From the Bookshelf of Words Between Worlds…

Speak No Evil

Uzodinma Iweala

Start date: May 1, 2018

Finish date: May 31, 2018

Discussion: May 2018 Discussions

Why we're reading this: May 2018 Book of the Month
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May 2018 Discussions

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By Diana · 1 post · 23 views

last updated Apr 19, 2018 12:22PM

What Members Thought

May 30, 2018 Ashley rated it really liked it

Did I really finish Speak No Evil the same day that I started it? Yes, yes I did.
This book is not one to be taken, or read, lightly. This book will snatch up your attention and drag you right in. And it will hold it. I'll admit the beginning was slow and a little off-putting for me but quickly began speaking to my heart. I ended with tears in my eyes and anguish in my heart. 4 stars. ...more

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May 30, 2018 Renée | Book Girl Magic rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. **Contains Spoilers** Not even sure how to put this book into words. The ending was unexpected to say the least.
 I enjoyed this read. It was my first LGBT book and it was intriguing from beginning to end. My heart felt for the main character Niru and his struggle to come out to the world as a gay young man. I feel like so many kids aren't able to freely be themselves because of the pressure and demands put on us by family, friends and society.
 Although it's not as openly discussed, many kids are **Contains Spoilers** Not even sure how to put this book into words. The ending was unexpected to say the least.
 I enjoyed this read. It was my first LGBT book and it was intriguing from beginning to end. My heart felt for the main character Niru and his struggle to come out to the world as a gay young man. I feel like so many kids aren't able to freely be themselves because of the pressure and demands put on us by family, friends and society.
 Although it's not as openly discussed, many kids are sent away to be "fixed" but people of religious authority. It's truly saddening that kids can't be loved and accepted for who they are. It was interesting to see Niru battle with this as his Nigerian parents (mainly his father) was not having it any other way. Niru's father was ashamed of him for being gay and while his mother wouldn't openly say it, you could see that she empathized with her son.
 I was happy that Niru had a tiny encounter with Damien so that he could live a little and enjoy being himself, even if only for a short period of time. Damien brought out a spark in Niru that had been missing for some time now. It was like Damien was comfort food. A familiar happy place that had been buried deep. Home.
 And Meredith. Really disliked her in this book and found her to be extremely selfish. She was always more concerned with her need to be loved and wanted by Niru rather than helping her best friend through his mixed emotions and struggle of being a gay young man. When he was murdered (hello surprise ending), I blamed her completely for it and was actually satisfied in knowing that she would have to live with that guilt for the rest of her life. A case of another young man who's bound to be successful in life was taken away in the blink of an eye, like dust blowing in the wind. My heart aches for the pain felt by his family (especially his dad who never had the opportunity to build a proper relationship with Niru) and the fact that Niru never got to live life as an out of the closet, gay young man.
 I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Definitely a book that kept me on my toes. Starting to really enjoy books that are told from multiple characters perspectives. ...more

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Aug 02, 2018 Charlotte rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, queer-read, black-authors-read, read-in-2018

I've listened to Speak No Evil on audio and while my mind sometimes wanders while doing so, I was totally captivated by this heartbreaking story. Speak No Evil might be on the shorter side but this novel covers the alientaing experience of being a foreigner in a country although seemingly having every status symbol that others do, the teen angst of unreciprocated love and finding your own sexual identity, the consequences of cultural family hierarchy and the dangers of ingrained racism in societ ...more

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Jun 18, 2018 Candace Hernandez rated it liked it

I’ve seen this little gem all over #bookstagram recently, and was excited to get my hands on it. There was A LOT of story packed into these 207 pages. It is certainly an important and timely story that I’m glad I read.
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I know this isn’t a popular opinion, but I didn’t love it. I had a difficult time with the run-on sentences and lack of quotation marks. I found that I had to re-read much of the dialogue to understand who was saying what. Beyond that, the second half felt like a completely diff ...more

2 likes · Like · see review