This was a disappointment after I enjoyed Girl With the Louding Voice so much. I'd even go so far as to say this felt like it was written by a different author, one trying and failing to emulate the style of the first. This book was harder to get into, took far longer to get through and felt more juvenile and heavy-handed in its style and themes.

One of those sequels that demonstrates the first was meant to be a standalone.

Better late than never. Thank you so much for granting me early access to this book.
The novel swings between the voices of Adunni—speaking in her own uniquely pieced-together English—and Tia, an environmental activist with a posh UK education and a pile of her own drama: a dying mother, a curious husband, and a stack of love letters she’d rather keep under wraps. Daré isn’t afraid to turn up the melodrama; there’s no shortage of secrets, unexpected children, and hidden identities. But for readers ready to dive in, the reward is prose that flows from poetic to downright funny, two heroines who steal the show, and razor-sharp observations on Nigeria’s urban-rural divide.
It’s a delightful mix of old-school adventure, feminist grit, and sheer, page-turning charm.

I loved #thegirwiththeloudingvoice. Once I read it, it stayed with me. #AndsoIroar is even better. It will stay with me forever. Such a powerful read. Adunni is not just back but she is wisdom and an inspiration to all her peers in Ikati. She is the epitome of change: not just culture but a change of tradition. Women must have a voice and must have an education and Abi Dare is their voice to achieve it.
I love you Adunni and @AbiDare, you are so talented. I am looking forward to reading whatever you are writing next.
Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy. Why did it take me so long to read it?

Abi Daré is back with an extraordinary new novel about friendship, sisterhood, courage and secrets. This book once again stars the unforgettable Adunni and Ms Tia from Daré’s debut The Girl With The Louding Voice, but now it’s Ms Tia who is journeying to 15-year-old Adunni’s world, a year on from the events of the first book which saw Adunni go on the run in the hope of finally getting the education she deserves. After overhearing a mysterious fragment of conversation between her mother and her aunt, Tia is slowly uncovering the truth about her own past, while simultaneously trying to free Adunni from the clutches of societal expectations and brutal tradition. Adunni’s village has caught up with her and she must return to clear her name, alongside a small group of other young women judged to have caused bad luck: the leaders speak of girls being sacrificed to bring the rain, but do they mean symbolically, or is this a more sinister ritual? The novel’s narration jumps between the two main characters but also gives voice to a whole host of other female perspectives, tackling some of the biggest issues facing women and girls around the world, particularly in less advantaged countries – but it’s also incredibly lighthearted and filled with joyful moments. Daré’s compelling, brilliantly descriptive prose has a vital immediacy which is touching in the thoughtful moments, but terrifying in the tenser times, and the book’s dramatic conclusion will have you on the edge of your seat throughout. You don’t necessarily need to have read Daré’s first novel to enjoy this, but why deny yourself more time in Adunni’s presence?

Published in September 2024 Cambridge Edition Magazine

Although a sequel to her novel The Girl with the Louding Voice, 'And So A Roar' can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. Dealing with issues of female identity and repression in rural Nigeria, Dare explores the fate of Adunni as she is on the precipice of life changing developments, embarking on an education at a Lagos school, before she is cruelly 'kidnapped' back to her native village to answer for a perceived crime.

Filled with heart-breaking revelations focussing on the unrepresented females within traditional patriarchal systems, the novel touches on FGM, teen marriage, violence and witchcraft.

At times dark and challenging, 'And So I Roar' is ultimately an uplifting book, illustrating what potential overlooked females have when given their voices.

DNF - page 100

The Girl With The Louding Voice is undoubtedly one of my favourite books so when I got the chance to read what happened to Adunni next I jumped at the opportunity. However, I have to say I’m quite disappointed. I’m not really sure what it is but this book feels very different to GWTLV, like there’s something missing. I gave it a chance, but by the time I hit page 100 I just felt like I wasn’t enjoying it, as much as I really wanted to.
Maybe GWTLV didn’t need a second instalment after all.

Amazing. Brilliant. Insightful. What a book! Absolutely adored this and the writing was fantastic! A must for any fan, new and old!

