Book Review of FINE BOYS, by Eghosa Imasuen, reviewed by Beverley N N

 

This novel is for a guy’s guy.

Imagine a group of college boys taking turns at retelling heartfelt conversations about their family life, parents’ bizarre marriages, sibling rivalry, failed relationships, girls out of their league and the rivalry between deadly gangs within their neighbourhoods.

A fast paced novel with such convincing dialogue that portrayed each character so vividly that the scenes came

to life. The imagination and thought behind the telling of this novel is impressive.

First person narrations for these types of novels work well. The beginning with the interaction between

narrator Ewean, a boy in his formative teen years, his father and the colonial figure of an oil executive. 

That triangle is a powerful pivot into this intricate novel of a boy caught between family, university life, ambition and politics. Amidst all of this navigation and complexity, Ewean is able to learn how much power he has within self-control, how powerful gang affiliated structures are and how deep the political waters of Nigeria actually run.

In all of this, the main character is a reflection of any adult that has studied in a typical university in Africa. There are unwritten rules, constant need for validation and representation, a heightened sense of belonging and the creation of new and cemented identities through academia and friendships.

The on and off relationship between Ewean’s parents is an honest account of a boy’s strong emotional turmoil in the face of this. Often, boys and young men in certain African cultures are warned against showing emotion and this vulnerability, sometimes subtle and sometimes overt, that we see along the novel is refreshing and authentic.

Eghosa’s second novel, FINE BOYS, is a tale that is entertaining as it endears a reader towards real life situations of a university student catching up on missed opportunities, learning how ambition and politics are closely tied.

There is deep sadness in the novel, just like in life. It is the political fractions that continuously ruffle the journey of an average Nigerian student and the tragedy that befalls in unprecedented.

This powerful injection of emotions is one of the many reasons why you must purchase the novel, published by Farafina Books and available on amazon, for purchase.

Reviewed by Beverley N Nsengiyunva, who met Eghosa in Nigeria in 2014 and had the pleasure of receiving an

autographed copy of the novel.