The synopsis of this novel grabbed my attention immediately! The novel follows a young Nigerian child who is possessed by the ghost of the POTUS. With this synopsis I had expected certain themes and commentary about American democracy, imperialism, and economic relations. Instead this novel features themes of rebirth, occultism magic, and found family. POTUS (the child) was an interesting character to say the least. At first I disliked POTUS because of his personality, but his personality was a projection of the actual President of the United States. The president in the novel is definitely inspired by the current president. The MC often referred to himself in the 3rd person and the p.o.v was also in 3rd person. This element made reading the book very difficult. I was annoyed with POTUS for the majority of the book until the end. But I think this speaks to Onoh's writing ability. I love when an author can make me dislike a character so strongly. It means the character becomes its own.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and intend to read more by Onoh in the future.

What stood out most to me was the originality of the premise. Nuzo Onoh blends political satire, supernatural intrigue, and sharp social commentary into one unpredictable narrative. The exploration of LGBTQ rights in a hostile environment was especially powerful, and the way POTUS’s personality both evolves and stubbornly refuses to change made him a fascinating character to follow. Jerry King remains a loathsome, believable antagonist from start to finish, and the interplay between the two is consistently compelling.

That said, the pacing dipped in the middle, which pulled me out of the story for a while. While the supernatural element sets the stage, the thriller tension is strongest in the early sections and fades somewhat as the book progresses. Some emotional moments were also a little confusing in execution.

Thanks to The Future of Agency and Dead Sky Publishing for gifted access via NetGalley. All opinions below are my own.

This may be one of the most unhinged, bananas books I've ever read. POTUS is a young boy born in Nigeria on the same day the president of the United States is hit by a golf ball and goes into a coma. The boy grows insisting his name is POTUS despite his parents protestations and he hears voices from time to time. His parents think he is possessed by a water spirit and do what they can to protect him at the babawalo. Until one day he has crosses water and he realizes that the spirit of the president in the coma has actually been living within him. He sees an opportunity to extort the president to help him get out of Nigeria while attempting to reunite the president with his body. Insanity ensues.

Boy, was this a strange read. The premise was great. The writing I'd describe as having your skin raked over with a cheese grater. It's marked as horror and yet I'd say it's more fantasy with characters who are just awful people. The langugage, the racism, the homophobia are intense and so over the top that at times it was hard to read. I kept with it because the realities of POTUS's life were actually a very interesting story that reminded me at times of The Death of Vivek Oji, POTUS and his family have such an immense arc. I also wanted to know just what happened to get the spirit back where it belonged. But I'd caution you the pages to get there make for a challenging journey for sure.

The opening got me- imagine a certain president gets bopped in the nog with a stray golf ball on one of his many outings while playing golf with friends- then his soul leaves his body in the after life, and being the slippery slimy man he is, jumps into the first baby born in the world. Well that’s exactly what happens and the baby just happens to be POTUS- a baby boy born out of wedlock to a young girl in a Nigerian village. POTUS is adopted by a well-to-do couple and he’s given everything he could ever want- but he’s inherently hateful, racist, homophobic, self righteous, narcissistic, and a straight up bully. He moves through his life this way- beating up anyone who makes fun of him and hurls slurs and insults at anyone who gets in his way.

On his 9th birthday, while POTUS is getting ready for his party, things start to change, his perfect life not so anymore- and at 17 he wrecks his bike, untethering the trapped soul from his- the only goal now is to get it back to the body it belongs to on the other side of the world before they pull the president off life support.

At times this book is hard to read, the racism, classism, and homophobia are rampant on the US POTUS side and in Nigerian POTUS’ head. In Nigeria the consequences of being queer are dire and dangerous. Other times, it’s quirky, funny, and reminiscent of things we’re seeing play out in the world around us. It’s an interesting take on current events, leaving you thinking and wondering how we got here.

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this. This is a thought provoking, interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing for the privilege of reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When a book opens with a perfectly hilarious - but no less heart-pounding- description of a man feeling his power (whom we will learn is POTUS - or as Sam Seaborn tells us in the opening scenes of The West Wing- the President of the United States) having his soul hurtle through a metaphysical tunnel system to be deposited in a, let’s say, more modest, actual infant, you know you’re in for a ride of your own.

The next several chapters of The Fake Ghost from Nuzo Onoh follow the infant who, instead of his given name, Lanre, insists to all that his name is POTUS - the name one of the voices he hears from the time he is born uses - as he grows into a selfish bully of a child under the care of his wealthy adoptive parents in Lagos, his primary joys lying in his many golf championships and extorting his parents for money in exchange for keeping family secrets.

Every so often, we see a news report giving the status of U.S. President Jerry King’s state of health as he lies in a coma after being hit in the head with a golf ball, learning more about him which strengthens the connection already drawn between POTUS and, well, “the” POTUS.

When POTUS is a teenager, an accident separates his “fake ghost” from him, and it’s a race against time for them to get “the” POTUS back to his body, still lying in a coma in the U.S.

The Fake Ghost is one of those novels that cannot be easily categorized although it is being billed as “supernatural thriller”, “magical realism”, “dark farce” - and it is all of these, but it is also gut-wrenchingly violent at times, heart-breaking at others, and, yes, the dark farce has definite laugh-out-loud moments. It is an examination into human behavior, societal expectations, and being authentically ourselves while understanding what it’s like to live in someone else’s skin - and maybe (sometimes) being better for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks again to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This was my first read of the author and it was a doozy. The characters really transformed before my eyes including the main character and the President. Scary at times, touching at other times, this novel just felt good to read. Plenty of humor throughout. To say too much more would ruin the surprises ahead for the reader. Highly recommended.

(Links to other platforms will be posted as soon as I can get around to posting the review there.)

This book was a wild ride, with the horror arriving from unexpected directions. It was my first book by Nuzo Onoh, but surely won't be the last.

"The Fake Ghost" contains a lot more social and poitical commentary than many other novels of its genre, while offering both rather dark, satirical humour and an actual story of redemption and personal growth for the main character.
There is sociopolitical commentary in two directions: One could be characterised as the criticism of the image and treatment of the African continent - and especially Nigeria - by the "Western World" as portrayed in the character of President King (who i'm sure only accidentally is reminiscent of a certain actual president). The other is directed towards Nigerian society itself and its treatment of queer people, among other things - this also is where the book gets heartbreakingly graphic in a rather pivotal moment for the main character who insists on being called POTUS.

This novel offers a really interesting spin on the topic of possession, using this as a vehicle for a wild clash of cultures as well as values - for what is a young man to do if he finds out that he's been sharing his body with a politician of questionable ethics an views from halfway around the globe ever since he was born and the only way out is to help him get back and let him loose on the world again?

The Fake Ghost delivers on it's promise of a karmic rebirth story involving the freak death of a "racist and sexist" president that demands he be referred to as POTUS even without understanding what it means. A favorite of mine this year!

I’m not sure what I expected but this was better! The creativity of this story blew me away. I gasped, I laughed, I rooted for various characters, and I wished others ill.

Imagine Freaky Friday, traditional Nigerian folklore, the US President, an adopted African baby, and more, that I can’t say because no spoilers here, all rolled into one.

Read this if you like supernatural thrillers. Scratch that, read this even if you don’t like the supernatural because it’s not a favorite of mine and I loved the book anyway. That aspect is handled in such a way that it feels more like fantasy or magical realism.

Don’t read this if you don’t like “bad” language and/or have no sense of humor.