InkstarPage Book Reviews: The Delicate, by Mirian Martins

Title: The Delicate 

Author: Mirian Martins

Category: Young adult fiction 

Blurb: Amarachi has the perfect life, the perfect family. But her life turns into a nightmare on her fifteenth birthday. As though being repeatedly raped by her father is not traumatic enough, her family conclude she’s crazy and send her off to a psychiatric hospital where she spends six months of her life locked away from the rest of the world until she finally escapes.

She travels to the United States and spends five years rebuilding her life. She returns home as an affluent widow with a totally new personality and a new identity—Bianca Adams. Now, the only emotion she feels for her family is hate, and the only thing on her mind is revenge.

What I think about the book: This book made me all mushy. Reading it made me realize it’s been ages since I last read a tragic (love) story. The protagonist, named Amarachi, is presented as a bubbly child who loves earning her parents’ attention, especially her dad’s. She comes from an affluent family of four—once five, but her twin brother died the day they were born—and dreams of getting married to a multi-billionnaire someday. 

Her whole life falls apart after her fifteenth birthday. On that night, her father forces himself on her and takes away her virginity. He promises to kill her and her loved ones if she says a word to anyone. He makes it a nighttime habit to sexually abuse her when his wife is asleep.

The Delicate by Mirian Martins is more than just fiction. It addresses the bitter reality some children are forced to live with. They’re sexually abused; they’re broken; they’re devastated, slowly dying in silence because the threat of death seals their lips. 

Amarachi’s mother isn’t observant enough to notice the abomination brewing in her own home. And when the poor girl finds enough courage to expose her father’s evil, the rest of her family do not believe her. Concluding she’s crazy, they send her to a psychiatric hospital, locking her away from the rest of the world. 

And sadly, this is how some parents would react in similar situations—not exactly throwing their kids into mental homes, no. They would express doubt and an unwillingness to believe, especially when the culprit is a family member or a close friend. Molesting his daughter is not the only sin Amarachi’s father has committed against his family. There’s another—a secret as old as his daughter.

Mirian Martins, through this book, emphasizes the need for parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children—especially their daughters—and monitor their relationships with the opposite sex. Girls are also admonished never to dress or act provocatively around the opposite sex so they never experience the horror of abuse. 

The Delicate is a gripping tragedy suitable for all ages. Fans of happily ever after, prepare to step out of your comfort zone, as this story tells of a girl who was denied a happy ending by both her family and the Nigerian justice system.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

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InkstarPage Book Reviews: Marital Shambles, by Chike Godwin Okeze

​Title: Marital Shambles 

Author: Chike Godwin Okeze 

Category: Fiction 

Description: Theophilus Nzeribe left on self exile in search of solace outside his matrimonial home. His marriage of five years with Nkiru had brought him nothing but misery and pain. They had lived these long while without a child. And he thought of Nkiru being disrespectful to him and had hurt his ego, coupled with his own mother’s overbearing influence in their marriage. Will Theo indeed find solace in the outside world? What would become of Nkiru in the heat of the sudden disappearance of her husband, Theo, coupled with the repeated threat by her mother-in-law to eject her from her matrimonial home, and also the accusation of having a hand in Theo’s disappearance? Find out these and more in this scintillating novel by Chike Godwin Okeze

What I think about the book: The opening scene of Marital Shambles gives a clear picture of the unhappy state of Theophilus Nzeribe’s marriage to his wife Nkiru. Their falling apart results from Nkiru’s barrenness which has lasted for five years. And as though this isn’t enough, she has to put up with her mother-in-law’s overbearing influence. 

Theophilus leaves home in a quest to escape his marital problems and once he takes this step, my mind screams ‘coward!’ But the bed of roses he seeks to find outside is far from what he gets, which is my favorite part of this story.

When couples make their marriage vows, they don’t expect things to be all rosy, and they don’t want a thorny path either. Thus, when things don’t go smoothly, divorce becomes an option (well, for some) and they tend to disregard their vow to be together till death do them part. 

The author of Marital Shambles, through the timely advice Nkiru receives from her friend and family, reiterates the importance of patience, positivity and humility in a marriage. 

Marital Shambles has a pleasant end that’ll make every page worth flipping. This 34000+ word novel is not only entertaining, but is also packed with valuable moral lessons. 

The writer uses a conversational diction, and also blends in some Nigerian pidgin when some uneducated characters converse. He also makes a decent use of the flashback tool, ensuring that his audience recall specific scenes the same way his characters do. 

What I didn’t particularly enjoy while reading the book was the length of some scenes. I found a number of scenes quite short (no, really short), and somewhat sketchy. I guess this boils down to personal preferences, still I think they could have been better. 

I’d recommend this to fans of family dramas and happy endings. 

Rating: Overall, I’d rate this book 3.8 stars.

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InkstarPage Book Reviews: Last Days of Queen Amina, by Davi’O R. Seki

Title: Last Days of Queen Amina
 
Author: Davi’O R. Seki

Category: Fiction 

Description: A powerful queen marches to Idah to reclaim her authority over the Igala people. There she falls in love and unfortunately meets her doom in the hands of a young mermaid.

What I Think About The Book: My first thought about the book: ‘Hmm. Last Days of Queen Amina. It’s definitely the story of a dying queen’. The title pretty much tells it all, doesn’t it? 

No, it doesn’t. 

The title captivated me in its unique way, by telling me there’s a queen who’s close to her end. It left me wondering how she met her end, and piqued my interest about the moments leading up to her imminent end.
Amina, the Queen of Zazzau, is one of the strongest protagonists you’ll ever come across. Perhaps this is because of her age, or because of her many achievements which include strangling a leopard with her bare hands when she was only a child. Either way, she is the personification of valor. 

Last Days of Queen Amina is an intriguing short story that tells the tale of a warrior queen; one who has faced many things men would not dare face. She never shies away from danger, but walks right into it. 
She has a weird habit of marrying men from the lands she conquers, and killing them after consummating their marriage. But when she marries an Idah man named Ojono, she’s even willing to give up her throne for him. 

Two things amazed me (I mean, pleasantly surprised me) while reading this book. The first is the author’s ability to create a strong impression as early as the first paragraph, and the second is the originality of this story. 

Rating: Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dear Author, I look forward to more books from you.

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InkstarPage Reviews: Insomnia, by C. N. Obinna

Title : Insomnia

Author: C. N. Obinna

Category : Romance

Description: Dealing with the loss of someone dear could be as harmful as it is hard. When a man loses his wife, getting over his grief seems impossible. In fact, he has no plan of getting over it. His friend tries to push him out of it, all to no avail. Then a new girl resumes at the office and things begin to get complicated. He now has the option to either hang on the past or move on to the future.

 

What I think about the book: I totally totally enjoyed every bit of this book. Trust me, with the relatable characters and the writer’s easy flowing diction, you’ll fall in love with this book once you decide to read it. It tells the story of William, a bereaved young man who’s just lost his wife and his grief snuffs out the light in his life and steals away his smile. Amidst the grief and all, there’s a dash of something I never saw coming: humor, yes humor.

If you want an awesome story that doesn’t stink (really doesn’t stink) then this book will make your day. I can’t wait to read the full book and see what becomes of Will. While holding on to his grief would be unhealthy, totally letting go would seem traitorous to the memory of his dead wife, but with the new girl at the office, I know that things are about to get very interesting, so I’m sticking around till the full book is out. I’m dying to know how this ends.

Since this is only a preview of the first few chapters, I’m holding back the rest of my thoughts till the full book is out.

Rating: Five glittery stars!

P.S : Dear writer, you’ve gotten yourself a loyal fan.

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