book focused on three smart, capable mixed-race women in their 30's but this didn't really meet my expectations.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced review copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, Rape, Racism, Murder, and Infidelity
Minor: Stalking, Violence, and Infertility
kateflood's review against another edition
medium-paced
5.0
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely devoured this book. The three main characters of Ronke, Simi and Boo are feel so incredibly real and well-developed, which makes the cracks in their friendship once Isobel is introduced even more heartbreaking. All three women are flawed and make mistakes, which makes it all the more interesting to read from each of their perspectives.
I wasn’t able to predict where the plot was going which is a gripe I often have with thrillers, and the book touched on dark topics without making me want to put it down. On the contrary, I was enthralled the entire time, and I can totally see why it’s going to be made into a TV serial.
I adored the way that this book dealt with dual nationality, race, class, and identity. It felt like especially through the character of Ronke, May was writing a love-letter to British-Nigerian culture, which was incredible for me to read as a total outsider to that culture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Infertility and Suicide
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