Crossroad by Taiwo Idowu: An Un-sponsored Unedited, Might Get Me Blocked Book Review
Dear Asiwaju Taiwo Idowu, please don't block me, don't kill me. This is just a book review.
The primary reason I am reviewing this book is because I promised myself to at least attempt to review every book I read this year. Have I been keeping up with this promise? Ermm, ermm, yunno as in because. Okay let me just shut it, you already get the gist.
Maybe at the back of my mind, what propelled this is because the writer actually gave me a full paragraph spot in the acknowledgment too. Nevertheless, you may be shocked to read what I have to say about this book.
Crossroad is Taiwo Idowu’s second book. Published in 2022, it is a book about the story of Nadia, a young girl who was married off to a man her father’s age in exchange for two cows. It is a book about her marriage, the complexities of polygamous families, and heavily themed on grief.
Now, that is an almost simple, maybe cliché storyline but Taiwo gave it all the thrills and turnings the story can contain before getting saturated. From the creative yet simple cover design to the font and spacing, I could already feel that what I held was a children’s book.8
I mean, whilst I really wanted to know what became of Nadia at the end, I am left unimpressed about many things in this book. Why did Nadia have to suffer so much with no compensation? The ill feeling Nadia’s father have towards her, what caused it? Why and how realistic is it for a father to hate his daughter that much?
Why did Nadia’s husband hate her so much too? What caused the death of Masimba, Nadia’s brother? What happened to the last pregnancy Nadia carried? Leah did more for Nadia than her own birth mother; why is Nadia’s mother like that whilst Leah is different?
Why and why and a shit ton of other whys.
But that’s just me. I like it when stories make me ask question. I like books that pique my curiosity and get me questioning.
Pacing
I like the pacing in the book. I think that is one of the most realistic things about this small eight-five-page book. It’s a book you can finish reading within four to three hours even if you are multitasking. The story started slowly, picked up pace and maintained it. I like that the writer did not rush the scenes, or skitter around unnecessarily. The pacing is so real I can imagine Nadia develop before my own eyes and watch her go through those travails.
Characterization
Nadia is a well-fleshed character, no doubt. The writer took her time to perfectly weave the story around her in the most possible ways. Another character that was well developed is that of Arno, Nadia’s husband. A few other supporting characters like Leah, Masimba, and her Mama got more than just a few mentions and they played vital roles in the story.
Plot
Crossroads is a narrative-driven book. I think the writer focused more on this plot than the nitty-grity of storytelling. I mean, you can envisage the direction of the story but you can’t really say what would be the end of these characters. I like plot-driven stories, I think they keep readers hooked. I may not remember all the names of the characters in a story but I’ll always remember what the storyline was.
I do not think this plot is below average, but I think it is many works away from being a masterpiece. Because the writer focused on narrating the story, it is obvious that there is more telling than showing in this work. Of course, it is okay to tell rather than show; and it is okay if you want to do the opposite. What matters most is to ensure that any option you are working with suits the writing style of that particular work.
Setting
This is one of the confusing aspects of this book. Where is this story set? Where are these characters from, and why is their lives like that? At first, you want to assume that they are northern Nigerians because of the idea of child-marriage, but some of the names such as Masimba, Arno, Adriano, Elna, Oratile, Mandla, Nooram, and Sachin do not sound northern. The writer made sure we understood some of the concepts of culture, lifestyle, and traditions in this book, but she failed to let us know what realistic or fictional place the book is set in.
Editing
I think the editors of this book did a poor and shoddy job. This book is one of the most hurriedly edited books that I have ever read. There are so many ambiguous sentences, exaggerated use of adverbs, cringe worthy dialogues, and a few punctuation errors. I swear to God, any of my student would edit better than this. The editing watered down the wholeness of this book so much I contemplated dropping it on many occasion.
The main work of editors, especially the ones who work with publishing firms is to thoroughly chisel a work to perfection. Yes, perfection may not exist in reality but in books there are standards we use to gauge literary works, to compare the solidity of a book, and to have a fair literary appreciation of that particular book.
Point of View
Crossroad is written in a first person point of view. It is Nadia herself narrating her own story. Whilst a few other times we are presented with other characters, it is from Nadia’s perspective that we get a clue into their head. I think the POV employed did justice to this work. I want to assume that a third person point of view would have given this work more body, and a second person point of view would do more damage.
Summary
Crossroads is a book that did not preach. As much as it is a cultural value-laden book, I am glad the writer did not go down the preachy lane. It is a simple book for leisure reading. You should not expect any oomph or plot twist. I will recommend this book to young adults and children coming of age to broaden their imagination and give them a sense of clue about what is obtainable elsewhere. If Crossroads had been a Nonfiction, the story of Nadia is enough to get her on a Tedx stage to talk about her life.
I like simple books especially if their target readers are children. I think Taiwo Idowu has the potential to write more children’s books, since her debut and second book toed that lane. I am however optimistic that her subsequent books must show signs of growth expected of a writer, and another keen eye for observations and the intricacies of storytelling.