Review by Booklist Review
If a reader longs for a novel that resembles a Nollywood movie, May's debut will satisfy that desire. Anglo Nigerians Ronke, Simi, and Boo are three best friends navigating London, relationships, and ethnic identity. When Simi's vivacious childhood best friend, Isobel, joins the group, she initially appears to bring out the best of each woman, but slowly her shine begins to fade, and in the ensuing shadows lie the broken lives of this formerly inseparable trio. Equal parts comedy and tragedy, Wahala is a celebration of female friendships and a commentary on the fine lines that shift between friendly competition and jealousy and resentment. May boldly creates flawed characters who share the kind of vaguely offensive opinions you can only express to a best friend, drawing the reader into the intimacy of the dynamics among her alluring characters. May's exciting and powerful first novel offers twists and turns that will leave the reader questioning how we're going to get from A to B and loving every part of the ride.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In May's breezy if overdramatic debut, the mutual friendship of three Anglo-Nigerian women is threatened by an interloper, a Russian Nigerian on a revenge trip. Isobel Adams holds a particular grudge against each of the successful and ambitious women who have been best friends for 17 years. There's Boo, one of the numerous children Isobel's father had with multiple women; Ronke Tinubu, the daughter of the man who had an affair with Isobel's mother, and who now dates the man Isobel wants; and Simi, Isobel's friend since they were five years old, who describes Isobel in a conversation with the others as "embarrassingly rich," and whose father has been in a longtime feud with Isobel's. May's characters, despite all their accomplishments and intelligence--Ronke is a dentist, Boo has a PhD in bioinformatics, and Simi works as a brand executive for a fashion house--are easily taken in by Isobel, due to Isobel's willingness to help open doors for them. After Isobel manipulates her way into the trio's lives, someone in their orbit winds up violently killed. While some of Isobel's destructive behavior is outlandishly implausible, May's nuanced exploration of race and gender makes this refreshing. This will leave readers intrigued to see what May does next. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT May seamlessly weaves love, betrayal, self-reflection, and Nigerian food, clothing, and customs into this fast-paced debut. The Naija Posse is the nickname of three Anglo Nigerian best friends who live in London; all three are children of mixed-race marriages that were taboo in the 1970s. Single Ronke is a dentist and talented cook, specializing in Nigerian cuisine--jollof, moin-moin, pounded yam--but she yearns to have her own family. Simi is a successful businesswoman who's almost sure she doesn't want a baby, although her husband does. Boo is a wife and the mother to four-year-old Sophia, but she longs to get back to her career. When Simi's childhood friend Isobel, a wealthy Anglo Nigerian "glamazon," inserts herself into the group, each woman soon becomes disillusioned with her life. Isobel is wahala--trouble. Under the guise of friendship, she manipulates the women to reconsider their identities and take risky chances that lead to heartache. Then Isobel has a shocking revelation that will either strengthen the Naija Posse's bond or tear it apart. VERDICT Fans of domestic suspense will revel in this tale of friendship, family, and forgiveness, set in the cultural milieu of Lagos.--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Three women unwittingly welcome a sinister presence into their friendship, wreaking havoc on their lives. Ronke, Boo, and Simi have been friends for 17 years, since they met at university in Bristol. All mixed-raced Nigerian British women, they bonded over their shared identities. But now, at 35, though they remain constant presences in each other's lives, they're on very different paths: Ronke is a successful dentist, but she can't get her flaky boyfriend, Kayode, to commit; Boo is married to mild-mannered Didier, with whom she shares precocious 5-year-old Sofia, but she feels trapped by their domestic routine; Simi is happily married to her husband, Martin, but she struggles with impostor syndrome at work and with Martin's desire to have a child she's not sure she'll ever be ready for. Then Isobel enters their lives. When Simi's childhood friend suddenly reappears, she ingratiates herself with the group. Flashy and wealthy, at first Isobel seems to offer excitement and encouragement to each of the women in turn. But when the foundations of the three friends' lives grow more unsteady, her presence lurks in the cracks. The author builds a propulsive reading experience as she slowly reveals Isobel's manipulations while keeping the reasons behind them hidden. Compelling character studies of each of the women don't shy away from the jealousies and judgments that sometimes make the line between friend and enemy razor thin. But once the climax is reached, it's clear that not all the narrative pieces fit together. Dropped threads (Ronke deals with a stalker who has no bearing on the overall plot; discussions of colorism and internalized racism are never fully explored) and missed opportunities (Isobel is written as a caricature of destruction, with no voice of her own) keep the book from greatness. A fascinating look at the dark side of female friendship. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
