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lipglossmaffia 's review for:

Swallow by Ayodele Olofintuade
3.5
adventurous challenging funny informative mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This novel started out so well. I was excited to be reading, probably the first ever queer & feminist retelling of a real historical figure. 

Let me start with what I loved:
-There's an excitement that hums all through the book, silent but ever present.
- The use of humour, I love that it doesn't distract from even serious situation because that's just how folks from this side of the world handle things.
-I enjoyed the authenticity of the names, cultures, laws, and littles quirks that make a Nigerian book NIGERIAN.
-If you've read the author's debut(which I advise you do if you haven't), you'd appreciate that she stayed true to her voice and style.

Here are things I didn't enjoy:
- Each chapter is told from a different main characters but the transitions frustrated me to no end, I found myself going back alot to see if I missed something but alas, it's a plot hole that I just have to let go if I want to move forward.
- The lack of a map. It's historical fiction that is heavy on geography, so a map should have been added, it would have enhanced the reading experience.
-The  character development is very weak, especially for a book where a character's name is part of the title.

Overall, it didn't meet my expectations but it's still an enjoyable read.