Ratings13
Average rating3.2
"Contemporary female friendship goes glam in this lively debut novel with remarkable depth." -- Washington Post "Great fun and extremely smart." -- npr.org NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2022 BY Vogue * Marie Claire * Glamour * Essence * Oprah Daily * Entertainment Weekly * Bustle * PopSugar * CrimeReads * and more! An incisive and exhilarating debut novel following three Anglo-Nigerian best friends and the lethally glamorous fourth woman who infiltrates their group—the most unforgettable girls since Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. Ronke wants happily ever after and 2.2. kids. She’s dating Kayode and wants him to be “the one” (perfect, like her dead father). Her friends think he’s just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends. Boo has everything Ronke wants—a kind husband, gorgeous child. But she’s frustrated, unfulfilled, plagued by guilt, and desperate to remember who she used to be. Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle. No one knows she’s crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her “urban vibe.” Her husband thinks they’re trying for a baby. She’s not. When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, it seems at first she’s bringing out the best in each woman. (She gets Simi an interview in Shanghai! Goes jogging with Boo!) But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, and Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s close friendship begins to crack. A sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal, Wahala (trouble) is an unforgettable novel from a brilliant new voice.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was a brilliant read, with some fantastic characterizations.
Hate is a strong word, but honestly, in this case, there really is no other word to describe my feelings towards Isobel. I suppose it says a lot about how well the characters were written that I had such strong feelings towards them. Boo was another character that I couldn't stand.
Ronke was definitely my favourite. Simi wasn't bad either.
I loved the flavour of Nigeria that we got throughout the book! I've said this before but I'll happily say it again, I love it when, as a reader we get an insight into cultures/countries not familiar to you. I thought it was really well done in this book.
My only disappointment was the ending. Unfortunately, I can't say any more about that without giving away spoilers!
Thank you to PH and Nikki May for the chance to read this book.
Didn't really enjoy. Some pervasive problematic views. Some characters completely unlikeable. The only interesting part was towards the end, and then the ending was unsatisfying. It felt rushed.
Essentially it's not for me. But maybe others may like it.
3.5 ⭐
It was kind of a slow start for me as all the characters were extremely unlikeable. The second half went very quickly as I became more engrossed in the web of lies and drama being spun
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Did this entertain me, yes! Do I think Boo and Simi were horrible friends and people, yes! Was I angry my girl Ronke (the nicest person in the whole damn book) got the short stick, yes! Was I disappointed in the ending, yes! Was I super excited to see the author included some yummy sounding recipes, hell yes! Would I give this one a recommendation, yes! And I can assure you I will tune in when this comes to TV this year!