A compelling and moving exploration of friendship and coming of age, Nightbloom is Adzo Medie's second novel and follow-up to her debut His Only Wife. Nightbloom follows the story of two cousins growing up in Ghana, the pressures they are subjected to and the family secrets silencing their steps. It was wonderful to read a story that so perfectly captures both the closeness and distance experienced in equal intensity between girls. Adzo Medie writes with an assured pen that never lets you forget Akorfa and Selasi are real. I'll look forward to reading her next novel.

Set in Ghana, Selasi and Akorfa are young cousins and completely inseparable. But as they grow up, their different backgrounds lead to them drifting apart. What follows is an intriguing exploration of the dynamics of friendship and how they change through life but also how the relationships that are important to us in our formative years have a lasting impact.

It tackles difficult themes like race, class and sexual assault and as secrets erode the trust between the girls, they lose everything that previously held them together.

For me, the thing that makes the execution of this book so effective is the structure. The first half is told from Akorfa’s POV and the second from Selasi’s - it’s fascinating to see how this alters your reading experience. I loved Selasi - such a strong character who overcomes so much. All in all a very satisfying read.

Very enjoyable book dealing with some very difficult and heavy themes. The dual perspective was interesting to examine how events had been experienced differently by Selasi and Akorfa.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I was so excited to pick up another novel from this author – and even more excited when I realised it was going to focus on friendship.

The novel follows cousins Akorfa and Selasi growing up in Ghana. Aforka’s parents are wealthy and committed to providing her with the very best education on her way to becoming a doctor. Selasi is not afforded the same privilege and is made to feel indebted to Akorfa’s family when they offer any help or support. The cousins’ experiences and memories of their childhood are entirely different, driving their friendship apart when they most need each other.

Akorfa’s perspective opens the novel, taking on an introductory tone that left me wondering when and how the novel was going to progress. But with the switch to Selasi’s perspective, the contradictions between the two took the novel in a new direction.
Spoiler
In reflection, Akorfa’s privilege and entitlement afforded her an untroubled childhood which she assumed was merely an introduction preceding the charmed life she was going to live.

The susceptibility of childhood memories to misunderstanding and ignorance, coupled with their influence in adulthood, made it difficult to ‘side’ with either cousin. The conflict between their relatives and who was entitled to a share of the family wealth only complicated their relationship. Throughout the novel, trauma and pain were revealed as the cause for many of the female character’s actions, alongside a fear of the dependent and therefore precarious position their society put them in and the importance of reputation and public opinion. Where the novel excelled, was in coupling judgement and blame with understanding, and highlighting complicity side-by-side with harm.

Government corruption and societal failure in Ghana was contrasted with the same in America – embracing classism, wealth inequality and patriarchy. The novel portrayed a multitude or racist encounters and microaggressions, and then different responses to them, from calling them out and pushing back to staying silent and hoping that hard work and access to other kinds of privilege (education, wealth, respectability) will protect you. Again, the novel was understanding as to why it’s characters were responding in such different ways.

Despite their differences, Akorfa and Selasi’s relationship was the thread running through this novel and I loved the way it was prioritised, even if it was often painful. The ending was both satisfying and realistic, but I would still love to revisit these characters in a sequel.

Nightbloom is a story about friendship, family and ambition. I loved the way the characters were written and the way the point of view of each cousin was developed. I think I may have like to have their different POVs one after another, still the story was good. I loved how the author described Ghana with all the good and bad and why the characters still chose to love it. And I was happy with all the food mentioned in the book. This is my first book by Peace Adzo Medie but I definitely will try to read the one.