Seventeen-year-old Abike Johnson is the favourite child of her wealthy father. She lives in a sprawling mansion in Lagos, protected by armed guards and ferried everywhere in a huge black jeep.A world away from Abike's mansion, in the city's slums, lives an eighteen-year-old hawker struggling to make sense of the world. His family lost everything after his father's death and now he sells ice cream at the side of the road to support his mother and sister.When Abike buys ice cream from the hawker one afternoon, they strike up a tentative and unlikely romance. But as they grow closer, revelations from the past threaten their relationship and both Abike and the hawker must decide where their loyalties lie I didn't expect this to be the page-turner it turn out to be. This looks like a regular teenage romance; spoiled, rich girl meets a poor, hawker boy but deep down it's much more complex story about injustice, the power of money and the way our lives are shaped by other people and life events we have no control over. I was truly drawn into the story and the devastating ending left me really sad for the hawker (or Runner G). I did feel sorry for Abike, too. I think the things didn't really work out for her the way she may have wanted them to work out. But it was difficult to like her for her manipulating behavior. I really liked the setting in modern-day Lagos, I don't think I have read a book set in Nigeria before. The less familiar environment added some extra twist to the story.I'm glad I read this.
What do You think about La Hija Del Rey Araña (2013)?
Thought it was ok. Didn't always grab my attention and took me sometime to read
—Neha
This was a fascinating story that made two long flights much less painful!
—Ebonie
