Wahala: A Novel

Written by Nikki May

Narrated by Natalie Simpson

""Contemporary female friendship goes glam in this lively debut novel with remarkable depth."" -- Washington Post

""Great fun and extremely smart."" -- npr.org

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2022 BY Vogue * Marie Claire * Glamour * Essence * Oprah Daily * Entertainment Weekly * Bustle * PopSugar * CrimeReads * and more!

An incisive and exhilarating debut novel following three Anglo-Nigerian best friends and the lethally glamorous fourth woman who infiltrates their group—the most unforgettable girls since Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha.

Ronke wants happily ever after and 2.2. kids. She’s dating Kayode and wants him to be “the one” (perfect, like her dead father). Her friends think he’s just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends.

Boo has everything Ronke wants—a kind husband, gorgeous child. But she’s frustrated, unfulfilled, plagued by guilt, and desperate to remember who she used to be.

Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle. 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, it seems at first she’s bringing out the best in each woman. (She gets Simi an interview in Shanghai! Goes jogging with Boo!) But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, and Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s close friendship begins to crack.

A sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal, Wahala (trouble) is an unforgettable novel from a brilliant new voice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jan 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063084278

Nikki May

Born in Bristol and raised in Lagos, Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian. Her critically acclaimed debut novel Wahala won the Comedy Women In Print New Voice Prize, was longlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award and the Diverse Books Award, and is being turned into a major BBC TV drama series. Nikki lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard Schnauzers and way too many books. She should be working on her next book but is probably reading.

Reviews for Wahala

[Lanassan vasquiertei · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The colorism, texturism downright anti-bkackness is really something in this book. It's a no for me.

[Damaris Mukulu · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, mixed feelings about this book. A little predicable in parts; and the main characters become unlikable as the book progresses

[Elizabeth · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book has many flaws. The characters were unlikeable and terribly selfish. The only likable personality was Ronke and she was slayed by her ‘friends’ and the author in every chapter.
There’s colorism in there as well. All white men are good and all black men are trash. Terrible. I read this book for weeks expecting it to somehow get better. I was disappointed.

[Mel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slow start, becomes more breezy towards the 60% mark. Boo was a chore to read about, although I understand what she represented. Isobel was kind of one-dimensional (villain): easy to hate, not someone I'll think back about. Lots of yummy sounding food were mentioned. It helps to enjoy this book having a bit knowledge about Africa/ their cultures; although author did a pretty splendid job helping the reader out.

[marie holdness · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Colorism and anti blackness made some part of the book cringy . Ronde is my favorite character and the twist and turns towards the end are crazy and left open that a second book would tie up loose ends and give a real proper ending . The ladies failure to see what was in front of them shows their own faults that lead to their friendship almost crashing and burning . If it wasn’t for the audiobook I definitely wouldn’t have read my hardcover that was gifted to me .

[Tee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun read. Izobel is a serious vilain

[Ene Audu · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed listening to this. The story I could kind of figure out from the first few chapters but I enjoyed getting to know the ladies. Absolutely loved Ronkes character and hated Boos character. It was a lovely read, would recommend

[whitney4franklin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about the beauty or the travesty that is female friendships. We first meet Ronke, whose life is supported by two main pillars, her friends Boo and Simi. Having bonded over a shared culture (well shared more so between Simi and Ronke, Boo still seems to be in denial), as I read deeper and deeper into this book, I began to feel that being Nigerian and going to the same University was probably the only thing these women had in common anymore. To me, it seemed like they had outgrown their friendships and remained connected based on their past. "Poor Ronke" is all I kept thinking as I felt that Boo and Simi were awful friends, who pitied her at the best of times and neglected her at the worst of it. It was an exciting read and I enjoyed the plot thoroughly. The plot twist was juicy but seem a little bit incredible as it related to Isabel's connection to Ronke and Simi. All in all, I loved it. It was a good book and I look forward to the series.

[Shade Henry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As others have said, the colourism and anti blackness shown by some of the characters and even the author, goes unchecked. The author is a biracial woman married to a white man and I don't know if that informs some of the things she has said in the book but I cringed at some of it. Aside from that, the book is an enjoyable read - one to read on holiday or a quiet weekend.

[Felene Cayetano · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was going to be the shortest review ever, but Scribd has a minimum word count. <--preamble.

Must read!

[Busola · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intriguing, engaging, entertaining, great read and definitely worth the read

[Tekala Mosley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

pretty good! kept me awake for my long drive lol

[Gabriela · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing story, obsessed with the narrator! Highly recommend this audiobook.

