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badmom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Simply put - this is a deeply beautiful account of the vast range of emotional reactions to suicide, and the disparate forms love & support & grief might take. Our narrator is understandably distraught over her husband’s death; his mother’s response, extreme in its ugly vindictiveness, is also shown to be understandable, in a way. Everyone in Q’s orbit is shaken by his death but shows their sorrow in different ways, leaving his widow feeling even more unmoored as she tries (or doesn’t) to find a path forward.
We are treated to the sweet and sometimes bittersweet history of this couple and with that we see the unfolding of characters that reveals layers of relationships. Nwabineli’s writing is subtly astute in the ways it shows growth in even the slightest of characters - she makes us notice everyone and compels us consider their stories within our own stories while allowing connections we might otherwise resist.
We are treated to the sweet and sometimes bittersweet history of this couple and with that we see the unfolding of characters that reveals layers of relationships. Nwabineli’s writing is subtly astute in the ways it shows growth in even the slightest of characters - she makes us notice everyone and compels us consider their stories within our own stories while allowing connections we might otherwise resist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Suicide, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Medical trauma, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, and Vomit
Minor: Gaslighting, Car accident, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
soobooksalot's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Someday, Maybe is an amazing debut from Onyi Nwabineli.
Eve has lost her beloved husband, Quentin, to suicide. She found him. There was no note.
We are taken through her agony and grief, and get to know her family and friends as they struggle to keep her above water.
Eve goes through all the reactions from missing Q, to feeling abandoned and guilty for not knowing the "why", and reminiscing about their life together. All the while dealing with one of the more contentious inlaw relationships put to page.
"Closure is not promised. It is a gift, and my husband chose to keep it from me."
Despite the subject matter, Someday, Maybe is also darkly wry.
It's also a look into the different cultures that made up Eve and Quentin's relationship, with Eve's close-knit Nigerian family contrasting Quentin's aloof and unsupportive dynamic.
To sum up, Nwabineli's writing feels absolutely effortless and the characters are brilliantly created. So pleased to have made this my first BOTM pick. Recommended!
Eve has lost her beloved husband, Quentin, to suicide. She found him. There was no note.
We are taken through her agony and grief, and get to know her family and friends as they struggle to keep her above water.
Eve goes through all the reactions from missing Q, to feeling abandoned and guilty for not knowing the "why", and reminiscing about their life together. All the while dealing with one of the more contentious inlaw relationships put to page.
"Closure is not promised. It is a gift, and my husband chose to keep it from me."
Despite the subject matter, Someday, Maybe is also darkly wry.
It's also a look into the different cultures that made up Eve and Quentin's relationship, with Eve's close-knit Nigerian family contrasting Quentin's aloof and unsupportive dynamic.
To sum up, Nwabineli's writing feels absolutely effortless and the characters are brilliantly created. So pleased to have made this my first BOTM pick. Recommended!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Grief, Self harm, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug use, Death, Pregnancy, and Car accident
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