I really struggled to finish this book, but I successfully did. First reading the ebook as an ARC, and finishing as an audiobook because I couldn’t will myself to read more.

The story is about two people: Eniola, a teenage boy whose Father is fired due to policy changes in Nigeria’s education system, forcing the family to plummet into a life of poverty. And Wuraola, a young Doctor who is nearing 30, dating a man who makes sense on paper but isn’t who she would choose for herself for a number of reasons. Their paths become intertwined and connected as the plot thickens, and what should be a suspenseful novel kinda tiptoes through a brilliant storyline.

There’s themes of domestic abuse, corruption, grief and so much more. This will be a brilliant short TV series, but fell flat as a book unfortunately.

I was excited to read A Spell of Good Things by Ayobami Adebayo, as I absolutely loved her first book, Stay With Me. This new book didn’t disappoint - Ayobami’s writing brings depth to the book and characters. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This is my second book by Ayobami Adebayo and I loved this too. She writes beautifully and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Novel set in authors native Nigeria that explores the harsh contrast between those on the poverty line and the over privileged political elite.
Eniola a teenage boy has to take on work when his father loses his job and is unable to pay the school fees for his children . Wuraola is a 28yr old Doctor struggling with impending marriage to her fiancé and their problematic relationship.
The novel meanders slowly through the lives of the two main characters until a disastrous ending as a consequence of their worlds colliding.
Listed for the Booker prize and one of the ones that I have actually finished and enjoyed

I was so excited when I was approved by Natgalley for the ARC of this book. Ayobami adebayo steadily became favourite from her first book. This book follows two main characters:
Eniola who is a young boy that runs errands for a local tailor and begging after his father loses his job in order to help his family.
&
Wuraola who is the young doctor in her first year of practice, engaged to Kunle who is a volatile son to a family friend.
Due to sudden violence the family party is torn apart, leading to circumstances that intertwine their lives together.

The author's prose is lyrical and poetic. I particularly appreciated the way Adebayo wove together themes of family, culture, and community, showcasing the complexities of Nigerian society. The characters are multi-dimensional and relatable, with each one bringing their own unique perspective to the table.

My only quibble is that the pacing can be slow in some sections. At times, I felt like I was stuck in a rut, waiting for the plot to move forward. Additionally, some of the supporting characters felt a bit one-dimensional - I would have loved to see more development.

Despite these minor criticisms, I thoroughly enjoyed "A Spell of Good Things". It's a powerful exploration of what it means to be human, with all its messiness and beauty. Adebayo's writing is a true gift, and I'm excited to see what she comes out with next.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a rich and immersive read that explores the complexities of Nigerian culture and identity. Just be prepared for a slow burn - but trust me, it's worth it!

Thank you for my eARC of this book. I had my eye on this for a while and I’m sad it took me so long to get to it! Though I struggled with the pacing at times, this is a beautifully written book that I would absolutely recommend and I can’t wait to read more of Adébáyò‘a work!

If you loved the crystal clear prose and complex characters that dominated the authors first novel, Stay With Me, then you’ll enjoy A Spell of Good Things. This second novel delves much more into contemporary political themes, larger power dynamics and wealth inequality - making for compelling and eye-opening reading.

This book is set in Nigeria and follows two very different characters. Unfortunately the book was too slow paced. I did enjoy the ending though

Eniola is tall for his age, a boy who looks like a man. Because his father has lost his job, Eniola spends his days running errands for the local tailor, collecting newspapers, begging when he must, dreaming of a big future.

Wuraola is a golden girl, the perfect child of a wealthy family. Now an exhausted young doctor in her first year of practice, she is beloved by Kunle, the volatile son of an ascendant politician.

When a local politician takes an interest in Eniola and sudden violence shatters a family party, Wuraola and Eniola's lives become intertwined.

I had really, really high hopes for this book, but unfortunately the characters fell flat and acted in complete cliches and the story seemed very predictable from the start.

The pace of the novel was just too inconsistent to build a relationship with any of the characters.

Genuinely one of the best books I read this year. Ayobami is a master of words. Her portrayal was well executed.

