Bookseller Reviews
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A sharp page-turner of a book that mixes Sex in the City with murder!
For a debut this feels incredibly well-accomplished. Frivolously light and mocking at times and then this undercurrent of darkness that weaves its way in i... READ MORE
A great read
Wahala has become one of my favourite reads! I was excited to finally get a hold of a copy, especially after it had been compared to other amazing and popu... READ MORE
I need more stars so that I can give this book the praise it deserves
A novel which is equally driven by plot as well as by character, this book is 100% a joy to read.
Each of the three narrating voices feels authentic and ex... READ MORE
I Am Aghast! Was Not Expecting THAT Ending!
Ronke, Simi & Boo, it's always been the 3 of them. Simi brings along childhood friend Isobel one day and suddenly life becomes somewhat more dramatic. Oooo... READ MORE
Spicy and addictive
A fabulously dark and at times, very funny read about a group of mixed race friends living in London. Taking in friendship, secrets, relationships and the ... READ MORE
Brilliant
Compulsive stuff! A searing look at friendship and betrayal, at the end of the day trust is one of the most important things we can have. We love our frien... READ MORE
Synopsis
Ronke, Simi, Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London. They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English. Not all of them choose to see it that way.
Everyday racism has never held them back, but now in their thirties, they question their future. Ronke wants a husband (he must be Nigerian); Boo enjoys (correction: endures) stay-at-home motherhood; while Simi, full of fashion career dreams, rolls her eyes as her boss refers to her urban vibe yet again.
When Isobel, a lethally glamorous friend from their past arrives in town, she is determined to fix their futures for them. Cracks in their friendship begin to appear, and it is soon obvious Isobel is not sorting but wrecking. When she is driven to a terrible act, the women are forced to reckon with a crime in their past that may just have repeated itself.
Explosive, hilarious and wildly entertaining, this razor-sharp tale of love, race and family will have you laughing, crying and gasping in horror. Fearlessly political about class, colourism and clothes, the spellbinding Wahala is for anyone who has ever cherished friendship, in all its forms.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
- ISBN: 9781804990872
- Number of pages: 384
- Dimensions: 197 x 128 x 25 mm
- Weight: 266g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allGreat Read!
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy… I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from it.
It had been compared to a few recent and very popula... READ MORE
Fun, fast paced, shocking - this will be huge in 2022
This is the extremely dramatic debut from Nikki May and there’s already quite a buzz about this book due out in January 2022 as it’s set to be turned into ... READ MORE
Brilliant Read!
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy... I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from it.
It had been compared to a few recent and very popu... READ MORE
Fantastic debut
Wahala (trouble in Nigerian) is a fantastic debut by Nikki May. Set in London, Anglo-Nigerian friends Simi, Boo and Ronke muddle along through the various ... READ MORE
pure escapism
If you want a fun read to escape with then this is for you !
It’s a “bingeable” book that sort of reads like it’s a tv drama ( and I can’t wait to see it ... READ MORE
One of my top 3 reads of 2021
This was such a great read. Ronke, Simi, and Boo are friends; a happy trio living different lives. Along comes Isobel and the three friends become four. Or... READ MORE
Waahay for Wahala!
It's rare for me these days to enjoy a book right from the beginning, all the way through to the end, but this one had me reading at every spare minute.
... READ MORE
Most Enjoyable Read
I'm not sure why Wahala (which means 'trouble' in Nigerian) is described as “sex and the city meets my sister the serial killer”. The first part maybe but ... READ MORE
Wahala
What a great story. Three friends, Simi, Boo and Ronke have been together forever and each see each other through thick and thin, good times and not so go... READ MORE
Funny, dark and fabulous!
"'Isobel Babangari. You know - Mr Babangari's daughter.'...'Simisola! You want to finish me, abi? I told you not to be associating with her...See me troubl... READ MORE
Wahala
Ronke, Simi and Boo are the best of friends. That is, until Isobel comes into their lives.
