farahxreads's Reviews > Wahala

Here is the truth: Wahala stressed the hell out of me but I really, really, really enjoyed it.

Wahala is relatively a light read but there is so much ground covered here from dealing with self worth, unfulfilled life, fraying friendship to everyday racism, cultural clashes and conflict of identities. Set in London, the novel introduces us readers to a tight-knit group of Anglo-Nigerian bestfriends: Ronke, a successful dentist who wishes for a perfect domestic life; Boo, a housewife who secretly despises her husband and daughter; and Simi, a brand fashion executive who juggles work pressures and long-distance marriage. However, there has been nothing but wahala (trouble in Yoruba language) since Isobel, Simi’s childhood friend, joins their group.

Amid the centralising of female experience and women friendship in this book, there is also a creeping awareness that something sinister is going to happen since Isobel arrived. Girl is shady as hell and boy, do I hate her. What made Wahala particularly riveting read for me was the distinct, diverse cast of characters. They are all messy, flawed and unlikable that I felt like grabbing their shoulders and shake some sense into them (especially Boo and Simi) yet also wanted to root for their happiness (maybe not Boo hahaha sorry not sorry) and their friendship to be mended again. Wahala is also highly rich in Nigerian cultural references: cuisine, culture, language, making the overall reading experience much more authentic and immersive for me.

Also, it’s funny how reading a book about women struggle and friendship made me feel sorry for the male characters. This was definitely a first, LOL. If you are looking for a juicy, drama-filled, entertaining, anger-inducing read, Wahala is the perfect book for you. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Times Reads for the opportunity to review this novel. I appreciate it so much.