Status
Checked out
Due 2020-03-16
Call number
Collection
Publication
Harper Perennial (2019), Edition: Reprint, 240 pages
Description
On the surface, Niru leads a charmed life. Raised by two attentive parents in Washington, D.C., he's a top student and a track star at his prestigious private high school. Bound for Harvard in the fall, his prospects are bright. But Niru has a painful secret: he is queer--an abominable sin to his conservative Nigerian parents. No one knows except Meredith, his best friend, the daughter of prominent Washington insiders--and the one person who seems not to judge him. When his father accidentally discovers Niru is gay, the fallout is brutal and swift. Coping with troubles of her own, however, Meredith finds that she has little left emotionally to offer him. As the two friends struggle to reconcile their desires against the expectations and institutions that seek to define them, they find themselves speeding toward a future more violent and senseless than they can imagine. Neither will escape unscathed.--from dust jacket.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member omphalos02
What makes an author choose to write in a style that makes their book difficult to read? I wish I knew. This book has compelling, even important subject matter, but Iweala chooses to bury it in dense paragraphs of extreme length without breaks for quotes or seemingly anything else. When a character
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speaks it is at times confusing as to when they start and when they stop; sometimes even whom is speaking. Maybe that's intentional? Don't know - made it hard to read and hard to finish; I almost gave up. Too bad, too, because the story is quite good. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
This slim volume is emotionally dense, taking us on the journey of self-discovery of Niru Ikemadu, 18, who finally admits to himself that he is gay. His best friend from school, Meredith, encourages him to pursue an identity as a gay man, and find love. But inadvertently, her efforts to help him
Niru had always been a dutiful son, brought up in a wealthy area of Washington, D.C. by very religious parents who came from Nigeria. But his father in particular had rigid conservative views, and thought homosexuality was an affront to God that must be exorcised. When he finds out about Niru, he takes him to the “motherland” for a “cure” by the bishop in his former home town. But Niru only becomes more confused:
“I wonder if my father and Reverend Olumide are right, maybe there is something truly abominable about me that only the purifying fire of constant prayer can purge. Maybe I have spent too much time in the United States soaking up ungodly values and satanic sentiments, as my father has said, and that has created a confusion only the motherland can cure. Or maybe I’m just me.”
Prayer doesn’t help Niru, although he strives to comply with the religious regimen set out for him. But when he returns home from Nigeria, he meets someone, Damien, who offers an appreciation for him as he really is. Niru feels even more disconcerted and alone:
“There is no one to speak to about my headache and my stomachache when I leave my bedroom and encounter this beautiful prison that my parents have built, when I see pictures of me on the walls and side tables that bear no resemblance to the me they cannot see.”
He muses:
“Sometimes I stare at the family that owns me and I wish I were a different person, with white skin and the ability to tell my mother and my father, especially my father, to fuck off without consequences.”
He is leading a number of different lives, but he wants to live only one. The cognitive and emotional dissonance wreaks havoc on him, leading to an unexpected denouement.
The last section of book takes place six years later.
Evaluation: The writing by Iweala is quite good, in spite of the fact that he renders Niru’s voice as a naif. I was reminded a bit of The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, in which the construction of the immature narrator’s voice in a simplistic style got in the way, for me, of getting to know the characters. If not for the mostly superficial portraits of himself and others provided by Niru, there could have been even more emotional heft to this story.
Nevertheless, I thought it had the bones of a good story, and the book was quite absorbing.
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make things worse.Niru had always been a dutiful son, brought up in a wealthy area of Washington, D.C. by very religious parents who came from Nigeria. But his father in particular had rigid conservative views, and thought homosexuality was an affront to God that must be exorcised. When he finds out about Niru, he takes him to the “motherland” for a “cure” by the bishop in his former home town. But Niru only becomes more confused:
“I wonder if my father and Reverend Olumide are right, maybe there is something truly abominable about me that only the purifying fire of constant prayer can purge. Maybe I have spent too much time in the United States soaking up ungodly values and satanic sentiments, as my father has said, and that has created a confusion only the motherland can cure. Or maybe I’m just me.”
Prayer doesn’t help Niru, although he strives to comply with the religious regimen set out for him. But when he returns home from Nigeria, he meets someone, Damien, who offers an appreciation for him as he really is. Niru feels even more disconcerted and alone:
“There is no one to speak to about my headache and my stomachache when I leave my bedroom and encounter this beautiful prison that my parents have built, when I see pictures of me on the walls and side tables that bear no resemblance to the me they cannot see.”
