Okoh documents the challenges of returning to one's home country through the lens of three young Nigerians who meet by chance at the airport. Osayuki leaves London to work in PR for a Lagos-based fashion brand while Cynthia is forced by her parents to undertake the year long national youth service. Kian arrives in Nigeria for the first time to develop in his music career.

As a fellow returnee, I related to the reverse culture shock that the author addressed with the main characters. Though, I was not sure where the plot was going until the somewhat abrupt end. This would be a great audiobook companion to help one through the day nonetheless.

This is one of the worst books that I have written.
It is so boring and very badly written.
The characters have nothing to them. So underdeveloped.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Funny and insightful, I really enjoyed it! I think the concept was slightly better than the execution - it could be a little unfair in Nigeria, but overall I liked the themes, romance, friendship and high drama

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for my earc copy of this book!
This is a fun and engaging book and would be perfect for a holiday read!

I really wanted to like this book, especially as I have had it on my tbr for so long and because I was really looking forward to it when I first got it. However I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. It certainly is not a bad book, its simply just not a book for me. I am sure this book would be a lot more enjoyable for someone else though.

A beautifully told simple tale of 3 Young people who return to Nigeria to live, each give a different reason. They are linked due to a random meeting on the plane travelling back to Nigeria. I was interested to read about life in Nigeria and how the characters are viewed differently by native Nigerians. Each character seemed to find their way after a period of change. A well written and interesting book.

Elizabeth Okoh's debut novel, following three characters as they return to Lagos, Nigeria is the book for summer. Using her three protagonists, Okoh delves into friendship, identity and sharp contrast between rich and poor in Nigeria.

Osayuki Isahosa is running away from London and a broken heart as she heads for a new Head of PR for a fashion brand in Lagos. While waiting for her connecting flight, she meets Cynthia is doesn't really want to go to Nigeria but her parents want her to do a year's service and find a purpose rather than being pampered in the UK and they also meet Kian, full of confidence and assurance that he is about to become the biggest Afrobeats star you could imagine in Nigeria.

They all go their separate ways once they land, each experiencing different sides of Lagos - Osayuki has a driver to take her to glamorous parties and to the office, Cynthia must start her training in a camp before she is assigned a teaching job and Kian starts to realise that to get anywhere he needs to bribe people and sleep in a cramped flat with his cousin but slowly their lives start to intertwine.

The Returnees is a coming of age story where our three characters face unexpected love, finding a purpose down an unexpected route, and a new determination that will reshape their lives. Even though their parents are not in the same country, they are still tied to their families and tradition and Okoh explores this push and pull against expectation and wanting to have your own defined direction.

Okoh makes sure that you can't walk away from these characters and their lives by creating vivid characters who have to face twists and turns but makes sure that there are fantastic descriptions of the clothes, food and the locations. If you're looking to know more about a culture that you don't know much about then this book really pulls you into the life of Lagos and shows you not only the high light of boat parties and fashion shows but also the markets where you haggle for hair treatments and food.

This is a great read for the summer then you need to read this book. You can buy The Returnees from your favourite bookshop.


I was sent an ebook version via Netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

The returnees tells the story of 3 young people who meet by chance in Milan airport on their way to Lagos to begin new chapters in their lives. We learn how their fortunes change and how their lives intersect after that chance encounter at the start of their new beginnings.

This was a fun easy read, Part love story, part mystery, part cultural exploration. Perfect beach read, Great descriptions of the lavish Lagos life you hear about. If you like soap-opera drama/cliffhangers, you're sure to enjoy this.

This was such a fun, vibrant read - full of wonderfully confident and bold characters that were a joy to spend time with!
The story is narrated by three Nigerian characters who all meet on a flight from London to Lagos for different reasons - Osayuki has fled heartbreak to start a new career, Cynthia has been forced into service by her parents in the hope she will find purpose, and Kian is hoping to become the next big thing on the music scene. What follows is a year in which their lives all move in different directions but stay connected nonetheless.
I loved the two strong female characters but found the story of Kian fairly dull so was very glad that there wasn’t too much of a focus on him. The descriptions of the clothes, food and music had me wishing I was there - everything just sounded so exotic and glamorous! This was just a really joyful and colourful read - loved it and can’t wait to see what Okoh does next.