Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: Wahala: A razor-sharp debut of love, race and friendship for fans of SEX AND THE CITY

There are 0 reviews and 25 ratings from Australia

Lively comedy drama about friendship and trouble

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2022

‘Three’s company. Four’s a crowd’ - ‘Wahala’ by Nikki May.

Wahala is a Yoruba word meaning trouble and in this lively comedy-drama wahala walks into the lives of Ronke, Simi, and Boo, three Nigerian-British friends living in London. They have all experienced racism in their day-to-day lives though haven’t allowed it to hold them back.

Now in their thirties, they each face new questions about their futures. Ronke is keen to settle down though insists any potential husband be Nigerian; Boo is finding marriage and motherhood a strain; while Simi, working in high fashion, is frustrated by her boss constantly referring to her 'urban vibe'.

Then Isobel, a glamorous friend from Simi’s past, arrives in town and quickly inserts herself into the women’s lives. It’s not long until she’s creating waves and even if the friends are unaware, it’s clear to the reader that she’s trouble with a capital W. Still, no further details to avoid spoilers.

‘Wahala’ celebrates the fusion of British and Nigerian cultures in relation to its protagonists’ lives. I found this a highly engaging novel that is a brilliant exploration of friendship. Of the women, Ronke was my favourite though someone needed to sit her down and talk to her about body image. Being Size 12 is not ‘huge’!

I felt that ‘Wahala’ was wonderful. It is funny and heartwarming in places, poignant in others, and also delivers on plenty of tension, mostly through witnessing Isobel’s machinations, and some twists.

In its opening chapter, titled ‘Aftermath’, Nikki May is very clever in planting a number of clues before moving back in time four months to chart the journey to those events. Each subsequent chapter cycles through the viewpoints of Ronke, Boo, and Simi. May finishes with a few recipes that had featured in the novel.

There has been a great deal of prepublication buzz about this debut novel and I felt that it was definitely warranted. Given my positive experience, I feel that it is likely to prove popular with book groups as it is well written, readable, and provides plenty of opportunities for discussion on its themes.

Very highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

Bukola Akinyemi

Easy read, dramatic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2022

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Wahala
By Nikki May

Different, that’s one word I would use to describe this book. For me, it was like reading a reality show instead of watching it.

Set in London, this story mainly follows three friends, Ronke, Simi and Boo.

The three friends seem really close until Isobel, a friend from the past arrives. We start seeing holes in the tight friendship. Isobel is a crazy character, she gets close to each of the other ladies and brings out the worst in them.

Themes covered in this book include race (all three girls are mixed-race) culture, marriage, friendship and parenting.

The writing style is conversational which makes it an easy read.

I love the cover, especially the UK version pictured above.

The ending part of this book reminded me of My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite and I’ll better stop there before I drop more spoilers.

One person found this helpful

Michele

Worth every star!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2022

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What a wonderful book - definitely 5 stars and there is a little surprise at the end of her book too, Nikki May has only included a couple of recipes for the much loved dishes mentioned in the story - what a lovely lady!

But don’t be fooled into thinking this is a ‘feel good’ story - be warned there is plenty of blood!

Three girlfriends, best friends since childhood, sharing love and strong ties, reluctantly accept a fourth woman into their tight knit group, whom they inadvertently share secrets with, secrets which could blow their worlds apart. Slowly she picks apart their natural easy friendship. Subtly separating one and isolating another - it’s like letting a fox into a hen coup!

One person found this helpful

Rob Clarke

Funny, poignant and engaging view of Nigerians living in the U.K.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2022

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I loved the characters. I spent several years living in Lagos and I recognise so many of the character attributes from my Nigerian colleagues and friends.
Some sections of the narrative may appear “larger than life” but that is the nature of Nigerians. Warm, often funny but really human characteristics.
I would thoroughly recommend this book.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

raced through this

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2022

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. Could not wait to find out what happened. I love reading about different cultures and I didn’t know anything about Nigeria so this also made it really interesting. Favourite character was Ronke.

Amazon Customer

Bingeworthy reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2022

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Delicious. Haven’t binge read a book in ages. Loved every single character and all their flaws! Can’t wait for the sequel.

2 people found this helpful

Sarah Reed

Warm, poignant and funny

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 January 2022

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I devoured this in two sittings. Amazing.

One person found this helpful

k j swann

Fabulous read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 January 2022

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What a fabulous debut that I really didn't want to put down until I'd finished it. The characters came alive and by the end, I felt like I was in the room with them as the story unfolded. The perfect story about female friendships and all their flaws with some great food/cooking thrown in. Highly recommend.

Laura P

Unputdownable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2022

Verified Purchase

I utterly loved this book! Original, fresh, gripping and comforting at the same time. I loved all the references to food throughout the book too. I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

jennifer browne

Great read, I couldn’t put it down!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2022

Verified Purchase

Loved this book, what a page turner! So well written, I absolutely loved seeing the world through the eyes of the 3 main characters. 100% recommend.

One person found this helpful

5 star		45%
4 star		33%
3 star		17%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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