tw Fiction: 29, Single and Nigerian by NaijaSingleGirl
The story follows Edikan, a delusional young lady who wants to escape the poverty she was born into, find a good paying job, and bag the man of her dreams in one dazzling act. Unfortunately, she failed miserably until she ‘didn’t’ – read the book for the full details!
It’s a pretty dense book at 343 pages, but then in movie time, that’s like 2 hours – I’m saying that because the book can be made into a movie you’d definitely want to watch.
Yes, it’s that good.
Despite the fact that it is a book aimed at women, I found it to be a highly entertaining read. Edikan’s journey is a rich one, that expertly paints the realities surrounding poverty, unemployment, and sheds light on what it’s like to be a woman in Nigeria. I went through the emotional rollercoaster a good book gives: I felt sadness and shock at some of her childhood memories; I felt exasperation at her occasional stupidity; and as a soon to be graduate, I felt apprehension at her realistic portrayals of unemployment in Nigeria.
The writing was clean and straight to the point and the descriptions were concise – the writer understood the art of saying what needed to be said, without too many frills. I had no gripes with the book, save for Edikan herself – sometimes, she could be a very annoying heroine!
I won’t say 29, Single and Nigerian is a must-read book, but it is a good book, and very entertaining at that. If you’re a woman, especially a millennial, you’ll definitely be able to relate with Edikan’s experiences. If you are a man, you may not relate to every part of the book, but you will get a small window into how women think.
My final thoughts are this: While Naijasinglegirl might not have dropped a hit, she definitely gave us a jam*.
Rating – 7/10
*A “jam” is slang used to describe a very good song.