He muses:
“Sometimes I stare at the family that owns me and I wish I were a different person, with white skin and the ability to tell my mother and my father, especially my father, to fuck off without consequences.”
He is leading a number of different lives, but he wants to live only one. The cognitive and emotional dissonance wreaks havoc on him, leading to an unexpected denouement.
The last section of book takes place six years later.
Evaluation: The writing by Iweala is quite good, in spite of the fact that he renders Niru’s voice as a naif. I was reminded a bit of The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, in which the construction of the immature narrator’s voice in a simplistic style got in the way, for me, of getting to know the characters. If not for the mostly superficial portraits of himself and others provided by Niru, there could have been even more emotional heft to this story.
Nevertheless, I thought it had the bones of a good story, and the book was quite absorbing.
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LibraryThing member KLmesoftly
Unfortunately, this is 2/3 of a very good novel and 1/3 of a completely different (and far less good) novel.
The first 9 chapters are narrated by Niru, a Nigerian-American boy who realizes he's gay in his senior year of high school and has to contend with the expectations and cultural norms of his
...and then suddenly the novel jumps over to a new point of view, at the most jarring moment possible, and makes me regret invoking The Hate U Give by suddenly dropping its original plotline entirely for a police-shooting-of-an-unarmed-teen plotline, with a shallowly portrayed protagonist (She's no Star, I'll tell you) and a rushed conclusion. What happened here?? I would have preferred to see this cut off as a novella, ending ambiguously where Niru's narration leaves off, as at least one can read a full character arc into that thread (and thematic/tonal unity).
What a disappointment and exercise in cliche from a book that was 70% a masterpiece.
The first 9 chapters are narrated by Niru, a Nigerian-American boy who realizes he's gay in his senior year of high school and has to contend with the expectations and cultural norms of his
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traditional parents. I loved this section of the novel - in this golden age of LGBT fiction for youth, there isn't a lot of representation for kids who didn't consciously "recognize" their sexuality until later in life (compulsory heterosexuality does a number on ya). This section was excellent and well developed and presented - I might even compare it to a novel like The Hate U Give in its compassionate, nuanced portrayal of realistic teen characters facing serious social and personal issues....and then suddenly the novel jumps over to a new point of view, at the most jarring moment possible, and makes me regret invoking The Hate U Give by suddenly dropping its original plotline entirely for a police-shooting-of-an-unarmed-teen plotline, with a shallowly portrayed protagonist (She's no Star, I'll tell you) and a rushed conclusion. What happened here?? I would have preferred to see this cut off as a novella, ending ambiguously where Niru's narration leaves off, as at least one can read a full character arc into that thread (and thematic/tonal unity).
What a disappointment and exercise in cliche from a book that was 70% a masterpiece.
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LibraryThing member kayanelson
TOB 2019. So far I've read 6 2019 TOB's and this is my favorite even thought it's a play in competitor. So why did I like this one? It was readable. It had a message and even though it's been done before, this had a fresh take on it without being too far out there. A lot is packed into a short
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book. Character development is there and in a way is more important than the plot. Usually I will criticize a book for being too long--that parts or words could have been deleted. In this case, I think the book could have been longer. More could have been explored. But maybe the beauty of this book is it's brevity. It's worth a read. Show Less
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Speak No Evil is the debut novel of Uzodinma Iweala. It centers on Niru, a young man finishing up at an elite private high school in Washington, D.C. who runs track, has gotten an early acceptance into Harvard and is a responsible son. But it's not all easy. As one of the few black students, he
Iweala is doing a lot in a short novel. He's looking at the immigrant experience, as well as that of their relationship with their country of origin, he's looking at the expectations placed on the children of immigrants to do well, racism, and what it means to be gay when your parents and their culture are hostile. For the most part, he pulls it off, although there are some awkward passages and scenes that seem pulled from a much longer novel. The ending is shocking, but more effective for its suddenness. Iweala in an author to watch. I'm eager to see how he develops as a writer.
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isn't entirely accepted; he feels under enormous pressure from his parents, his coach and his church and when his only close friend, Meredith, wants to start a relationship, he's forced to come to terms with being gay. And when his parents find out, his life explodes. Iweala is doing a lot in a short novel. He's looking at the immigrant experience, as well as that of their relationship with their country of origin, he's looking at the expectations placed on the children of immigrants to do well, racism, and what it means to be gay when your parents and their culture are hostile. For the most part, he pulls it off, although there are some awkward passages and scenes that seem pulled from a much longer novel. The ending is shocking, but more effective for its suddenness. Iweala in an author to watch. I'm eager to see how he develops as a writer.
