A Spell of Good Things

Reviews / Votes

Adebayo is carving a real name for herself as a chronicler of moving Nigeria-set stories with sociopolitical subtexts and a Dickensian flavour . . . Profound * * Observer * * A moving story, skilfully told, about Eniola, a boy whose future has been snatched away from him, and Wuraola, a talented, overworked junior doctor, whose intertwined narratives combine to produce an insightful portrait of an unequal and deeply divided society moving towards a terrible crisis. A Spell of Good Things is both gripping and memorable -- PAT BARKER A powerful, staggering read * * Booker Prize 2023 * * An outstanding read -- ANITA RANI * * BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour * * Heart-rending . . . a breeze to read, despite the weightiness of its subject matter . . . Adebayo handles her characters with empathy and nuance, showing their vulnerabilities, yearnings, shame and delusions * * Financial Times * * Adebayo humanizes those sucked into the vortex of [. . . ] power with striking compassion - the characters' misjudgments and delusions are deeply and empathetically imagined, wholly alive * * New York Times * * Couldn't be more timely. It's as much about politics as it is a story of toxic relationships, coming of age, and finding the courage to do the right thing -- AFUA HIRSCH A portrait of domestic strife and political tensions in Nigeria -- Michael Donkor * * Guardian * * Spellbinding . . . Beautiful writing and a story that we found truly unforgettable * * Glamour UK * * A triumph . . . a shrewdly-observed, intricate story about power, politics, and poverty, and one which renders Nigeria in high-definition colour * * i * *