Book Review: Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala

On the bad days, there is no color

This is one of those story that I am interested in. Speak No Evil is about a gay relationship in a Nigerian family and what the consequences are. It was very interesting to see how an African nation looks at LGBT society.

Book Review: Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala

Rating:


Title & Author: Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Release date: March 6 2018
Series: Standalone
Publisher: HarperCollins

Synopsis

A revelation shared between two privileged teenagers from very different backgrounds sets off a chain of events with devastating consequences.

On the surface, Niru leads a charmed life. Raised by two attentive parents in Washington, D.C., he’s a top student and a track star at his prestigious private high school. Bound for Harvard in the fall, his prospects are bright. But Niru has a painful secret: he is queer—an abominable sin to his conservative Nigerian parents. No one knows except Meredith, his best friend, the daughter of prominent Washington insiders—and the one person who seems not to judge him.

When his father accidentally discovers Niru is gay, the fallout is brutal and swift. Coping with troubles of her own, however, Meredith finds that she has little left emotionally to offer him. As the two friends struggle to reconcile their desires against the expectations and institutions that seek to define them, they find themselves speeding toward a future more violent and senseless than they can imagine. Neither will escape unscathed.

I give Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala four out of five hearts because I found this book very renewing because of this different culture. I still don’t care that much for romance novels, but it was more interesting that most of these kinds of novels.

I knew that being anything else than straight in most African countries is a sin. Which was why I started on Speak No Evil. It was very interesting in how far and how primitive Niru’s father goes to try and make his son straight. From assault to dragging the boy all the way back to Nigeria to have their family pray for him and conversion therapy. As if that helps.

Niru tries the advice of his family-friend-cleric to be straight, but ignoring the true you only makes you miserable. Especially if the world in which you live shows that being who you are is okay, even when your family says it is not.

I love how clear Uzodinma writes about the differences between Nigerian and American culture. It is well done and even the most difficult moments are easily swallowed.

The only bad side I could see in this novel was that the fist three quarters of the novel is from Niru’s POV and the last from his friend, Meredith. I found it jarring and confusing. It can be done, but it really felt like I was held in warm hands and then punched into an ice cold bath. Not great.

Overall I found Speak No Evil an interesting read and something different from what I usually read.

Let me know what you thought of this book!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.

For now, let books enrich your life!

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