Blackass by Igoni Barrett Book Review — Titilola Shittu
I got interested in the book by merely reading about it. The catchy title also got me. In Blackass, Igoni Barrett talks about a young Nigerian man who wakes up as a white man — red hair and white skin.
Through the book, I was able to see how Nigerians respect ‘oyibo’ due to the colour of their skin. Furo got the attention of so many, he even got a job because he was a white man. Everyone wanted to associate with him, this is common in Nigeria. People get over excited about white people that they forget they are also humans.
The characters were okay but I didn't really see Igoni. The writer wasn't too detailed with that character,I felt he missed some things there. Sareeta’s motive was funny, which is common with some Nigerian ladies, who would do anything to have a white baby — the ‘half cast’ mentality is real.
There’s a part of the book where Furo’s sister tweets were written. At first I thought it was cool and different but I got bored later on — it was pointless.
I was lost towards the end of the book. It felt rushed. I think the writer had a very brilliant idea, but the execution was poorly done.
The Luminaries Book Club is an online book club with the aim of encouraging people of different background and walks of life to read, interact, and expand their knowledge base so as to increase in wisdom and understanding in order to maximize their potentials. Our sole purpose is to revive the reading culture amongst youth, and as the name implies, build up individuals that are an inspiration to others and together be a body that gives light.
Want to be a member? Click here to chat with our Admin. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get our updates.