Really enjoyable read! Fantastic writing and really compelling storytelling
Thank you for the chance to read and review!

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ is a stellar writer there is no denying it. This is not your happy novel, she unflinchingly takes us to a town in Nigeria and shows us how the wealth gap lead to persons doing things they wouldn’t usually do. It is a hard novel to read but there is a sense of hopelessness but I think we need literature like this. The ones that makes us sit with difficult things.


The writing is beautiful and I cannot recommend this enough.

A Spell of Good Things follows Eniola, a boy whose family is pushed into poverty when his father loses his job, and Wuraola, a bright young doctor with an ambitious family keen to rise through the social ranks. For much of the book their stories remain separate as they each try to overcome their personal challenges but when their worlds come together right at the end of the novel the effect is both masterful and devastating.

Adebayo writes characters beautifully. I felt like both Eniola and Wuraolo could have been real people so well was their interiority explored on the page. Eniola embodied the contradictions that exist in young people right on the cusp of adulthood. That desire to make your own way in the world whilst still being naïve and dependent on a loving and effective support system. I felt so bad for him as he tried to step in and take on the role of provider that his father, in his depression after losing his job, was no longer able to fulfil.

Wuraola's story was also hard to read, knowing that although she has everything she could ever need materially her job as a doctor leaves her exhausted and depleted working in a system unable to provide basic supplies for patients.

A Spell of Good Things reminded me of the power of fiction to explore social themes through empathy and emotional connection. Adebayo did this expertly. By simply telling the stories of Eniola and Wuraola, the author introduced themes of corruption, poverty, depression, family dynamics and domestic violence without me ever feeling like these themes were being forced down my throat.

I thoroughly enjoyed this understated yet powerful novel which deserves its place on the 2023 Booker Prize longlist. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to receive an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel! It was quite slow to start with, most of the action happened in the last 20%. So, the pacing could've been better. However, great little book.

Thanks so much to the publisher for the copy of it, I really appreciate it! :)

As much as i really enjoyed this novel it didn't live up to the expectation.
I had high hopes of exciting storylines but instead it was an easy to read, predictable tale that didn't really get me too excited.

I finished A Spell of Good Things last night (I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley but only got around to reading it when it was longlisted for the Booker) and overall I really enjoyed it.

Set in Nigeria, there are two really contrasting characters we follow - Wuraola, a doctor trying to live up to her successful parents expectations of a good career and good marriage and Eniola, a boy who had a bright future but lost this when his teacher father lost his job and now they struggle to make ends meet. It was fascinating reading about their contrasting lives and how despite their wildly different circumstances, they had a lot in common.

I felt as though I learnt a lot about life in Nigeria and there were some aspects of the country’s history that I found myself researching more after reading about it. I found Eniola’s story the most interesting to see how a boy fought hard for his education, knowing it was the key to a better future but also found Wuraola’s attitude towards her relationship interesting and the way she felt the pressure to make a match that appeared good in public, even if it wasn’t in private.

The violence in the story was quite shocking and the ending was very dramatic - it felt as though the whole book had been building to it and it was a satisfying conclusion.

This is an astonishing book, incredibly powerful, beautifully written and searingly heartfelt. I thought it was even better than her first book. 5 stars.

I was intrigued by this novel’s premise but managed to forget that I had it until I saw that it had been nominated for the Booker, upon which I decided to finally get round to reading it. It tells the story of two families in Nigeria, one with privilege and one without, and how their lives begin to intertwine. It was much more hard-hitting than I anticipated, and did not hold back on depictions of poverty, abuse and corruption, but I also felt it was a little slow and there was too much exposition. The final 10%, though, had me hooked and the build up did pay off.

I loved Ayobami Adebayo's debut, Stay With Me, and was so excited to read this. Although very different from Stay With Me, it still gave a fascinating and heartbreaking look into Nigerian life. I will read whatever Adebayo writes next. Big fan!

This was absolutely the wrong time for me to try to read this. The book is too stressful for where my head is currently (or has been for a while, if I am being perfectly honest here). As always, the characterisation was pitch-perfect but that made for a very stressful reading experience.