Continuing the story of 'The Girl with the Louding Voice' with Adunni and Tia. Brilliant!
Discovering this author and her debut 'The Girl with the Louding Voice' was a highlight of the past few years so I couldn't wait to read this, her second novel, which continues the story of her wonderful characters Adunni and Tia. I don't think you need to have read her first book to appreciate this story, but if you haven't yet read 'The Girl with the Louding Voice' I urge you to do so! The author is a huge talent.

Fourteen-year-old Adunni has left her family and her village and is excited to be in Lagos where she is about to enrol in school, finally. Her new life has been made possible through the help and influence of the kind and brilliant woman, Tia.

But it seems that it's not so easy for Adunni to escape her past, and Tia has challenges of her own too.

I don't really want to tell you any more about this book because it's a story I feel you need to discover without any preconceptions and expectations.

All I'll say is that, like the first book, there are some difficult issues covered here, introducing us to the lives of young women in Nigeria and this is hard-hitting.

But the characters are once again very powerful, moving, real and engaging. And there is humour and whimsy.

And I'm going to leave it at that. It's another wonderful book which I can't praise highly enough. Do please pick up this author if you can.

And So I Roar
By Abi Daré

I requested this ARC because like almost everyone else, I fell in love with Adunni in The Girl With the Louding Voice back during one of the lockdowns when she accompanied my limited walks in circles while trying to observe the 2km range.

I loved the freshness of her voice, watching her grow from strength to strength, all while she expanded on her self taught English language.

I think I realised from the first chapter that this sequel would not work for me. Maybe I didn't notice this on GWTLV, but it feels very YA, dare I say Middle Grade in parts. The action is overly melodramatic and I found the split narrative is annoying.

Considering I usually read a book in anything from 1 to 3 days, this one took me 7 weeks to plough through.

All this to say, this book was not for me, but would probably suit anyone looking for a Nigerian setting or a coming of age, feminist romp.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC

The story begins with Adunni's new life in Lagos, living with Miss Tia and her husband Ken after escaping the oppressive Big Madam (Florence), who had treated her as a servant. Tia is also grappling with her struggles, particularly with her mother-in-law's blame for their lack of children, despite knowing it’s not Tia’s fault.

As Tia prepares for school with a scholarship she’s won, their plans are abruptly disrupted. Men from Adunni's village, Ikati, arrive to take her back, accusing her of involvement in the death of her friend Khadija. Tia, determined not to let Adunni face this alone, stands by her side.

The narrative unfolds with unexpected twists after Adunni's return to Ikati, while also delving into Tia’s backstory and her strained relationship with her parents. Abi Daré addresses significant issues with remarkable depth and sensitivity, weaving together these themes to give Adunni—and by extension, many like her—a powerful voice.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

This novel opens directly after Tia has rescued Adunni from modern slavery as a maid. Adunni's got a place at school and all seems amazing and bright, then two envoys arrive from her village insisting she returns to take part in a ritual to a) help protect the village from the effects of climate change, and b) prove her innocence or otherwise regarding the death of her pregnant friend. Tia goes with her and the narrative alternates between their two voices, Adunni in her usual charming dialect, Tia in a much more Westernised and educated voice: these comparisons also allow Daré to make comparisons between their reactions to being in the village and rural conditions and making sense of their environment. She's very clever: although we encounter various horrors such as child marriage, FGM, rape, child rape, murder and unpleasant ritual, not every Yoruba rural tradition is thrown out as outdated and horrible: mothers and daughters are close, everyone looks out for children and the community is everything, and we contrast that with Tia's rather cold life back in the city. Tia also has issues with her family and husband, and has been put through a horrific fertility ritual by her wealthy mother-in-law, so no one is spared the horror.

The two voices are supplemented by others, for example the almost completely Westernised Zenab, asking for an iPhone and WiFi or the elderly woman who narrates Adunni's family story. Once in the village, the girls who have been put together to perform the ritual tell their stories to each other: Tia is warned at one point not to look away from the horror of their stories, a reminder not to hide behind one's White privilege either and look away.

