Rating: 4.5/5

This is a book where you might think you know where the story is going, but you probably do not. After all, it’s written by Nigerian writer Ayòbámi Adébáyò, whose first novel STAY WITH ME surprised and impressed me with its unexpected plot twists, its emotional depth and complex political backdrop. In A SPELL OF GOOD THINGS we are also in for a few surprises, but now with a larger cast of characters and a deeper critique of social inequalities.

The story is split into two narrative strands: in one strand, a teenage boy named Eniolá is pushed into poverty after his father, a history teacher, loses his job when the state removes history from its school curriculum (this happened in Nigeria in 2009). As his depressed and defeated father retreats to his bedroom, Eniolá and his family are forced into humiliating and desperate situations to make enough money for food, rent and school.

In the other storyline, we follow Wúraolá, an overworked medical resident and the daughter of a wealthy family, who is pressured to marry Kúnlé, the charismatic son of her parents’ close friends. Wúraolá has doubts about the marriage, but the political aspirations of Kúnlé’s father and close ties of their two families push her toward an explosive series of events where Eniolá’s and Wúraolá’s paths will cross.

I couldn’t help feeling for both Eniolá and Wúraolá whose odds are stacked against them by their families, social injustice and fate — a spell of good or bad things. But readers might also disagree with choices they make in their lives, and Adébáyò investigates those moral dilemmas in subtle ways.

Adébáyò tackles political corruption, misogyny, violence and greed head on, but this vibrant story is also filled with parties and family celebrations, desire and vengeance, gossiping aunties and unyielding mothers, street vendors, local food and hip hop music. I really enjoyed this vivid, layered and morally complex novel and I hope to see it on many literary prize lists this year.

Many thanks to @aaknopf and @netgalley for providing an eARC and a finished copy in exchange for my honest review. It’s released in the U.S. today, Feb. 7.

I read Ayobami Adebayo's first book, Stay With Me, and really enjoyed it. So I was really excited to see a new book by her. Unfortunately, A Spell of Good Things was not as enjoyable as Stay With Me. The story takes place in Nigeria and the descriptions of the culture are outstanding. The story is about Eniola, a very young, very poor boy and Wuraola, a young woman who is a doctor. Their lives can not be more different from each other. The description of the book says that Wuraola and Eniola's lives become intertwined. However, this doesn't happen until the very end of the book. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and the story seems to move very slow at times.

Eniola runs errands for the local tailor and tries to raise money in order to pay his and his sister's school fees. Wuraola is a young doctor from a wealthy family, engaged to the son of a politician. Their lives collide briefly with a momentous impact.

A Spell of Good Things does offer a rich depiction of family structure, culture, and life in Nigeria for both those who are privileged and those who are not. I just wanted something more. The story did not pick up until about more than half way through. It was heavily character building (and so usually love a character-driven story), with little movement in the storyline. It was hard to continue but I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀'s writing I wanted to give it a fair try and I’m glad I did because the last third of the story is when I was engaged more as a reader. Overall, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀'s writing is phenomenal and I would read her work again.

Thank you NetGally and Knopf for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The corruption in Nigeria is the focus point and how the struggles of people with opposite economic situations traverse when intertwined due to political interference. The first half felt very slow as the author was clearly introducing a new world with interesting characters but the last part was where I felt the author clearly owned it as a storyteller. How much wealth and status impact is clearly felt with this plot.

A Spell of Good Things is a thought provoking novel by Ayobami Adebayo. Set in Nigeria, the focus is on two families and the disparity created by wealth. Eniola is a sixteen year old boy from a family that finds themselves in recently reduced financial circumstances. His father is unemployed and they are living in squalor. To pay their rent and school fees, their mother resorts to begging and forces Eniola to help her. Eniola only wants to go to school and forge a better life for himself. When his mother decides that only Eniola's younger sister will continue in school, Eniola's life takes a horrific life altering turn.
Wuraola is an exhausted young doctor from a wealthy family. Her mother basks in her daughter's achievement, but also hopes she marries soon. Wuraola dates Kunle, the son of a dear family friend and a man with a promising future. Though they seem the perfect couple, Kunle has a violent temper and Wuraola is trapped in an abusive relationship. The grass is not always greener.
Adebayo crafts a fascinating story and she does an amazing job of connecting the families. Although the sadness that permeates A Spell of Good Things makes it difficult to read at times, an undercurrent of hope is always present.