She tries to be everyone’s best friend, but did they really ne... READ MORE
A fantastic friendship drama
I loved this story, devoured it. I'm a fan of novels featuring toxic friendship and female group dynamic and this was absolutely addictive and beautifully ... READ MORE
A fantastic read
As a fan of Sex and the City (TV series, not the book) and having loved Queenie and My Sister the Serial Killer I just had to read this book and I was not ... READ MORE
Bitingly funny
This is a bitingly fun read infused with sharp observations about female friendship, emotional competition and group dynamics. I was completely addicted to... READ MORE
Friendship
Three mixed race women who have been friends since school face all the difficulties that life throws at us during adulthood. The introduction of a new frie... READ MORE
A Wonderful Story
Wahala by Nikki May
Pub Date 6th Jan 2022
Sex in the City with a Killer Edge
Ronke, Simi, Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London. They have the ... READ MORE
Escapism rather than reality
Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book really intrigued me but its execution frust... READ MORE
Fresh, funny with nail biting tension
Fresh and original, Wahala by Nikki May is a book about shared cultures, female friendships and revenge.
Friends Ronke, Simi and Boo are friends living in... READ MORE
Female friendships, relationships, toxic friends and food
A contemporary novel about three young mixed race women living in London, friends since university but each living different lives.
The book starts with a... READ MORE
A fun read!
The characters in Wahala were well-written and the relationship described between Ronke, Simi, and Boo seems like the friendship we all dream about. Close ... READ MORE
ARC
Wahala follows the lives of 3 Nigerian/English close friends, Ronke, Simi and Boo. Their friendship is unbreakable, secrets are kept, advice is given and e... READ MORE
Great!
Ronke, Simi and Boo are your average thirty-somethings - stressing over careers, feeling stifled by motherhood, or desperate to settle down. When glamorous... READ MORE
Fantastic Read
Wahala, meaning trouble, is a super read about three friends, having meet at Bristol Uni who bonded over their Nigerian/British heritage and now in their 3... READ MORE
A great read
Wahala, meaning trouble, is a super read about three friends, having meet at Bristol Uni who bonded over their Nigerian/British heritage and now in their 3... READ MORE
Great character centred mystery
Loved this book. Three old friends have their life gate-crashed by the rich and gorgeous Isobel. The prologue sets up a mystery. An unnamed woman covered ... READ MORE
Loved it!
Very faced paced. Was sad for it to end, I miss them! It was nice to hear from a new group of Nigerians.
Drama, drama, drama!
Wahala was an enjoyable read that was well written. Three friends who are all half Nigerian & half white and live in London, welcome a third girl, Isobel, ... READ MORE
What a fabulous read!
Ronke, Simi & Boo are all of English/Nigerian heritage; they are best friends & live in London. Isobel & Simi went to school together in Nigeria. Isobel’s ... READ MORE
Some Great Originality
Wahala is a Nigerian/Yoruba term for ‘trouble’ and that is exactly what the character Isobel represents when she wades into the lives of three best friends... READ MORE
Dazzling, rich and effervescent
Sex and the City with a killer edge? For fans of Expectation and Queenie? I thought Wahala was sure to be my kind of read and I was right. I absolutely lov... READ MORE
Brilliant, compelling, feisty, heartwarming
I fell head over heels in love with this book, the characters are vivid loud and just shines through these pages. The tight friendships that are formed wit... READ MORE
An exciting debut
Wahala is a Nigerian Pidgin word meaning ‘trouble’, and there is trouble aplenty in this exciting debut.
A story of friendship, family, identity, race an... READ MORE
brilliant and thrilling read
This was a brilliant book with lots of amazing twists and turns. I thought this book was very interesting and rather funny. I just knew from the start that... READ MORE
Absolutely fabulous!
I was lucky to read an advance copy of this and I’ve been shouting about Wahala ever since. What a treat of a book!
Ronke, Simi and Boo form a tight frie... READ MORE
Funny, dark and more than a bit disturbing…..
Maybe the best thing about Nikki May’s brilliant debut is it so clearly signposts Wahala 2 because I could not get enough of these characters — even sad, d... READ MORE
You won’t be able to put this down!
What a way to start 2022, what a fabulous book!
Wahala is Nigerian for trouble and that’s what Ronke, Boo and Simi are walking right into.
