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A review by andrew61
Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo
5.0
This was such an enjoyable read , which highlighted the turmoil in Nigeria socially and politically whilst creating an engaging cast of characters and filling its narrative with emotion and humour.
The story centres around five people who meet and form a small group together as they travel to Lagos . The book opens with soldier Chike and his colleague Yemu, so upset by their commanding officers orders to massacre villagers in a Niger delta village they desert their company, on their walk they meet Isoken a teenage girl who appears to have been raped and the apparent perpetrator Fineboy (a rebel fighter), they all board a ramshackle bus to lagos and meet Oma a wife fleeing her rich husbands domestic violence. In Lagos they cannot separate and find themselves sleeping in a group under a bridge. We meet at the same time Chief Sandayo the minister of education who flees prosecution with a bag full of money and Ahmed bakare a young radical journalist hoping to make his papers name by exposing corruption.
The story then develops as their paths cross and the group seek to put the money to the use it was originally intended despite reservations from many of them and the machinations of the chief and the ideals of the press.
The writing is excellent as the author crafts a page turning story which through comedy and pathos has the reader on a roller coaster ride desperately hoping for the right outcome for the brilliantly drawn characters. She weaves the story around their different relationships with great skill and she also created a vision of Lagos which was colourful and a character in itself. I loved this book and was sad to finish it, Id highly recommend it as a good read.
The story centres around five people who meet and form a small group together as they travel to Lagos . The book opens with soldier Chike and his colleague Yemu, so upset by their commanding officers orders to massacre villagers in a Niger delta village they desert their company, on their walk they meet Isoken a teenage girl who appears to have been raped and the apparent perpetrator Fineboy (a rebel fighter), they all board a ramshackle bus to lagos and meet Oma a wife fleeing her rich husbands domestic violence. In Lagos they cannot separate and find themselves sleeping in a group under a bridge. We meet at the same time Chief Sandayo the minister of education who flees prosecution with a bag full of money and Ahmed bakare a young radical journalist hoping to make his papers name by exposing corruption.
The story then develops as their paths cross and the group seek to put the money to the use it was originally intended despite reservations from many of them and the machinations of the chief and the ideals of the press.
The writing is excellent as the author crafts a page turning story which through comedy and pathos has the reader on a roller coaster ride desperately hoping for the right outcome for the brilliantly drawn characters. She weaves the story around their different relationships with great skill and she also created a vision of Lagos which was colourful and a character in itself. I loved this book and was sad to finish it, Id highly recommend it as a good read.