Thank you for letting me read this work of art prerelease.
I will start, i was floored when i read their other work in October, Stay With me. They are totally different tones since SWM was veiled in some secrecy. ASOGT is all laid out and you just don’t know how it’s going to end. It’s very much so a slow burn with every detail exposed in everyone’s life involved. There are so many POV switch ups. For the most part, except the last 2 or 3 chapters, the chapters neatly separated POV in different chapters and not be too confusing. It took me so long to read this book but i say in a good way. You really are tranported in their lives, the rich side and the begging in front of church to pay for your family’s rent. It was brutal.
TW for this!
child abuse and death
DV
Death loved ones
Kidnapping
Bullying
Fire
Suicide
Grief/depression

WIll i say it was as powerful as SWM? It comes very close, i would have liked more confrontation because at the end it didn’t feel closed enough in this peek of this story. If you know, you know. Ayobami wrote EVERYTHING down, i loved it, it just became a slow read, 46 minute chapters are the death of me for my adhd. Please break up long chapters ugh, ill read faster i swear.

I had high expectations of this book because I loved "Stay With Me." This book which is ultimately about political corruption in Nigeria takes a long time to come together. The first half of the book was really not that compelling but when it finally picked up, it was well worth it. Be aware that there are a lot of characters - each important to the story - which probably contributes to the slow start of the book as everyone is introduced.

I requested this book because I am interested in reading and learning about other cultures.
The book provides insight into the struggles of Nigeria across the socioeconomic spectrum.
It was an interesting read but I didnt really connect with the characters on any level.

An interesting story but it was incredibly slow at times making it hard to get invested. I sometimes felt confused about the relevance and connection of certain characters and parts of the story. It came together at the end though and I enjoyed the setting in Nigeria.

Know that this takes a bit of patience in the beginning as Eniola and Wuranola are initially on separate trajectories as a result of their economic and educational status but then it soars. Eniola is a poor boy- too poor to attend the school he deserves and always scrambling for food and jobs. Wuranola is a privileged young woman, a physician, who is engaged and engaging but her fiance is abusive and she questions her life. No spoilers as to how they intersect but this is one of those novels where it all falls apart for the characters before they pick themselves up. The atmospherics- the smells, the sounds, the people- of Nigeria resonate. Adebayo is a terrific storyteller who weaves small surprises into her language. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

I really enjoyed this author's first book. Unfortunately, I found this book too slow for me to get into. I only made it about halfway through. I may try again at another time.

This book broke my heart! That's probably all the review I need to give, right? The book starts slow and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Then we settle in to our two storylines. There is Eniola, a 16 year old whose father has lost his job which results in Eniola being beaten regularly in front of his classmates for not having his school fees paid. At first this really made me cringe. I recognize it is a different culture but beating children isn't ever comfortable. By the end of the story I realized that this was how the author chose to remind the reader that her characters' lives weren't easy. The reader follows Eniola as he finds a path for himself that gives him what he wants (money for an education) but comes at a horrific cost. The other story line is Wuraola, a doctor working her residency whose family spends most of their time wondering when she is going to get married. I spent a good portion of the book trying to figure out when and how these two storylines were going to merge. When they finally did it was a gut punch! I love how Ms. Adebayo brings her culture to life in her stories. The intermingling of language, the descriptions, and of course her memorable characters. This may be a book I come back to upgrade to 5 stars later. ,

Beautiful and heartbreaking, A Spell of Good Things definitely put a spell on me. I did not want to put this book down.

We are in Nigeria following two characters from families of wildly different means. We are shown the disparities that exist between classes in Nigeria, the public healthcare issues, and a peek into politics. The pace is slow, but Adebayo is taking their time to fully craft these characters and their families. There are some really memorable scenes and the writing was great.