I will say the story is quite slow at the beginning, and I wasn't as interested in Tia's story as in Adunni's, even though Tia was meant to be more relatable to the Western / Westernised reader, I think. A decent follow-up though nothing will ever have the impact of the first book, and it raises interesting questions about women's role in modern and traditional Nigeria and female education. I'm glad I read it, even though I had to steel myself at times.

review published on my blog 10 September: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/09/10/book-review-abi-dare-and-so-i-roar/

"Books have a special gift of not ever dying. The words in a book have wings that can travel far, reach minds and hearts of people in countries and cities in the world. Books can speak a million billion of languages, telling forever stories and truths with a forever pen and forever ink, more than the writer of the book."

One of my favourite heroines, Adunni, is back in this sequel to 'The Girl with the Louding Voice'. If you haven't read that one yet, I cannot recommend it enough.

In the sequel, Adunni is about to go to school, when two men from her village arrive in Lagos and accuse her of murder. Adunni wants to clear her name, and gets drawn into a horrific sacrifice ritual, held by the villagers who accuse several 'disobedient' girls and women of being responsible for the lack of rain. Here, Adunni meets a cast of incredible characters, all of whom have suffered trauma but display an immense amount of strength. And Adunni realises if she wants to help save them, she'll have to find her voice and roar.

I found the start of this sequel a little slow but it could also be because I was in a bit of a slump. However, it's a powerful follow-up to what is one of my favourite books. Adunni is such an incredible character, someone with immense inner strength and a desire to help girls in rural Nigeria get an education.

The book examines some of the most cruel practices in that country, including child marriage and female genital mutilation. Some of it can be hard to read although I felt like the author treated this with sensitivity and without resorting to very intimate details.

'And So I Roar' is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Having read Abi Daré's last book, the prequel to this one, I was so pleased when this one arrived. Well, the wait was worth it as this tale is a fascinating mix of lives being lived in all strata of society in Nigeria.

I loved the people, the word picture painting, the realities of life and again the need to jolt men out of their need for patriarchy - yes, I am male.

Adunni and Tia continue as leading lights in the struggle between remote village life and Big City life and the way those lives could have come from different planets, let alone the same country. Their interaction after their paths cross and the way they teach each other and those around them that things do not need to be the way they have been since "forever" is wonderful and, in many ways, a lesson for so many countries: people too.

Very well worth its 5 Stars and it should be on your reading list.

And So I Roar picks up immediately after the events of The Girl With the Louding Voice, with said girl, Adunni, winning a scholarship to a prestigious school. Her dream of an education, which has seemed out reach for so long, finally seems to be within her grasp. But Adunni can't outrun her past and, on the eve of her departure for school, she is pulled back to the village she thought she had left behind forever.

Meanwhile, Tia, Adunni's advocate and de facto guardian, visits her mother, terminally ill in a hospital in Port Harcourt. When she overhears her confessing a terrible secret, Tia is sent into a tailspin as she has to grapple with a lie which has endured for more than twenty years, whilst trying to push her own problems aside in order to save Adunni.

Adunni is more worldly, less wide-eyed and naïve than the girl who fled Ikati, thanks to her experiences in Lagos. She has a hard-won confidence and is armed with a deeper, more distanced understanding of the wrongness of how she - and others like her - was treated.

If The Girl With the Louding Voice juxtaposed the opulence of life for the uber-wealthy of Ikoyi, Lagos' most affluent neighbourhood, with Adunni's existence as a trapped, mistreated housemaid, And So I Roar further highlights the disparity between life for Nigeria's richest and poorest citizens. In a neat parallel, we see Adunni's home village of Ikati through the eyes of Tia, an educated, middle-class doctor's wife, and the culture shock mirrors Adunni's discombobulation upon her arrival in Lagos. As Tia battles to save Adunni, she is hampered by her inability to reconcile the vast differences between Lagos and Ikati; she is determined to rely upon the world she knows - one of laws, lawyers and justice (or at least justice you can buy with a big enough bribe) - but needs to accept that, in order to secure Adunni's freedom, she needs to immerse herself in traditional village society and understand its rhythms and rituals, for better or worse.

