It’s been a long time since I was last so disappointed in a book. I really, really disliked this one.

To begin with, the writing is not at all gripping. The entire story is told in first-person past-tense, which makes it sound like a bad memoir rather than a thrilling tale.

The characters – all of them – are exceedingly flat. I felt zero attachment to any of them. They weren’t even interesting. In fact, they were all horribly stereotypical. This book is an exercise in stereotypes.

The book is strewn with the kind of African stereotypes so many Africans are desperately trying to destroy. It paints Africans with one brush, and consistently addresses Africa as a single country. Khadra being North African himself is no excuse for perpetuating inaccuracies of this continent and its countries.

Usually I can find enough good in a book to make a nice “compliment sandwich” but I really couldn’t find anything good in this one, so I’ll just stop here.

Disclaimer: I received a free eARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.