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LibraryThing member Kiddboyblue
There is no denying that Iweala is a gifted writer. This book had some of the most artistic prose I have read in awhile, that quickly drew me into this story and made his characters feel so very real. There was so much emotion and heart pouring from the pages I was captivated.
This story was hard
Still, I loved the messages hiding beneath the words written. The power of words, of what is and what isn't said. The way Iweala split the book into two parts each from a different characters perspective truly highlighted this, and proved that old quote about never knowing someone else's struggles. In Niru's journey I was frustrated and confused by Meredith's absence or seeming lack of care, and yet when it switched to her perspective, suddenly you realize she is battling her own demons, and the story becomes so much richer and deep.
The second half was very hard for me to get through, as emotions ran very high, only proving to me that the writing was so strong and characterization on point. Otherwise I wouldn't have cared so much about Niru and Meredith's journey.
This was a strong novel with a strong cast, good writing, powerful moments, and an important message. Definitely a novel I recommend.
This story was hard
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though. It was dreary and bleak, and unlike other stories of its kind, I never truly got the impression anything was going to get better for anyone, which made it a harder to read to push through, beautiful as it was. Still, I loved the messages hiding beneath the words written. The power of words, of what is and what isn't said. The way Iweala split the book into two parts each from a different characters perspective truly highlighted this, and proved that old quote about never knowing someone else's struggles. In Niru's journey I was frustrated and confused by Meredith's absence or seeming lack of care, and yet when it switched to her perspective, suddenly you realize she is battling her own demons, and the story becomes so much richer and deep.
The second half was very hard for me to get through, as emotions ran very high, only proving to me that the writing was so strong and characterization on point. Otherwise I wouldn't have cared so much about Niru and Meredith's journey.
This was a strong novel with a strong cast, good writing, powerful moments, and an important message. Definitely a novel I recommend.
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LibraryThing member quondame
The internal journey of two young people, Niru and Meredith, who were high school classmates at a private school in DC, he the Harvard bound son of rich Nigerian immigrants and she the daughter of ambitious white DC wannabees. Best friends suddenly brought up short by his realization that he is
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gay, the climax what today's front page requires. Which is the weakness as well as the strength of the book. Meredith's section deals as much with her post college day adjustment and doesn't seem as real, which may be the point, but doesn't strengthen the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Charlotte_Kinzie
This is such Frightening subject matter, and so very relevant for our times. Uzodinma Iweala writes a remarkable story that is painful to read. It’s important though. It’s important that we see they way the things we do can change the course of other people’s lives. It’s important that we
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recognize that the colour of our skin or the person whose hand we choose to hold can make us a target. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntmarge64
A high school senior in Washington, DC, whose father is from Nigeria, is discovered by his strict father to be homosexual, and the boy is forced to travel to Nigeria for a church cleansing. Wanting to please his parents, and fearful of the spiritual repercussions of a lifestyle he's been taught is
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a terrible sin, he tries his best to forget his crushes and urges. He drops his best friend, the only non-family member who knows he's gay and who is unintentionally responsible for the father finding out, and at his minister's direction he tries to "act like a man", joining other boys in judging women, bragging about conquests, and generally being macho. But the psychological strain is enormous and brings about catastrophic consequences for himself, his family, and his best friend. Show Less
LibraryThing member lydia1879
i'm gonna need a moment to process this wow.
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
Lots of complaints in reviews about the style, about the lack of the speakers' punctuation, about the change in narrator, etc. To me the beauty of this book is the stream of consciousness style. I felt as though I was inside Niru's head, and then inside Meredith's - so much so that when I finished
I just loved this book, and it's so fitting of our times.
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it I was surprised the author was male!I just loved this book, and it's so fitting of our times.
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LibraryThing member secondhandrose
Two characters narrate their sides of a story. Book heads in one direction then does a U Turn. I didn't love it but it was beautifully written.
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2020)
Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — 2019)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Play-In Selection — 2019)
Nautilus Book Award (2018)
ALA Over the Rainbow Book List (Selection — Literary and General Interest — 2019)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016
Physical description
240 p.; 5.31 inches
ISBN
0061284939 / 9780061284939