Louisa Onomé

This reminded me of the musical In the Heights and Angie Thomas’s books.

When a brick is thrown through the window of the Ginger Store, which is like a second home to Chinelo (or Nelo), it threatens to change her world forever. Now, her best friend Kate’s family, who run the store, may sell it and move from their lower-income neighborhood, Ginger East. Nelo and Kate are the only two left in their group of friends, and Nelo worries that she’ll be left all alone. She launches a quest to show more prove that the brick was thrown by an outsider, not someone from the neighborhood. The incident also brings some of their childhood friends back, as everyone has a different reaction. This was a book about the ties we have to our communities.

Onomé isn’t afraid to have her characters show complicated emotion and challenge each other on their perceptions of the world. We have Nelo, who fiercely loves her neighborhood just as it is, and ends up on TV for it. Then the boys, Bo and Rafa, who left but still have ties to the area. This book tackles tough topics like gentrification and exploitation and the judgement low-income communities face from the outside world.

I also loved that Kate and Nelo’s friendship faced challenges, and none of the characters were perfect. But in the end, their love for each other wins. It was also great to see Nigerian rep in a young adult book.

It was powerful to see how each of the residents and former residents of Ginger East reacted to the changes in their neighborhood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

Twice as Perfect follows 17-year-old Nigerian Canadian Adanna (Ada) who goes by Sophie at school. She is grappling with intense parental expectations especially since her older brother Sam left home and became estranged, forcing Ada to feel that she needs to be Twice as Perfect to make up for Sam's absence. She is striving to become a lawyer, as the only acceptable professions in her family are doctor, engineer or lawyer. She is also juggling debate team and being a bridesmaid in her show more cousin's massive wedding to a Nigerian music superstar.
In doing research for a school art project, she happens upon Sam at a poetry night and reunites with him. Learning about Sam and his poetry encourages Ada to question whether her plan to become a lawyer will make her happy. She begins to feel both relief and fear about what it will mean if she deviates from her rigidly determined path
Twice as Perfect does a great job of depicting a young person who is torn between two cultures and dealing with the weight of parental expectations. I liked Ada's character and her relationships with her friends and extended family. Although Ada was interested in two boys, the focus of the story was not about getting a boyfriend and the romantic relationships were left unresolved, which was refreshing to see in a YA novel. I loved the vivid descriptions of Nigerian culture and food. Twice as Perfect is a well-written multicultural coming-of-age story. show less

At seventeen-years-old, Adanna Nkwachi feels pressure in many areas of her life. Her parents have high expectations of her schooling. Her fellow debate team members rely on her to win. Her cousin needs help with her over-the-top Nigerian wedding to a celebrity. Her love life is beyond confusing. To top all of this off, her brother left home years ago with no explanation and since then she has felt extra pressure to please her parents. But what does dealing with all of this cost Adanna?

“My show more name at school is Sophie. My name at home is Adanna. Everyone at school calls me Sophie, my middle name, and whenever I hear it, it’s my trigger to put away the Skeleboy and brazen Afrobeats playlists, to stop slipping in and out of pidgin English, and turn on my white voice.”

TWICE AS PERFECT is a heartfelt coming-of-age story that explores what it means to grow up in two worlds and how to find a sense of self. The title fits perfectly with the theme of the book which was well developed. Louisa Onome has created characters that are hard not to empathize with, despite them being unlikeable at times. The Nigerian culture is wonderfully conveyed, including snippets of pidgin dialogue interspersed throughout the book. I found this to be a very satisfying read and would recommend it. This is the first book I have read from this author. I will be checking out her other work.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for the copy. show less

I loved this!!
I can’t even describe what this book is about exactly, other than grief, familial connection, and being true to yourself.
The writing and multiple point of views was so well done and really helped me understand this family in an intimate way. I especially loved Nenna’s pov (though interestingly found her irritating from the outside), Rob’s, and especially Joy’s. All the characters are complex and interesting, even the annoying ones.

I can’t wait to read something else show more by this author! show less