This review is written in Nigerian Pidgin English. For a summary of the review in English, please scroll down to the end of the post. If you do not speak/understand Pidgin English, challenge yourself and see how much of the review you understand. It’ll be fun. Do comment below with any observations or questions, we’ll be happy to respond.

Genre Fiction: Romance wey get suspense too.

Blurb “The story of Golibe…a young woman who embarks on a mission to find her birth parents…but instead finds herself on a journey of love and self discovery.”

Dialogue The people for the book dey talk like real Naija people.

Themes Adoption, Mental health, Family, Love, Fertility, Heartbreak of betrayal and Quest for discovery.

Editing Mistakes dey for the book.

Plot Golibe na story about one 25-year-old woman. Golibe no be even the name wey dey her birth certificate sef (for una wey dey wonder why her name be that Flavour song, Golibe). Her mama and papa adopt am from Nigeria when she be baby, come take am go London go live for there. As she grow, na im she go Nigeria go look for the man and woman wey born am. For Nigeria, her family people, especially one woman, Anuli na im help am find the woman wey born am. Other people wey im meet there, like Nduka (Duke) too follow help am find the woman wey born am. Nduka na im Golibe follow do love nwantinti for the book.

What worked?

When we start this blog for February this year, we know say we go read different different books especially as we decide say we go review books of people wey publish by demself.

For big big English, dem go say Golibe na character driven story wey im main theme na quest for discovery. As Golibe dey look for im mama wey born am na so the story just dey turn turn anyhow. The story sweet sha and the English wey dem take write am dey simple to understand. Una been dey watch all those soap operas like Checkmate and telenovelas like Woman of Steel? Ehen! Na so this book dey. So so drama na im full am.

One thing wey work for this book na the people wey dey inside or as dem dey talk for big big English, the characters. Dem dey like real people, sometimes, dem go do something wey good but sometimes, dem go do something wey you wey dey read go just shake your head. You go come dey wonder which kain rubbish dem dey do sef. So, no be say dem good or dem bad…e no simple like that.

Another thing wey work na as the writer make us see Nigeria from the eye of person wey no dey live for Nigeria. All the things wey we no dey even notice again like how rich people dey live side by side with poor people, how Lagos fit look scatter scatter and so on… Golibe even get tattoo sef, SARS and kidnappers go happy for that kain person na, abi na lie we talk?

The last thing wey work na how the writer make sure say we no know who the mama and papa of Golibe be until the end. The thing surprise us o. So the writer try well well for that one.

What didn’t work? The book get many mistakes wey make e no smooth as person dey read am. We no like that part at all. Then the writer overuse some words like “coy.” The way the book dey twist twist just tire us. Mo call am twistception, abeg that na big big grammar e reach one stage wey person go just want the book to end say e don do!

E get one of the people for the book, Anuli wey no just pure. The way wey the writer write about her no just follow at all. She just dey do things wey no make sense up and down and when she dey try explain why she dey do the things the explanation sef no make sense. Na wa!

Number of pages 540.

Publisher Self-published.

Damage N350 for Okadabooks.

Rating 6/10.

You fit buy Golibe for Amazon and Okadabooks.

Summary of review in English

What worked? Golibe is a character driven story whose main theme is a quest for discovery. Golibe’s search for her birth parents leads to many twists and turns in the story. It is an interesting story written in easy to follow English though, it is quite dramatic (will appeal to those who love drama). The main characters are real and a bit messy, sometimes making choices the reader disagrees with totally.

The best bit of the book, the reveal of Golibe’s birth parents, is well done and the author gives nothing away.

What didn’t work? The book needed better editing as editing errors were a distraction. Also, a few words like “coy” were overused. The twists and turns (twisception, according to Mo) may have been one too many as it left us drained by the end. We think it could have been a better book if it had ended sooner.

Anuli’s character was inconsistent and just left one scratching one’s head several times at her actions and justifications for those actions.