They are 30 ... READ MORE
Toxic frenemy
Really didn't want this book to end, i was so invested in these fabulous, sassy Anglo-Nigerian friends. Professional women living with aspiration, partners... READ MORE
Amazing
I read this in one sitting I was so gripped by it! I don't know why, it was full of characters making bad decisions, not communicating and being manipulate... READ MORE
Wahala is one of the most entertaining and original novels of 2021.
Wahala is one of the most entertaining and original novels of 2021. This is the story of Ronke, Simi, Boo, three mixed-race friends living in London, copin... READ MORE
Good Book
I really enjoyed this book if you loved the book queenie your going to love this book
I loved all the characters in this book and have recommend it to all ... READ MORE
Dark & Insightful
Now all thirtysomethings, close friends, Ronke, Simi and Boo, all of Nigerian/British heritage rely on each other in their varied lives, but when Isobel, a... READ MORE
Enjoyable read with friendship and laughs included
Ronke, Simi and Boo are old university friends and meet up when they can together. Boo has children which Ronke loves to babysit and takes them out whilst ... READ MORE
Wahaaay for Wahala!
Oh my goodness - I've just given this 5 stars!
It's rare for me these days to enjoy a book right from the beginning, all the way through to the end, but t... READ MORE
Great debut
Three friends, Ronke, Boo and Simi, cherish their friendship that sustained them through their lives well into adulthood. Each woman is dealing with their ... READ MORE
Wahala was a great read!
Wahala is ultimately a story of friendship. As a reader we are invited into the lives, thoughts and feelings of these characters as the story is told throu... READ MORE
Brilliant debut
I loved this book. So well written and engaging and a debut novel too!
Would highly recommend.
A book with friends you will really want to meet
A fun, quirky and fresh take on a group of friends and their dual heritage experience of being Nigerian in Britain. You will want to be friends with these ... READ MORE
One of my favourite reads of the year
Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my free e-copy.
Wahala is the story of 4 women all of Nigerian background living in London. I have a... READ MORE
A fantastic debut
Thank you to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for having me along on the tour and to Nikki May & Double Day Books for my gifted copy of the book in exchan... READ MORE
Fantastic Read - Absolutely Recommend
Wahala is ultimately a story of friendship. As a reader we are invited into the lives, thoughts and feelings of these characters as the story is told throu... READ MORE
Brilliant debut
I really loved reading this book! Three Anglo-Nigerian girls, friends from University are now in the their 30’s and living in London. Ronke, the dentist an... READ MORE
Jollof rice anyone?
Wow! Just wow! What an amazing book to start my reading in 2022. Wahala, by Nikki May, is outstanding and I simply loved it, staying up way past my bedtime... READ MORE
Unlikeable characters and persistent fatphobia made this a struggle
I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get on board with it. The only main character that I connected with was Ronke, and I struggled readin... READ MORE
Fascinating and intriguing read
This was a really enjoyable read. A real character book, full of humour and intrigue. This book provided interesting observations on relationships and part... READ MORE
A stunning, gripping thriller about friendship and identity
A phenomenal debut about the intertwined lives of three British-Nigerian friends in London and the strain it puts on their friendships and wider lives when... READ MORE
so much drama
Wahala is a debut novel about female friendship between three women but oh boy... so much drama and so many secrets once a fourth one joins their little gr... READ MORE
A brilliant debut novel
‘Three’s company. Four’s a crowd’ - USA cover tag line.
My thanks to Random House U.K. Transworld Publishers for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Wahala’
by Nik... READ MORE
Deserving of the Buzz Around It
I had heard lots of buzz around Wahala so I couldn’t wait to read it – though I had a certain amount of trepidation as as we all know hyped books can somet... READ MORE
Great read
I really enjoyed this book, at its heart is an age old story of female friendships and rivalries, but Ms May imbued this with warmth, wit and hard hitting ... READ MORE
An entertaining and explosive debut not to be missed
Wahala is a Nigerian Pidgin word meaning ‘trouble’, and there is trouble aplenty in this
explosive debut.
A story of friendship, family, identity, race a... READ MORE