Official Review: The vip by Chiku Abeze

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DancingLady
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Official Review: The vip by Chiku Abeze

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The vip" by Chiku Abeze.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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I had never read an African book before I read The VIP, by Chiku Abeze. This gripping novel provides the reader with insight into Nigerian culture, geography, economics, and politics. As the story begins, Nigeria is coming out of a period of military rule. Elections to form the new government are coming up. Akpa Nku, a successful businessman, begins his campaign for governor of the state of Anambra. Meanwhile, Ndu Okwu, a very young man, begins his campaign to join the house of assembly. As soon as the campaigns begin, it becomes apparent that the seeds of corruption are already being sewn. While candidates travel from town to town making grandiose claims, envelopes of cash are quietly passed to community leaders to guarantee their support. Ndu's rival even tries to pay him to drop out of the race.

After the elections, it doesn't take long before problems start brewing in the new government. As governor, Nku is a VIP; a man with power. His weakness for beautiful women leads to a scandalous affair with a teen young lady. He then favors her school with additional funds for sports equipment. When Ndu Okwu discovers these financial discrepancies, he begins looking further, finding more evidence of money mismanagement and corruption. When this information is exposed, threats begin and politics becomes a dirty business.

This book taught me so many things about Nigeria. I love how the author weaves together a story about politics and the struggles of democracy in Nigeria with so much family life and culture. The characters were very well developed and believable. I came away from this book feeling like I have a much better understanding of some of the obstacles facing the government in Nigeria and other African nations. I had no idea how prolific bribery is in both politics and society. I also greatly appreciate the tasteful way the author handles intimate relations between characters by giving us only enough information to know what is happening.

While I did find a few errors in this book, it was otherwise professionally edited. Because of the similarities between the names, I had some confusion between the characters of Nku and Ndu. Since Nku is a surname and Ndu is a first name, I am not sure why the author typically referred to them this way. Some readers might find the flow of the text a bit awkward at first. For me, this was not a problem because I was able to adjust to the author's style within a few pages.

I am giving this book a 3 out of 4 because even though it was a fabulous novel, there were a few too many typos to give it a 4. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in politics or African culture. It is a highly educational, engaging, and well-written work.

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stacie k
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Post by stacie k »

I would definitely have trouble distinguishing between Nku and Ndu also! I love a book that is both educational and entertaining. I am sure I would learn a lot by reading The VIP. Thanks for a well-done review!
“The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable.” Proverbs 15:2a
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Post by kandscreeley »

I have not really read many African novels as well. I'm sorry to say that I don't really know enough about their culture or government. This sounds like it would be interesting and enlightening at the same time which is a good combination. I might have to look at this one in spite of the errors. Thanks!
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DancingLady
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Post by DancingLady »

kandscreeley wrote: 23 Mar 2018, 13:01 I have not really read many African novels as well. I'm sorry to say that I don't really know enough about their culture or government. This sounds like it would be interesting and enlightening at the same time which is a good combination. I might have to look at this one in spite of the errors. Thanks!
Thanks, I hope you get a chance to read it. I feel like the benefits far outweigh the number of errors.
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Post by AliceofX »

DancingLady wrote: 18 Mar 2018, 00:59 Because of the similarities between the names, I had some confusion between the characters of Nku and Ndu. Since Nku is a surname and Ndu is a first name, I am not sure why the author typically referred to them this way.
Yeah, that can be a problem when reading stories that are in a foreign setting. Maybe to the author it didn't seem like a big deal, but he should have been more aware of how international readers might struggle with it.
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