Akwaeke Emezi

Oh my gosh! I mean gr says I started on 20th Oct but I swear I just started listening to it a few days ago and I have been listening to it nonstop.

This was such a good book and it continues to show how much Akwaeke Emezi has so much range! I honestly can’t wait to read Bitter because I can imagine it will be as good as this.

Perfect pacing. I also like the fact that Jam could communicate with Pet in her head and the conversation was still Uber seamless. So great. Also the friendship between Jam and Redemption… (meer)

This is a compulsive read, one I inhaled in one summer sitting, instantly drawn into Feyi’s world where she’s attempting to bring herself back to life five years after the death of her husband. It’s a book about life after grief and all the possibilities that come from that kind of rebirth. It’s a beautiful and vibrant story, but it’s also an incredibly messy story full of desire and destruction. My favorite stories are those about broken people and broken relationships trying to heal, and this one has all of that gritty rawness: “‘He loved people being messy … he said it was one of the best things about being human, how we could make such disasters and recover from them enough to make them into stories later’” (185).

If you need another summer read, this is one I’d recommend. Besides being super steamy (you don’t have to get further than the first line for full on steam), it mostly unfolds in a tropical, island setting. It’s also full of rooftop parties and summer flings and cooking and creating art. While it definitely has summer vibes, it’s not a light read—there’s lots of heavy themes and uncomfortable character choices—but there’s nothing I’d change about it, making this a five-star read for me.… (meer)