Wahala
Nikki May
384 pages
William Morrow
published January 11, 2022
I looked up Wahala and found that it means trouble in Nigerian. And boy is there trouble. In addition, it’s about friendship, trust, loyalty, secrets and betrayal. I was drawn in right from the start. It centers around three Nigerian women living in London. I know next to nothing about Nigeria, so the rich culture sprinkled through the book kept me interested. But it is really the complex characters and their relationships that kept me turning the pages. The author does a great job expressing her own voice and making it relatable to those outside her voice.
I kept seeing Wahala compared to Sex and the City. I was such a huge fan of the original show. And I must say this is so like the show and not really at all. All at once. If that makes sense. And while sometimes billed as a thriller, this is really an OwnVoices drama. There is a slight mystery that you don’t even realize is occurring until it unfolds late in the book.
This is a solid debut novel with a spectacular cover. It’s honestly the reason I first noticed the book. You should check out the lives of Boo, Simi and Ronke and let them entertain you.
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