“He took good fortune for granted. As though it were impossible that it would abide only for a spell. She had never been able to shake the sense that life was war, a series of battles with the occasional spell of good things.“


Of course I loved this book. This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was not left disappointed. The way that this author writes is just exquisite. I really loved both of the storylines in this one, they were heartbreaking and absorbing. The imagery is just insane and the way that everything connects together in the end is just excellently done. I did find the beginning a little slow and harder to get into, the chapters are really long and I wondered for a hot minute if it was going to be something that stopped me from giving this one 5 stars but as the story progressed I got used to the slower pace and appreciated the detail that it allowed. Overall a great read.

A Spell of Good Things explores the diverse nature of modern Nigeria between the haves and have nots, exploring the lengths required to rise or at the very least survive.

No ones life is perfect and compromises are made to meet familial expectations and further ambitions. The central characters of Eniola and Wuraola become intrinsically linked as mechanisms out of their control force them towards life shattering revelations.

The book took a while to construct the narrative and then too quickly came to its climax, but the authentic feel of the environ created made this forgivable.

I absolutely loved this novel, which made me laugh and cry in almost equal measure. I'm not Nigerian but I do have a large group of aunties and I recognised so much in those scenes, which brought some real levity to an otherwise fairly sombre novel. I kept waiting for the two storylines to intersect whilst knowing it likely wouldn't end well when they did and I really admire the author for her even-handedness and how much I was able to empathise with almost everyone in this fairly sprawling cast. The novel made Nigeria real for me and I was thinking about the characters long after I closed the last page. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a complex novel, covering poverty, wealth, politics, domestic violence and Nigerian culture. The story is told through two different points of view which was a good vehicle for weaving the story together.
We follow Eniola whose family is forced into poverty when his father loses his job. School fees and rent can not be paid and the children certainly bear the brunt of the punishments especially at school. Despite begging on the streets financial responsibilities are not met and difficult decisions have to be made, these impact Eniola especially. He takes matters into his own hands making some poor but understandable choices, these have devastating consequences.
Wúràolá a busy doctor is in a controlling, sometimes violent relationship with a man known from childhood. She also makes questionable choices most of which are trying to keep both families happy, and also seem to be culturally expected.
This was an emotionally draining read but also one that I didn't want to put down. There is a good pace throughout the book building to a powerful, brutal climax.
I would recommend this book and would like to thank Netgalley and Ayobami Adebayo for an ARC in return for an honest review.

It was a plodding start for this novel by Ayòbámi Adébáyò. At first, I really struggled to get into the story with the lengthy explanations of the characters and their behaviour. However, in the middle, the real story began to unfold with all its tragic and sad events. It was a good read and I enjoyed how the story turned out. The setting in Nigeria gave me information about the country that I would not have otherwise.

I enjoyed this book about two very different characters in Nigeria whose lives become interwoven in tragic circumstances. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading it as the main characters lives were very different and I didn’t understand the crossover….but it all became clearer as the story unfolded and was a great read!

A Spell of Good Things is the much awaited second book from Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. In tracing the lives of two families in Nigeria, the story shines an unflinching light on those who have everything and those whose very existence is mired in poverty and suffering. The two main characters: Wúràọlá, a hospital house officer and Ẹniọlá, a schoolboy, become engulfed in situations from which they seem powerless to escape. Wúràọlá‘s boyfriend becomes increasingly abusive towards her and, when Ẹniọlá‘s father loses his job, the boy is beaten every day at school as the fees remain unpaid. Violence is omnipresent in this story but it has such vividly drawn characters that the reader is drawn more and more by many different perspectives. Sexism, male vanity, politics, a failing healthcare system and education are depicted. A heart-wrenching story to read.

Was looking forward to reading this book thank you for the chance to read, an interesting story of two different people life’s. At times the Yoruba needed some help from my husband to translate but an enjoyable read.

4.5 stars rounded up

This story continues to linger with me days after I finished it. It is an unflinching and frequently heart-breaking examination of the gulf between the haves and have-nots in Nigeria. Ẹniọlá’s father lost his job and fell into a deep depression, leaving the family in increasingly dire circumstances. Only eating once a day and beaten at school because his parent’s can’t afford his school fees, he feels increasingly hopeless and angry about his life. Wúràọlá is a newly-qualified doctor from a successful family who are eager for her to marry the man she’s been seeing, so when there are red-flags in the relationship, she continues under the pressure of reaching thirty while still unmarried.

With character-driven narratives rooted in these two families, this novel weaves an elegant exploration of political corruption, class, gendered expectations, and complicated families. The stakes for Ẹniọlá’s family are evident from the outset, given their day-to-day struggle, while Wúràọlá’s story is quieter in a way that’s no less affecting. Adébáyò did an excellent job of addressing some very difficult topics, including intimate partner violence, the devastation of severe depression, the consequences of poverty, and violence against children.

