Kuku is such a great author, I loved Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad and so, I was so excited to hear she had a new book coming out. This book didn't disappoint. I love that she writes for our parents and elders and the diaspora. I love that through this book we experience and hear sorrow, love, hope, betrayal and so much more in the plot of the Témì's surrounding family.

At first reading this book I wasn't sure what all the wahala was over Témì wanting to do this, not because I think it's no big deal, but I guess because with my generation it seems to be a done thing. However, Kuku puts you into the lives of her immediate family and their toils and troubles to see why such an action could be so distressing to them. I love how she weaved the lives of her mum and aunts into these stories, we met them and then we are taken deeper into their lives and what made them who we are today. This is what I love about reading, humans make sense when you see the sum of who they are, and books allow you to do this, and Kuku does this so effortlessly in her writing. She weaves scenarios and decisions that make you nod and say "yes, I see who you are now." We also dive into Témì and why she wants this done and yes, it's the case of merciless teasing, careless comments and comparison, but it still leaves you feeling sad that such words and actions could cause an individual so much pain that they feel this is the only way to "fix" themselves. The book packs many themes but its central theme is that of beauty.

This book is also funny, that's what I loved about Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad - it had so much humour in it. This follows the same suit, amongst grief and hurt, there is humour and love.

Thank you to NETGALLEY for granting me an ARC copy of this book.

First off, what a catchy title, loved it
The book started off quite well and I was moved by the premise and core idea behind it which is the unattainable beauty and body standards foisted on women, most especially in this part of the world where having a big butt is say all be all. I also got introduced to some interesting characters like Temi who was bullied most of her teenage years for being very skinny and having no backside a.k.a Lekpa Shandy and who kept comparing herself to her elder sister Ladun who she felt had it all. I also met the eccentric Aunty Jummai (the typical Nigerian Aunty) and their very caring and thoughtful father who was in short my favorite character in the story.

Unfortunately, I got sidetracked by an onslaught of melodrama and by the author giving every single minor character a backstory which was not only unnecessary but also made it hard to connect with any of them. It also shifted the focus from what message the author was trying to pass to overly dramatic theatrics that belittled the core themes of the book.
I also think that writing from so many POV’s made the book quite hard to follow but even more confusing and weird was the fact that Temi was described in second person. I never understood the idea behind that.

I really looked forward to this book because I immensely enjoyed the authors debut short story and when I saw the theme of the book was a call to the BBL endemic, I was excited to read it but sadly I think it was poorly executed and I also didn’t like the way Nigerians and Nigerian women were portrayed. It left a lot to be desired.

Sadly it was a hit and miss for me.

‘Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow’ by Damilare Kuku

Book review:

‘I ate a lot of protein during the COVID-19 break and I wore a waist trainer every day’

I start this review in this way so that you can get a small taste of the madness that I read.

‘Only Big Bum Matters’ by Damilare Kuku initially centres around a young girl called Temi, who after seeing a BBL advert on Instagram, wants to get one herself.

We find out that growing up she was often bullied for being thin, being nicknamed ‘Lepa Shandy’ by some of her peers.

Now that I’ve set the scene, let me tell you my thoughts….

This book is a complete madness and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

You learn a lot about attitudes towards beauty standards in women and how the female body is perceived. Men would often focus on the superficial aspects of women, as opposed to their character/personality.

I really liked how the book is told from multiple POVs: from that of Temi, her older sister Ladun, their mother and Aunty Junmai.

Through each of their perspectives, you learn a lot about body dysmorphia, views towards marriage, as well as their insights into their individual childhood experiences.

Words alone cannot do this book enough justice because the way I binged this book like my rent was due.

Thank you to @simonschusteruk for an early copy of this book and also thank you to @damilarekuku for another great and enjoyable read.

The book is due to be released later this year in July 2024 and it is one that you NEED to own a copy of, let alone read 🙏🏾📚

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the eARC.

When the author announced this book on twitter I was very keen on reading it. I enjoyed her debut a lot and I enjoyed this one as well.

Damilare Kuku is a social commentator. There were many things addressed in this book, body dysmorphia being the main topic, but other things such as grief, friendship, sex, etc ( can’t name all of them so as not to spoil it). She’s one of the growing number of Nigerian authors that write books that are not centred around trauma.

I found myself laughing out loud a lot of times.
I loved how the author used ami ohuns for all Yoruba names.
The book was set in Ife which was breath of fresh air. Not every time Lagos

I do wish there were less POVs, at some point it was hard to keep track.

3.5 ⭐️

I read this in the space of 4 days.

As someone who enjoyed Nearly All the Men in Lagos Only Big Bum Bum, I thought it was a fun and enjoyable read. The comedy, the cultural aspects of Nigerian culture, and the diversity of characters and experiences were authentic and engaging.

The title was different from what I expected, which was fun because it was not predictable, and it's rare to have a story touching on body and self-image issues in Nigeria. Damilare delved into other themes, such as love, queerness, religion, family, healing and coming-of-age. It felt like I was reading a short story anthology but with different characters in the same story. The structure is unique, and I was excited to know whose voice I would hear next.

If you enjoyed Dele Weds Destiny, you will enjoy this too!!

"Omo, bumbum is scarce."

First & foremost ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ + Tax

This may very well be my book of the year.

Temi has felt inadequate since her youth, while all of her friends are filling out, Temi's yansh has remained of humble proportions. Likened to a mopstick, an ironing board, a pancake, is it any wonder that when Temi comes of age she is ready to start the process for her BBL (Brazilian Bum Lift). Temi's revelation to her family is the catalyst to healing, more wahala & home truths.

