Scan barcode
A review by nadiajohnsonbooks
Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
When I say that folks are missing out if they don't make an effort to read diversely, books like this are what I'm thinking about.
This book could never have come from a Western imagination, and I'm grateful that Onoh's work has found the international acclaim it deserves.
Set in southern Nigeria in 1977, it follows Bata, the ten year old daughter of a prominent shopkeeper and his first wife. For most of her childhood, she was plagues by nightmares that spill over in a life-changing way on the eve of her cousin's wedding.
Bata manifests unprecedented powers, emerging as the only force that can defend living brides from the jealous Ghost-Brides that want to take their place
Parts of the novel have the storytelling quality of a folktale while others have the turbulent ring of a preteen girl's inner monologue
Bata is a Chosen One, but one who is terrified, reluctant, and believable
Onoh has been lauded as the Queen of African Horror and is the recipient of a Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, and she damn sure deserves her laurels. I can't wait to read the rest of her work
This book could never have come from a Western imagination, and I'm grateful that Onoh's work has found the international acclaim it deserves.
Set in southern Nigeria in 1977, it follows Bata, the ten year old daughter of a prominent shopkeeper and his first wife. For most of her childhood, she was plagues by nightmares that spill over in a life-changing way on the eve of her cousin's wedding.
Bata manifests unprecedented powers, emerging as the only force that can defend living brides from the jealous Ghost-Brides that want to take their place
Parts of the novel have the storytelling quality of a folktale while others have the turbulent ring of a preteen girl's inner monologue
Bata is a Chosen One, but one who is terrified, reluctant, and believable
Onoh has been lauded as the Queen of African Horror and is the recipient of a Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, and she damn sure deserves her laurels. I can't wait to read the rest of her work
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Suicide, and Car accident