Nuzo Onoh’s Futility is a wild, bloody ride that mixes folklore tricksters, revenge, and body-swapping chaos. Chia and Claire are unapologetically flawed, and the book leans into its gore and dark humor with gusto. The satire is sharp, and the folklore elements add great texture.

What didn’t work for me was the constant use of “WTF” as an exclamation. It stood out because the book already uses swearing freely, so the repetition felt distracting and pulled me out of the story.

2.5 stars

The story of two middle aged women who have demons in their lives - both real and in the men with whom they are involved. Chia runs one of the most successful restaurants in Abuja, Nigeria, famous for its hot pepper soup, but Chia owes much to a deal she made long ago. Her family stayed behind in their village, but they are drawn in to what Chia has wrought.

Claire is a white, British government attaché living in Abuja with her young Nigerian boyfriend and his beautiful cousin, but her life turns upside down after a night at Chia’s restaurant.

There’s a lot going on in this book, maybe a bit too much. Women want to be young and beautiful, which was a bit depressing, considering both Chia and Claire seem they should be quite formidable regardless. I enjoyed the sections about Chia’s family a lot, but as both Chia and Claire were fairly unlikeable it was difficult to stay engaged with their stories, so that the book felt overlong. I’ve read and enjoyed Onoh before, but this wasn’t my favorite.

This is an entertaining (and bloody!) satirical horror story that kept my interest the whole way through! I read this in one sitting!