‘Wahala’ by Nikki May caught my eye because the cover looked fun. The blurb and the recommendations at the back also made it sound good. But I should have known better than to judge a book by its cover. It wasn’t a bad book. But it wasn’t very good either. It didn’t leave me with the happy feeling that good books generally do, even if it’s a thriller or a traumatic memoir. In Nigerian culture, Wahala means trouble. Would it be too mean to say the book lives up to its name? But there I’ve said it. With too many POVs, the story feels chaotic and confusing. The characters aren’t fleshed out enough for the readers to truly care for them or their troubles. The issues feel superficial and forced. The premise was promising. I feel May couldn’t do justice to it. Ronke, Boo, and Simi have been friends for over a decade. They are British women of ‘mixed race’—with white English mothers and Nigerian fathers. At university, which is where they met, they bonded over the common identity and the baggage they carry because of it. These ambitious women are like family to one another but they have to work hard to keep it that way with too many issues in their own individual lives. When Isobel, Simi’s childhood friend, enters their lives, the already precarious situation is completely disturbed.

Isobel is charming and fun. But she is also manipulative. She is rich and flashy and used to getting her way. The three friends have some secrets, ones they haven’t shared among themselves. But Isobel is sly enough to convince each of them to bare their hearts out to her. Pretty soon, things start to go wrong and there’s trouble brewing for the three women. There’s gossip, scandals, and a lot of destruction.

May’s debut novel deals with many issues like race, class, and sexism. But none of these themes are explored enough to really shed light on them. Many readers might be able to identify with one of the four main characters and their messy lives. At times, as the women go about their days, cooking and visiting salons, you feel like you are in the company of friends you have known for a long time. The feeling, however, is fleeting. At best, Wahala is like a soap opera. It will entertain you but it will also have you rolling your eyes, exasperated by all the unnecessary drama. Two and half stars Fiction Wahala Nikki May Published: 2022 Publisher: Custom House Pages: 384, Paperback