Tia sees the bigger picture, which is both an asset and an impediment. For example, she recognises the catastrophic impact of illegal logging on the land around Ikati, exacerbating the effects of climate change, and the absurdity of superstitious villagers blaming sinful girls for the extreme weather afflicting the region - this plot point is a nice nod to the value of education for everyone. However, she does not understand that the people doing it are seizing an opportunity to provide for their families and don't have the privilege of worrying about how their actions affect the environment.

Even more than The Girl With the Louding Voice, And So I Roar forces readers to confront the reality of life for girls and women in much of the world: hypocrisy, double standards, violence and misogyny. In Ikati, women must be pure and virginal, while it is normal for men to have multiple wives. Women are treated as servants, first by their fathers and then by their husbands. As we have seen, girls are routinely married off to much older men as soon as they are old enough to bear sons, and the only power they can hope for is attained by marrying an influential man in the village. They are deprived of an education by a patriarchal society which relies on women knowing their place and staying in it. And So I Roar also touches on the barbaric practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a graphic example of the powerless which many women feel in their own communities. However, Tia's chapters serve as a reminder that even education and money cannot insulate women from the harm they can suffer in such an overtly patriarchal society; she is still expected to become a mother and blamed when she and her husband cannot conceive, forced to undergo a painful and humiliating fertility ritual orchestrated by her husband's mother.

We learn more about the early life of Adunni's mother's, whose death was the catalyst for the events of the first book - and this one too. Told in the inimitable voice of ancient medicine woman Iya, the heartbreaking story gives the reader an insight into why education - and the freedom to choose her own future - was Adunni's mother's dying wish for her daughter.

Daré does well to balance her passionate criticism of outdated misogynistic traditions with praise for other elements of rural Yoruba culture, and the warmth and passion with which she embues her female characters speaks to her admiration for the women and girls who inspired them. Just as in the previous book, there are some truly beautiful depictions of female friendships and mother figure-daughter relationships, and I loved the scenes in which the female characters emboldened and empowered each other, which contrasted cleverly with the recurrent motif across both books - that women need men to come to their rescue; that they are weak, powerless and voiceless.

The ending wraps up quickly, after a slow start and a well-paced build-up, which ratcheted up the tension gradually until it was almost unbearable. I enjoyed seeing this latest version of Adunni, who is tougher and wiser but retains the sweetness and humour we saw previously, and I liked learning more of Tia's history and the factors which shaped the person she has become. I thought the continuation of the story worked well, though I was a little sad to see Adunni's happy ending wrenched away at the beginning of this book, but I appreciate what Daré is trying to do: show the world that Adunni is just won of so many girls who suffer and are shamed just for being born female.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This book starts a little slowly but once you get into it you will struggle to put it down. I love that there are so many themes covered in Daré’s books that are not shied away from. Comes with some trigger warnings but highly recommend

I absolutely adored The Girl With The Louding Voice when I read it a few years ago, so it was an absolute joy to reunite with Adunni in And So I Roar.

And So I Roar starts with Adunni living with Tia after she has escaped from the rural village and Big Mama, the woman who was treating her as a slave.
All she has ever wanted is a formal education and the opportunity to thrive and achieve her aspirations in life.
Tia has secured a school place for Adunni, and her future looks promising. The excitement in the house is palpable as Adunni prepares for her big day.
Suddenly, there's a loud commotion and banging at the gate, and what follows sees Adunni's dreams shattered, and both her and Tia face a harrowing ordeal as Adunni is forced to return to Ikati. Tia must choose either to protect Adunni or to return to Port Harcourt, where her mother ails but can answer the questions of secrets buried long ago and now will be the time that Adunni needs to use her louding voice to not only save herself but all the women and girls of the village.

The way Abi Darè tells the story of not only Adunni and Tia but of women and girls in Nigeria is raw and emotive. The themes of female genital mutilation, oppression, violence, child marriage, and rape are dealt with sensitively yet still made me so angry. It's a difficult yet necessary story to read, yet even through the tears and rage of reading this book, I felt hope. Adunni is such an incredible character that I would go as far to say as one of my all-time favourites. The way her voice never waivers throughout all the hardship she faces is something so special. Even hearing her name brings a lump to my throat.
This novel took my breath away. There's so many layers from the heartbreaking stories of the women, including Zenab, who I also loved to the plight of deforestation. I can't recommend both The Girl With The Louding Voice and And So I Roar enough

Abi Dare is a spectacular writer and it was a joy to read this, the sequel to The Girl With The Louding Voice. She rights with depth, soul, realism and intensity that few authors manage and she writes in a way that makes every character jump from the page.
We are truly in the age of subversive women redefining what popular, modern literature looks like and long may it last.

