No Longer at Ease

 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe, 196 pages.

This book follows Okonkwo's grandson Obi as he tries to find his place in a new Nigeria decades later. Obi was once the smartest boy in his village, which is why he was given the privilege to go to England to get his degree and uplift his people. But bit-by-bit the corruption of the colonial civil service in Nigeria sinks his hooks into him, as all of his cultural touchstones slowly disintegrate. 

This book, second in publication order but last chronologically, wrapped up our Big Book Challenge for the year! It was fascinating to see how quickly the world changed around this one family, as many things were both similar and completely unrecognizable when compared to Things Fall Apart. I personally found this novel more engaging than the first. I found Obi's character struggles very compelling. I do think that this book had some of the same pacing issues I complained about in Things Fall Apart, but I did find them less extreme. I would certainly recommend this book if you liked the first one, and perhaps even if you didn't. 

Lagoon

Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor, 304 pages

When extraterrestrials arrive on Earth, they do so in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria. The wave formed from their splash landing pulls three people on Bar Beach into the ocean — a marine biologist, a soldier, and a rapper — changing their lives and tying them inextricably to the first contact chaos. And the being they meet is beyond anything they could have imagined. Adoyele, as the creature has named themself, has come with a message of peace, hoping to share ideas and a planet. But not everyone is as accepting of Adoyele as those first three people, and it seems their mission might be a bit harder to accomplish.

There are many, many first-contact stories, and this isn't even the first one I've read in which extraterrestrials land in Africa. However, it is the first I've found that manages to bring to life Lagos and imbue the story with traditional Nigerian storytelling styles. It's electric, thought-provoking, and just the sort of wonderfulness I've come to expect from Okorafor. Can't wait to see what the Orcs & Aliens say about it on Monday!

My Sister, the Serial Killer

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, 226 pages

Korede is the ultimate put-upon sibling. Korede has always taken care of Ayoola, her beautiful and spoiled little sister, even when Ayoola kills her boyfriend and calls her big sister to help clean up. After this happens for the third time, Korede's misgivings about her sister begin to weigh on her, especially when Ayoola sets her sights on Korede's handsome coworker. This darkly funny and haunting debut novel explores the inexplicable bond between sisters, creating a book that almost everyone with a younger sibling can identify with (even if our little sisters aren't murderers). This was an excellent book, and I look forward to reading more of Braithwaite's books in the future.

My Sister, the Serial Killer

My Sister, the Serial Killer / Oyinkan Braithwaite, 226 p.

Korede is a strait-laced, no-nonsense nurse at St. Peter's hospital in Lagos.  Her younger sister, Ayoola, is gorgeous, flighty, and self-centered.  They have a powerful bond that involves the serial killing of Ayoola's boyfriends and Korede's excellent skills at cleaning up the mess.  Sounds implausible, but Braithwaite's fresh and assured prose brings the reader in so close that it all makes perfect sense.  Why does Ayoola kill?  And why does Korede believe that she has no choice but to help cover up?  That's the question, and I greatly enjoyed getting to the answer.  I will definitely be on the wait list for Braithwaite's next work.