A review by incipientdreamer
The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

 3.75 stars

There is no water in the City of Lies.

With such a gripping first sentence, Moses Ose Utomi's The Lies of Ajungo begins one of the strongest openings I've read in a book. The story follows a boy as he ventures into the desert to bring water back to his land. The Lies of Ajungo is told in a fairy tale/fable type of way and that is the main charm of the book. Utomi's writing draws the reader in with the ruthless world the protagonist lives in. The plot is pretty straightforward and it is easy to guess the path the story will take, but the reason I liked this story so much was the themes and lessons it touched upon. On truth and dictatorship and control. What happens when you strip culture of its history and magic, and how hard it can be to realize the truth of living in a city built on lies. Definitely, a writer to keep an eye out for, I enjoyed Utomi's debut novella a lot!