Eventually we see our characters’ lives intertwine, and see how maybe wealth and status can’t protect you from the same fates.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

♦️Eniola's family has been living in extreme poverty since his father lost his job. They live on one meal and suffer humiliation everyday from various people. His school principal beats him and his sister for not paying the fees, the newspaper vendor spits on him for not clearing his dues and their landlord insults his parents for not paying rent. Then one day, through someone, Eniola comes in contact with a politician who recruits him. He feels that his bad days are over, now, that he will be able to satiate his hunger and pay his school fees. However, is there a short-cut to success?
Wuraola is a young doctor who has just passed out from her medical school. She has everything which Eniola doesn't; a good education, a rich father and plenty money in her life. She is in love with Kunle, whose father is a friend of her father. When Kunle's father, Dr. Coker, decides to run for the election, he wants the support of her father. However, his contestant is Fesojaiye who has been known for his notoriety. Will it have an impact on Wuraola's life? 
When Eniola's life collides with that of Wuraola, the result is something which neither of them could think of. 
💥The story is absolutely absorbing and draws the reader's full attention to it. The plot, the twists and the narrative, everything deserves praise.
💥It gives us an idea about the corruption in Nigeria and the social disparity resulting from it. The author beautifully draws the contrast between "the haves" and "the have nots".
💥She focusses on the faulty healthcare system of the country where there is scarcity of doctors and those that are available are overworked.
💥She also throws light on the effect of toxic love on a person.
💥The author has the unique power of creating magic with her words. I would highly recommend this book to all readers.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book

A story that takes place in modern Nigeria is so well shared through Adebayo's writing. We are fully immersed in the lives of our characters and truly get to know them. The beginning of the book was slow for me with not a lot happening as the stage was being set. There are a number of Nigerian names that one needs to keep track of and it was a bit hard to keep track of them. I started taking notes. Overall, this book was a bit tedious for me to read, but I enjoyed the location, the story and the writing.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book.

This book is excellent, but it's a really slow burn. The chapters are really long. I eventually just forced myself to read one here and there between other books and suddenly the pace picked up and I didn't put it down after that.

The setting is current day Nigeria. One narrator is from a privileged background, in her first year of medical training (residency?). The other narrator is so poor that he and his family struggle to pay school fees. I thought this drastic contrast between the haves and have nots was really interesting. Despite the disparity in background, they all end up having their lives entwined in local politics.

And I'm going to let you go ahead and read it and discover for yourselves how this all plays out.

This is a story of modern Nigeria with its wide economic disparity and political upheaval. It is a world where who your parents are is more important to your success than your abilities; an environment where children whose parents can’t afford to pay their private school costs are beaten. Wuraola’s parents are wealthy; she is a doctor doing a medical residency, about to be engaged to the son of another wealthy man with political aspirations. Eniola’s family is dirt poor ever since his father lost his teaching position when history jobs were eliminated. They barely have anything to eat, owe back rent and back tuition. Wuraola and Eniola’s world collide tragically when Eniola tries to help his family by working for a local politician. This same politician is running against Wuraola’s intended’s father.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I chose it, but I really liked it. It is heartbreaking, but so well written with fully developed characterizations that it quickly won me over. There are many important concepts here, presented with poignancy and a bit of humor. I did feel that the ending was somewhat rushed; I wish there would have been more of an explanatory denouement. It takes a while to get into the book, but don’t give up; it is a very worthwhile read.

POW, right in the kisser!

I went cuckoo over this Nigerian author’s debut book, Stay With Me. Hell, I even called it Shakespearian! Now those are some big words! Stay With Me stayed with me and stayed with me, while I patiently-impatiently waited for the next story to come out of Adebayo’s pen. I braced myself. A “hard act to follow” is an understatement. I went in head-first.

The story follows two people in Nigeria: a teenage boy whose family is so poor, he often is starving, and a young female doctor from a wealthy family, who is about to get married. Both stories are so very rich. We see Nigeria’s poor side and its rich side in such vivid detail; the author gives us a big dose of Nigerian culture, from two lenses. But I just couldn’t imagine how the two stories would intersect. How would the have and the have-nots come together?

So here’s the scoop: Oh, I was not happy when I first stuck my nose into these pages. The book doesn’t start out strong—too many characters. And the first pages talk about a politician’s wife coming to a meeting—not interested! Both politics and meetings send me to snooze-land; a sure way to turn me off. This was not juice, this was plain milk. I realized that Adebayo’s first book had been about a romance, and that’s what I wanted here. Love and drama, not stiff old politics. The story improved a bit, but I just wasn’t getting attached to the characters. Adebayo can write, so the words fit together just fine, but I wanted to be mesmerized. No go. It sometimes was a chore to read. Though only 350 pages, it seemed like it was much longer.