[temitope · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Looots of drama ?. Loved it!!???

...and it's so beautifully written ?.
My first novel read this year ?.

[Chika Anene · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Truly enjoyed this read. The characters were believable, the storyline enchanting. As a Nigerian, May's book awakened a sense of nostalgia with her descriptions of places, dishes, and events. It evoked so many different emotions. It's certainly a book I want to re-read in the future.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

fiction - a new (old) friend joins a group Anglo-Nigerian besties in London and trouble follows.Wahala (literally 'trouble' in Nigerian) is an understatement as things quickly escalate from messy to shitstorm, and worse. Starts off like a Sex and the City story with gals sharing (or not sharing) complaints about their boyfriend/husbands/kid, but then makes a hard turn into psychological terror when the twists keep coming.

[anniik_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

TW/CW: Language, adultery, violence, character deathRATING: 4/5REVIEW: Wahala is the story of three close friends living in London as best they can. While none of their lives are picture perfect, things change when they welcome a fourth member to their group and everything starts going to hell.I enjoyed this book. I did wish that maybe the things Isobel did might be shown earlier in the book, sort of building on each other, but that simply didn’t happen. I did like the book anyway though, a lot, even though the big reveal at the end was a little more scooby doo villain than I would have liked.I definitely do recommend this book.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great story about friendship with some major twists.

[froxgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This delightful rom-com brings in a fourth disparate element to a tight group of Anglo-Nigerian women in London. Ronke, a dentist, is in love with an unreliable Nigerian man. Boo is mildly discontented with her French husband and daughter and is crushing on a manager at work. And then Simi, whose Brit husband wants her to have children despite her doubts, brings her childhood friend, wealthy Isobel, into the group. The three friends each have their unique voices and minor problems, but there's something (actually, a LOT of things) that Isobel uses to squeeze her way into the group. The dual natures and contradictions of both Nigerian and London mixed race women is fascinating on many levels, and the back histories of the women sets this way above the usual novels of the genre. The reader will absorb a lot of joy from learning about Nigerian middle class cuisine and culture, and even learn some lovely words - alobam = partner in crime, and the title, Wahala = trouble.

[brangwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While it took me a while to fully appreciate the devious friendship newcomer Isobel brings to a group of Nigerian-British women. Boo, Simi and Ronke have been friends for a long time, but with wealthy Isobel’s appearance their friendship begins to crack. Isobel has a knack for finding the insecurities of each of the women and playing each of them against the other. With the conclusion of the book, the reader understands the meaning of the Nigerian word for trouble “wahala”.

[mtrumbo_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wahala (Yoruba for “trouble”) is a hard book to classify. It’s a story about three close female friends that let a fourth rich and chic friend into their group. It was a bit of a mish-mash of “chick” lit, romance, and thriller with characters that one doesn’t necessarily like and plot lines that are a bit repetitive; however, I could not put down this book. It was oddly compelling and enjoyable. And I must say, I enjoyed the descriptions of Nigerian cooking and the recipes in the back. I very much looking forward to more of Nikki May’s writing in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for opportunity to read and review!

[nicx27 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sex and the City with a killer edge? For fans of Expectation and Queenie? I thought Wahala was sure to be my kind of read and I was right. I absolutely loved every page of it.Three close friends: Ronke, Boo and Simi. They're all English/Nigerian and embrace both cultures in varying degrees. They're successful and clever but like most people they have their problems and their secrets. The story begins with Isobel, an old friend of Simi's, being introduced to the group and from there the trio's friendship and their individual lives are threatened. Isobel is very much a cuckoo in the nest, although none of them realise it as Isobel is devious and on a mission to divide and conquer.This is an incredible debut from Nikki May. The writing is astute and exciting, the reader a fly on the wall as each woman is played to great effect by Isobel. The chapters are told alternately from each point of view and I found it fascinating to watch Isobel weaving her web and just waiting for Ronke, Boo and Simi to fly right into it and get caught. Ronke was my favourite character without a doubt, but each of them is brilliantly portrayed. This book is so real and is a perfect portrayal of the ups and downs of friendships. I loved all the Nigerian cultural references and the traditional food. If you read this book and it makes you hungry then there are a few recipes at the end to try out.Wahala is a dazzling, rich and effervescent read. It's relevant and full of life, and that aforementioned killer edge was unexpectedly shocking. Just fantastic in every way.