Following directly on from Daré's triumphant debut, 'And So I Roar' continues Adunni's journey into womanhood during a crucial time for the rights of Nigeria's woman and girls.

Adunni's characterisation is masterful; lovable, admirable, and relatable, she's a character you immediately root for. The use of a Nigerian-English dialect, Yoruba phrases and rich imagery immerse you fully into Adunni's world; which is why I found it so disappointing to find that this sequel also included points of views from other characters, namely Tia's. Though her characters own story picked up pace in the last 20% of the novel, I found her parts much less fleshed out and distracted from the brilliant writing in the rest of the novel. At times her character felt like an educational aid purely there to 'explain' in more westernised terms the various ways in which the girls in the novel are being victimised, and her commentary on the environmental issues raised throughout the novel was clearly an attempt to amplify the cause but felt insincere and inauthentic. Exposing social issues is often done more successfully when the 'show me don't tell me' method is used, which is what worked so well in the first book and is sorely lacking in this one.

Another issue I had was with the pacing of the book, which felt incredibly sluggish throughout the beginning 60%. The sheer amount of 'info dumping' (again, mainly in Tia's entries) made it difficult to emotionally connect with the story, and it was hard work to get through that portion. The pacing picks up in the last 20-30% and I enjoyed that portion a great deal more. I still can't help but feel like this sequel fails to make a name for itself, and remains in the shadows of it's more refined predecessor.

I absolutely loved The Girl with the Louding Voice and felt sceptical that a sequel could do it justice I was wrong This is a great story taking us further into the lives of Nigerian women and girls in small villages The stories are heartbreaking but neverthess worth hearing. It is so emotionally engaging. Adunni is slightly less central to this story as we engage with Tia, her marriage and her back story.At the same time the stories are framed around a timeline of death. This adds pace to the whole story Absolutely riveting as aread

"To not listen to our stories is to believe that you are better than us."

Following the success of the International Best Selling Book, 'The Girl With The Louding Voice', Abi Daré returns with a bang this summer, with the most anticipated sequel of 2024!

Adunni is finally about to begin her schooling, but unfortunately her woes have yet to end. On the night before she is due to start school, she is recalled back to her village to answer for her alleged "crimes". Adunni must use her voice to save not only herself, but the lives of the village girls too. Fortunately for Adunni's is that she won't have to face this journey alone, as Ms. Tia will be with her every step of the way.

⚠️ This book makes reference to deaths of parent/s, SA & FGM ⚠️

As always, I will be completely honest. I nearly DNF'd 'And So I Roar' 😱 Despite being forewarned earlier this year that the book would comprise of a multi-pov narrative, I really struggled to engage with the earlier chapters of this story. I eventually found my footing, and I didn't take my foot off the gas until I was nearing the end. This was a very engaging read & I am so glad that I persevered with it.

Darè incorporates many important social issues into this story, such as; Deforestation; Global warming; FGM; Marriage; Cultural practices; Patriarchy. Despite the heavy themes, as with TGWTLV, there is a perfect balance of humour throughout.

I'd been keen to read about Adunni's continued journey, however I found that I was more intrigued by Tia this time around. Tia is very complex character in this novel. She has many secrets that I was shocked by - there was even a moment where I threw my book - then I remembered it was a signed copy & it should be treated with more tenderness!

Nevertheless, Adunni does not lack in this sequel, she holds a fire within her which cannot be extinguished, no matter how many opposing figures attempt to dim her light & impact. Adunni is really that girl!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book & would definitely note it as being a binge-worthy & heartbreaking read. For lover's of TGWTLV I don't think you will be disappointed by this beautiful sequel.

Is this on your TBR?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️