Ah, but this was a sleeper, because halfway in, I started liking the book. Suddenly the characters started pulling me in. Yes, I was happier, for sure, but not a goner.

Then, POW, right in the kisser! The last quarter of the book was effing amazing! Rich and layered and nuanced. The impact was so huge. And it wasn’t just a POW, because that sounds like all the drama comes out of nowhere. It doesn’t. I realized then that the book had been written so carefully, so skillfully, that everything put together led to this huge situation, and I was getting that rare and complete euphoria that comes when a drama blows me away. The stories of the haves and have-nots come together so vigorously.

When it hit the POW part, the book was unputdownable! My god, the places the story went. Explosive! If I were a nail-biter, I’d have only stubs left. The (well-drawn) characters now had me fully in their clutches. I felt so much for both main characters; they totally took up residence under my skin. Fantastic portrayals! They felt real—so robust, vulnerable, thoughtful, and with a secret life weighing them down. The parents and siblings and other characters were well-drawn, too. And yep, the book made me cry, not something that happens to me very often when reading.

The book puts a whole new meaning to the term “setting the stage.” I thought of the book like an orchestra, starting slow until finally the music becomes gigantic and breath-taking and complicated as the story keeps climbing higher and higher and becomes louder and louder. It is in complex stereo, when before it had been in just plain old hi-fi.

Besides the half-book slow start, I had one other beef. The story had too many phrases in an African language. Most clothes and food had Nigerian names, and there were also full sentences in Nigerian. I’m all for authenticity, but I also like to understand every sentence in front of me. Not possible here.

Still, I got such a feel for Nigerian culture—that part was wonderful. It was fascinating to hear of some of the traditions. Sometimes men had to lie on the floor when they met rich people; very bizarre. And teachers would beat kids whose parents didn’t pay up for their tuition.

The book shines such a spotlight on poverty and wealth in Nigeria. Domestic violence, regular violence, depression, secrecy, shame, denial, expectations, hunger, pride, traditions, and pressure to conform all come into play. (I know that list is too long, but that’s what I think of when I think of this book.) There’s a lot of tragedy, so be prepared.

Man, I would love it if they made a movie out of this story. It would be so powerful on the big screen! I have to think about casting…. I’m sure they’ll want to consult with me, lol.

This book will stay with me for a long time. Not as good as Stay with Me, but one I want on my shelf right next to it. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

A Spell of Good Things is set in modern day Nigeria and explores the lives of two people of different social classes. Wuraola has well-to-do parents and is a qualified medical doctor, she is also engaged to Kunle, the son of a governorship candidate in the state. Eniola is a secondary school student whose parents can’t afford to pay school fees, he spends his time running errands for a local tailor, and eventually starts to beg on the streets.

The book is very well written and it emphasises the anxiety and pressure people face regardless of their social standing and financial status. It also explored family relationships and dynamics. I especially loved the relationship Yeye had with her sisters.

I had high expectations after reading Stay with Me, and this book surpassed them. Adebayo deserves all her flowers. She makes it easy to be immersed in the story and sympathise with the characters.

I finished reading this book in one night, I refused to go to bed till I was done reading. It was that captivating.
I loved the build up of the characters and the story from the beginning, it made it easier to understand the characters and the reasons behind some of the decisions they made. However, the ending seemed a bit rushed.
Overall, A Spell of Good things is a great read and I’ll definitely recommend this to everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC

After having loved Ayobami Adebayo ‘s debut novel, “Stay With Me”, I eagerly awaited A Spell of Good Things. While it didn’t quite measure up to the first novel for me, and took me awhile to get into it, once I caught on, it was mesmerizing. I was particularly struck by the dichotomy of the two protagonists. Wuraola is an up and coming young physician from a wealthy family. Eniola is a young boy who has had to take to odd jobs and eventually begging to earn money for his family. Their stories run parallel except for a chance brief intersection. We read the effects of the current political revolution on both of their families. The extreme poverty versus the extreme wealth, the class distinctions, and the way education is valued in spite of the limited opportunity for the poor were all highlighted in this captivating novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity for an advance read.
#ASpellofGoodThings. #NetGalley