Review by Booklist Review
Kuku's first novel, following her story collection, Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad (2024), centers on a young Nigerian woman's obsessive decision to undergo cosmetic surgery to make her butt bigger. Temi worries about raising money for the operation, while breaking the news to her family coincides with the sudden death of her loving father, Egbon. Readers get a glimpse of Nigerian society and women's flawed romantic relationships through the eyes of Temi's female relatives. Her older sister, Ladun, has exiled herself in Lagos after family secrets surfaced that shattered her impending marriage to her true love. Hasanna, Temi's mom, was directly involved in the scandal that caused Ladun to flee the family home. Egbon's sister, Big Mummy, left her first husband in the UK and bleaches her skin. Hasanna's sister, Aunt Jummai, is estranged from her husband who used to beat her and she now struggles with her bisexuality and her faith. Kuku once again juggles immersive human drama with social commentary on such issues as beauty standards, domestic abuse, and female desire, all with her signature graphic sexual encounters.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