The only reason it is not a full five stars was that the pacing of the first half was slow for my taste, but the smooth prose didn’t make it difficult to continue until it picked up. From there the tension builds slowly and meticulously towards a devastating climax.

The story begins in Nigeria where we meet different characters and families living close to each other in town. Caro is a tailor, Wuraola works in a hospital and Eniola is a young boy from a poor family.

The book shows us the hard life lived when you are poor. Eniola and his family just want the best education for him and his sister but are struggling to find money for food rent and school fees. I loved losing myself into a different country and culture and I liked the flow and language used which is different to other books. I also liked the contrast between families with money and without. Yeyes family have guards and money and good jobs and somehow they become interwined.

There is a political campaign going on and as the book goes on you realise that not is all it seems and some people can not be trusted.

I found the book to cover lots of topics including DV, loyalty, family, honour and poverty. I thought the book overrall was quite sad and hearbreaking and parts had me shocked at how brutal life can be.

I loved this book. The contrasting lives of the two young people at the heart of the story - Eniola, a teenager from an impoverished family and Wuraola, a young doctor from a wealthy and influential story - and the details of what living in those two different spheres despite being in the same city and their multiple points of intersection create a deeply moving story that will stay with me for a long time to come. All of the characters in the book are complex and believable. What feels like two very different stories initially are skillfully woven together and culminate in a haunting finale.

I'm afraid I'm another reviewer sadly saying that this book was not for me. I, too, enjoyed Stay With Me, but did not find this engaging. I struggled to follow the writing, finding it disjointed and clunky. I struggled through for ages wondering where it was going. Hard to stick with.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

A story about two people on different ends of the social class system in Nigeria. A story about the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty.

Wuraola's story highlights society's expectations and validation of women to get married, no matter how successful they are in their careers. Her story is about living in a toxic relationship and putting up with physical abuse.

Eniola's story is about day-to-day struggles and survival. Corporal punishment at school serves as a constant reminder that his parents are unable to afford his school fees. Eniola's life slowly spirals out of control, paving the way to a shocking and impactful climax to the story.

A Spell of Good Things is a brutally honest read. However, I do feel that it was slow paced in some parts and it took a while for the story to actually get going.

A Spell of Good Things is set in a town in modern Nigeria, following the lives of two very different families as they interact over a number of months. One family is living in poverty, struggling to pay rent, school fees, and even put food on the table, while the other live a lavish life, without any financial worries, though that is not to say their lives are without struggles.

It took me a while to get into this book, though I’m tempted to say that this is because I didn’t have a lot of free time and was also having to read on my phone which I don’t enjoy. After around 100 pages I became a lot more invested in each character’s storyline and the unravelling of the story as a whole. I enjoyed the themes of inequality, corruption, and relationships (good and bad) touched upon on this story, though there are some content warnings to check out before you start reading.
If anything, I think this book could have been longer, not to end the story any differently, but some parts felt like more detail of the incident could have been added. Overall, an extremely good book, and one that I’d recommend to most, but especially those interested in family relationships, dual storylines and cultural exploration.

4.5 Stars

Ayobami Adebayo burst onto the literary scene back in 2017 with the critically acclaimed Stay with Me, so to say her follow-up was eagerly anticipated is an understatement. This one is also set in her native Nigeria and focuses primarily on two characters from vastly different backgrounds. Eniola is a teenage boy who comes from a struggling family. His father has recently lost his job and can't afford to pay his son's school fees. Eniola is even forced to beg on the street outside church, and when an offer of free food plus easy money comes his way he jumps at it, but of course there's a catch. Meanwhile Wuraola, a 28-year-old doctor, comes from wealth. On the surface things are going well for her. She has an exciting career and is set to marry her partner, Kunle. However, there are problems in that relationship which she can't bring herself to admit. Even though they come from opposite sides of the track, Eniola and Wuraola's lives are about to collide in an unexpected way.

Adebayo uses her story to examine several different themes, such as the crushing effects of poverty and the very different pressures of operating in more affluent circles. She addresses family and social issues in a thoughtful way, and I was impressed at how she explored the difficulty in escaping an abusive relationship. The best part of the book for me was the ending - a powerful and shocking finale that left me reeling. However, I thought it took much too long to get to that point. I don't think the story needed to go so deep on some of the secondary characters, e.g. the families of the two protagonists and the tailor that Eniola works for. However I would still recommend A Spell of Good Things - it's a tragic, memorable tale that shows Adebayo's impressive debut was no flash in the pan.

