Wahala
Three friends, three 'perfect' lives. Here Comes Trouble
Published on 2. February 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-80499-087-2 (ISBN)
Description
SOON TO BE A MAJOR BBC TV SERIES
'"WAHALA" means trouble and there's plenty of it' GUARDIAN
'Full of food, humour and pitch-perfect observation' STYLIST
'All the ride-or-die realness of female friendship' RED MAGAZINE
Three friends.
Three 'perfect' lives (or so they pretend).
Here comes Trouble
Ronke wants Happily Ever After and 2.2. kids. She's dating Kayode and wants him to be 'the one'. Her friends think he's just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends.
Boo has just what Ronke wants - a kind husband, a gorgeous child. But she's frustrated, unfulfilled, and desperate to remember who she used to be.
Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle and a career. No one knows she's crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her 'urban vibe.' Her husband thinks they're trying for a baby. She's not.
When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, she seems to bring out the best in each woman. But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, until Ronke, Simi, and Boo's lifelong friendship begins to crack. How close to the edge will she push them?
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH WAHALA
'This book is absolute fire. I could not put it down. Fantastically written, the story is so engaging and tense. Sexy, dark, addictive. What an incredible novel' ***** Reader review
'Dark and addictive with a surprising twist (that i won't give away!) and Nikki's writing is completely flawless' *****
'I couldn't believe it was a debut. I couldn't put it down. Nikki May has written a fantastic story of friendship, revenge and jealousy' *****
'Wonderful characters with plenty of rich and vibrant detail of their shared culture from hair to food' *****
WINNER OF THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT NEWCOMER AWARD
LONGLISTED FOR THE GOLDSBORO BOOKS GLASS BELL and the DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS
'"WAHALA" means trouble and there's plenty of it' GUARDIAN
'Full of food, humour and pitch-perfect observation' STYLIST
'All the ride-or-die realness of female friendship' RED MAGAZINE
Three friends.
Three 'perfect' lives (or so they pretend).
Here comes Trouble
Ronke wants Happily Ever After and 2.2. kids. She's dating Kayode and wants him to be 'the one'. Her friends think he's just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends.
Boo has just what Ronke wants - a kind husband, a gorgeous child. But she's frustrated, unfulfilled, and desperate to remember who she used to be.
Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle and a career. No one knows she's crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her 'urban vibe.' Her husband thinks they're trying for a baby. She's not.
When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, she seems to bring out the best in each woman. But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, until Ronke, Simi, and Boo's lifelong friendship begins to crack. How close to the edge will she push them?
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH WAHALA
'This book is absolute fire. I could not put it down. Fantastically written, the story is so engaging and tense. Sexy, dark, addictive. What an incredible novel' ***** Reader review
'Dark and addictive with a surprising twist (that i won't give away!) and Nikki's writing is completely flawless' *****
'I couldn't believe it was a debut. I couldn't put it down. Nikki May has written a fantastic story of friendship, revenge and jealousy' *****
'Wonderful characters with plenty of rich and vibrant detail of their shared culture from hair to food' *****
WINNER OF THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT NEWCOMER AWARD
LONGLISTED FOR THE GOLDSBORO BOOKS GLASS BELL and the DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS
Reviews / Votes
Refreshing and original. Portrays a London steeped in the colours and sounds of Lagos * SUNDAY TIMES, Best popular fiction books of 2022 so far * Full of food, humour and pitch-perfect observation * STYLIST MAGAZINE, Books you cannot miss in 2022 * All the ride or die realness of female friendship is captured perfectly in this funny, multi-layered, just-another-chapter-before-you-turn-out-the-light novel. * RED MAGAZINE * This is the book on everyone's lips...a razor-sharp book about friendship that will have you on the edge of your seat. With a cast of engaging characters, this bold tale of friendship, race and love will leave you marvelling at this fresh new voice in fiction. One of 2022's most exciting debuts * MY WEEKLY, Editor's Pick * It's surprising, it's fun, it's incredibly funny and will give you characters you'll take to your heart in all their flawed glory, keeping you hooked to the very last page * Editor's Choice, BBC Radio 4 'Open Book' * Beautifully written and fabulously fresh debut. It's sad, funny, clever and contains important messages. Utterly addictive and my hands-down favourite this week * DAILY MAIL * I have a feeling this book is going to be huge! It examines friendships that are held together by the thinnest of threads, all the doubts and questions that come from the choices women face, self-destruction, good intentions, bad intentions and a creeping sense of... well, trouble * MARIANNE CRONIN, author of THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT * A gloriously biting story of secrets and friendships * FABULOUS MAGAZINE * ''Wahala' means 'trouble' and there's plenty of it in this entertaining debut. A fascinating, funny and nuanced look at identity and female friendship * GUARDIAN * Has all the makings of a modern blockbuster * VOGUE *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
270 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80499-087-2 (9781804990872)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2022
Transworld Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Born in Bristol and raised in Lagos, Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian. Her critically acclaimed debut novel WAHALA won the Comedy Women In Print New Voice Prize, was longlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award and the Diverse Books Award, and is being turned into a major BBC TV drama series.
THIS MOTHERLESS LAND is her second novel.
Nikki lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard Schnauzers and way too many books. She should be working on her third book but is probably reading.
Twitter/X: @NikkiOMay
Instagram: @NikkiMayWriter
THIS MOTHERLESS LAND is her second novel.
Nikki lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard Schnauzers and way too many books. She should be working on her third book but is probably reading.
Twitter/X: @NikkiOMay
Instagram: @NikkiMayWriter