Told as a multi POV story, Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow is a humourous but poignant story of the sad reality for many women across the globe.

Women's bodies are more often than not judged; undressed with greedy eyes; hyper sexualised; and abused. Damilare highlighted the aforementioned so well in OBBBMT.

I did question at times why this book included so many pov's, as at times I begun to feel that the story of Temi's quest for an BBL was becoming lost. However, the multi pov was absolutely necessary to contextualising the global phenomenon of BBL's. 

Despite the heavy underlying themes (DM for TW's), the humour employed throughout complemented this story so well. Having read Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad, I wasn't sure if the humour would hit the same, but it did 😭🙌🏾

In addition the pacing was spectacular, even up until the final 12 pages, where I found myself in tears (induced by laughter). Pastor Tundé was big mad about the Demon of BumBum 😭😭😭

Character development - chef's kiss!

This was a perfect buddy read!

I would highly recommend that:
1. You pre-order this book.
2. Read this as a buddy read
3. Thank me later

Damilare, you are a literary gem & I cannot wait to read more of your work #fangirling

"People’s opinion of you matters when it comes to character and how you present yourself. But their appraisal of your physical attributes is not your problem."

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I think it was a great book to pass time however it isn't winning any book awards because it felt like a written Nollywood movie to me.

This was a very interesting read. I loved that it was funny while still highlighting how ingrained beauty standards are in the Nigerian society. I also enjoyed seeing how different these standards are for different generations. The characters were complex and the prose beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Nigeria, this book follows the story of Temi, a 20-year-old graduate who decides to change her lifestyle in the hope that it'll help her find true love and eventually settle down. We also see the perspective and POVs from her family members as well. It's a bit messy in places but it does work.

I enjoyed this book and it was such an easy read. Four stars.

'Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow' is a story about Temi, a new graduate who has just lost her father, and plans to get a butt lift. It chronicles the drama that ensues when she informs her family of her plans during the funeral. The story is humourously written and captures the chaos that ensues in a lot of Nigerian families during ceremonies.

This was a very lighthearted read. It explored heavy issues in a humourous manner. I love how the author tackled important issues that women face, especially body image issues without making it too heavy. It was refreshing to see these issues interwoven in the daily lives of the women, as these are the things a lot of women deal with on a daily basis. I also enjoyed that we got a deep dive into the past of the main characters and understood their motivations for acting the way that they do It had some really funny bits.

However, the writing jumped from a third person perspective to a first person perspective which was a bit jarring sometimes.

The author gave a background of the main characters from their point of view to help us understand them better, however this meant that there were a lot of themes that weren't properly explored and some loopholes too.

The timing in the book changes from past to present a bit often, and I found it difficult to keep track. There were also some anachronistic elements that had me wondering exactly when the book was supposed to be set.

The overall editing could have been slightly better.

It also felt that it was trying too hard to be 'Nigerian' and there were some unnecessary 'Nigerianisms' sprinkled here and there.

Overall, this was a fun light read. Don't expect too much from it. It's great to have a book set in Nigeria that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Thanks to the publishers for a free copy given in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 🌟
I guess it's safe to say the author is free from the “one-hit-wonder curse.” I enjoyed this one. Maybe even too much. I found myself laughing a lot, especially as one who’s Nigerian.

It follows the story of Temi, a 20-year-old graduate who, after years of experiencing body-shaming, decides to “renovate her bum bum”. It'll help her find true love and eventually settle down. She reveals this during a family gathering that has in attendance: Her mum, sister, and two aunties. Like most Nigerian families, surgically enhancing one’s bum is frowned upon and almost related to one suffering from a mental illness and that's putting it mildly.

*What worked for me*
-I appreciate that Temi’s character is written from a second-person point of view. It's rare but very much needed. Readers are almost forced to wear Temi’s shoes and I couldn't love the decision more.
-I don't know how, but the title just works. Lol.
​
*What didn't work for me*
-Following two characters' POVs can be a lot, let alone four different characters. At some point, I started to mix characters and had to reread some chapters. The story becomes easily unmemorable.

-The story touches on heavy topics such as abuse, colourism, and so on, but the humour in the book made it kind of easy to gloss over. I guess it's just the Nigerian way of making light of every situation. A.k.a therapy. As a Nigerian, I'm honestly not mad at it lol, but then again, as a group, we all need actual therapy. So…

In summary, it was such an easy read. I couldn't put it down from the moment I started reading. Precisely how I like my books. Just as Damilare said, “For the ones like me who stare at a mirror all day hoping to fix it all with their eyes. I have broken my mirror, please break yours.”

Thanks to Simon & Schuster via Net Galley for the ARC.

P.S. The author’s note is simply adorable.

This is a juicy, funny book that explores its way down to the depths wrt issues of romance, riches and raunchiness in one of Africa's most vibrant and complex cities.

Kuku's characters are a diverse bunch, and their stories illustrate cultural perceptions and elements of (firm!) belief around the best way to do things, in addition to their often eccentric personalities.

In the process of the various family members trying to talk Temi out of her master plan for her future (based largely on surgical enhancement), tea is spilled about family quirks, relationships, secrets and shame.

I have to say I was fascinated to hear about the nature of the proposed surgery, as I have not come across this as a means of enhancing sexiness. But the meddling family members, well meaning or otherwise, are all to familiar to anyone who belongs to a South Asian family! Ultimately, a remarkably quirky set of characters provide great hilarity and entertainment in this novel.

I feel this book is going to be such a beautiful statement on one’s culture and I can see it being used in book clubs as well as creating crucial talking points and bringing women and families together. I feel so privileged to share my full thoughts and review very soon. I am honored.