A review by deep_reader
Oil on Water by Helon Habila

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The trip up the Niger evokes several postcolonial memories of Joseph Conrad's Heart of darkness. But basically it's a fantastic exploration of the history of modern Nigeria and the breathtaking challenges of survival in the Niger delta. But in the end there is always the fragile promise of the power of compassion.