"Tife seemed unencumbered by anyone's expectations and, perhaps as a result, possessed a boundless capacity to enjoy herself"

A compelling cast of vivid characters elevate this novel into a beautifully written story of class, privilege and family and societal pressures set in modern day Nigeria. The book started slowly, with the real plot only really developing halfway through the novel, the slow pace eventually led up to an explosive and heart heartwrenching climax in the final part highlighting the disastrous consequences of the main characters' actions. Ultimately, the slow pace in the beginning was worth it and was almost necessary for the story to fully develop the characters, as it is this diverse range of flawed but likeable characters that makes the finale as emotional and impactful as it was.

This is a beautifully written book. Adebayo sets her novel in Nigeria and tells the narrative through two separate characters.

The first is Wuraola, a young Doctor from a wealthy family. Her parents are proud of her illustrious education and achievement in becoming a member of the medical profession. However, there is pressure on her to marry Kunle - also from a good family. Her relationship with Kunle is explored in detail throughout the book and Adebayo provides a rich commentary on themes such as love, obsession, power and women’s roles in society, as well as in domestic settings.

Our second young protagonist is Eniola. He is from a proud family that have fallen on hard times. Despite this, his parents have instilled on him a deep respect for education - but how far will he go to make enough money to pay for his school fees?

Poverty, wealth, power and status are evocatively presented by the author. At times harrowing, A Spell of Good Things is a character driven novel that offers a powerful insight into political corruption and the impact that has on ordinary (and extraordinary) lives in modern Nigeria.

Do not be deceived by the title: A Spell of Good Things is not, by any means, a bright and shiny, happy novel. It is, however, extremely poignant; a must-read. Set in Nigeria, the book follows two very different families living at different ends of the wealth spectrum. Wúràọlá, a doctor, comes from a relatively wealthy family, all glowing with pride at her engagement to her childhood sweetheart, also from a respectable (and political) background. But under the surface things are far from perfect and Wúràọlá struggles to separate what she wants from what her family want for her.

Ẹniọlá, meanwhile, is fighting for the right to attend a school, facing corporal punishment daily as a result of his depressed fathers failure to recover from losing his job. His mother does her best to keep her family but slowly we see their situation devolve. It is no surprise when, after his parents forfeit his place at school in order to keep his younger sister in private education, Ẹniọlá falls in with the wrong crowd at public school.

A Spell of Good things has a fantastic rhythm, building pace particularly through the latter part of the story. It is tragic but eye-opening, a reminder that bad things happen to good people, and vice versa, and a chilling look at the brutality and corruption surrounding political rivalries in Nigeria. This book is brutal but brilliant, I had tears in my eyes at times and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

First of all I should say I loved Stay With Me, the author’s debut novel, and I was really pleased when I was approved for A Spell of Good Things.

A Spell of Good Things is set in modern Nigeria. Initially I felt the pace was quite slow and I wasn’t overly excited. It was taking me a while to get into the story. However I think I just had to get used to the Nigerian names and the rhythm of the wonderful writing. I have no personal experience of Nigeria but at times I felt I was there - it was as if I could picture the places and the characters.

I loved it. I found I couldn’t put it down and I read until 3 am just to finish it.

The writing is excellent. It’s a book of contrasts. Those with class and privilege and those without; hunger and lavish celebrations; power and helplessness. There's political corruption, bribery, violence.

Eniola and his family live in poverty. His father has lost his teaching job and can't obtain other work. His parents want Eniola and his sister to get a good education but they can't pay the school fees. They struggle to pay rent and buy food. They scrape together what they can but it’s not enough. Eniola suffers humiliating daily beatings at school for non payment of fees. To try and earn some money for the family Eniola runs errands for the local tailor and collects used newspapers to resell, but things things just get worse and eventually he is forced to beg. Desperation eventually leads him to making an ultimately bad decision with tragic consequences.

Wuraola is a first year junior doctor Her family are wealthy and privileged. Her volatile and controlling boyfriend also comes from a wealthy background. She is under a lot of pressure. Pressure to live up to family expectations; pressure to marry before she's 30. There's also pressure at work in a hospital stretched to breaking point.

The two main characters' stories are cleverly told, but for most of the book their lives only briefly (almost) touch. When they did eventually connect it wasn't quite in the way I expected. However it's a wonderful book and I would recommend it.

Thank you Net Galley and Canongate for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have heard great things about Ayòbámi Adébáyò’s writing, and this definitely lived up to that - the writing was fantastic and made the book an easy, enjoyable read. The character of Wuraola I thought was particularly well-rounded and inspiring. However, I would have liked to see more of a connection between Wuraola and Eniolá, as their stories were said to be entwined but I felt that it was lacking that.