Three friends.
Three ‘perfect’ lives (or so they pretend).
Here comes trouble.
Ronke wants Happily Ever After and 2.2. kids. She’s dating Kayode and wants him to be ‘the one’. Her friends think he’s just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends.
Boo has just what Ronke wants – a kind husband, a gorgeous child. But she’s frustrated, unfulfilled, and desperate to remember who she used to be.
Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle and a career. No one knows she’s crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her ‘urban vibe.’ Her husband thinks they’re trying for a baby. She’s not.
When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, she seems to bring out the best in each woman. But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, until Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s lifelong friendship begins to crack. How close to the edge will she push them?
I bought Wahala after reading the wonderful review by Nicki at The Secret Library Book Blog earlier this year. I’m so glad I did. It’s a novel that gripped me from the beginning and didn’t let go. Given that “wahala” means trouble, I was expecting some drama, and yet that doesn’t even begin to cover the trials that this group of Anglo-Nigerian friends are about to experience.
The novel introduces the reader to three friends – Ronke, Boo, and Simi – who have known each other since university and have remained close into their 30s. While friends, these are three women who have and want very different things in life, and I loved getting to know each one. Ronke is probably my favourite of the three. She seems quite down to earth, and loves nothing more than preparing food – and lots of it – for others. She wants to settle down with “Mr Right” and believes that she has the opportunity in current beau, Kayode, even though her friends see him as just another guy in a long string of potential but ultimately flawed candidates. Ronke seems a little uncomfortable in her own skin – conscious that she’s overweight, and overly apologetic. I found that slight shyness quite endearing, and wanted to give her a big hug.
Boo was my least favourite of the three. Married with a young daughter, she works part time to balance earning an income with parenting while husband, Didier, works full time. We meet a very frustrated Boo who feels as though she has to do everything and who’s own life has been put on hold for the sake of her family. My issue with Boo is that her husband is actually very understanding and helpful and contributes a great deal more than many to the raising of their daughter and to the household chores. I think that Boo’s own attitude holds her back as much as anything, although I do sympathise with that feeling that everything is on your shoulders alone – I think we’ve all felt like that at some point, even though it’s not always the case.
Simi is the high-flyer of the group; she has a successful career and a loving husband. He wants children, but Simi isn’t sure that she’s ready for that step, and hasn’t told him that she’s continuing to take the pill – she doesn’t see this as too big a betrayal while he’s working away in New York. I found Simi and Martin’s relationship a little odd. He isn’t the sort to pressurise his wife (who he adores), and so why she can’t admit that she doesn’t feel ready for children, I’m not entirely sure. I did understand her experience of imposter syndrome, however, as well as the resentment she feels towards her family who failed to support her when she dropped out of studying medicine.
And then there’s Isobel, who was friends with Simi as a child and who has recently reconnected with her. She soon begins to insinuate herself into the lives of these three women, wreaking havoc along the way. We don’t get Isobel’s point of view directly, and only see her through the eyes of the other, but she immediately come across as something of a chameleon, acting and even appearing a little different depending on who she’s with. She comes across as someone who is helping these three friends to live their best lives and appears generous, kind and understanding to each – she seems to want the role of confidante and to be the first person these women call when they need a friendly ear. Whether or not she’s honest in her intentions isn’t immediately obvious, but finding out is an absolute joy – I was gripped from start to finish, wanting to see what would happen and how events would play out. It’s a fantastic story, and I loved every page.
Wahala is a fascinating tale of friendship featuring three wonderfully complex women that I highly recommend. It shows that however well you think you know someone that you don’t always know what’s going on under the surface, and that even the strongest characters need support at times. I love that the way the plot unfolds – it’s a great idea, brilliantly wrought. And kudos to the author for including Ronke’s jollof rice recipe at the end of the book, amongst others – it sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to try it!
Jo's Book Blog 
So glad you loved it too Jo! x
Thanks, Nicki – and thanks again for the recommendation x