Riveting. Relatable. Revealing.

I could end with that last full stop and they’ll do justice to the book review, but let me dig in a little deeper.

Thankfully, I’m not Yinka, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had my share of questions like this or its many variations or know people who have. And that’s where the relatability comes in. But hey, this ain’t about me, remember? That question was directed to Yinka, who is the main character.

So, who is Yinka? I’ll introduce her to you in the very words of the author. “Yinka wants to find love. Her problem? Her mum wants to find it for her. She also has too many aunties who frequently pray for her delivery from singledom.” That’s just a scratch on the depth of who she is, and if you want to find out more, you need to get the book.

Why did I get this book, let alone want to read it and even write how I felt about it? Well, I’d seen it around too many times, and the relatability of the title piqued my interest. And then, I began to read, and the first few sentences sucked me in. “It’s two hours into my sister’s baby shower and so far not one person has said, ‘So, Yinka, when is it going to be your turn?’ Or the classic, ‘Yinka, where is your huzband?’” And the heading of the chapter? “The prayer of the century.” This kept me reading. I want to know what this prayer is about. I want to see the events that unfold. It’s like I’m a fly on the wall in that room. Waiting. Thirsty for more. And the more I’m immersed in the pages, the more I want to keep being a fly in every room Yinka finds herself either with her mum and many aunties or even her internal monologue.

There were several times I found myself saying, ‘Girl don’t do that, please.’ One such moment was when she began to think of ‘modifying’ herself to… and another was when she went to a store to get certain products that would… You’re going to have to find out yourself. No spoilers here.

The only ‘issue’ I had was the f-bomb here and there in the book, and that’s out of a personal preference not to consume materials with swear words.

I would have said I recommend this book to every Black girl, particularly those who face the pressure to be married by ‘African aunties’ (like Yinka’s Aunty Debbie, who is relentless), but this is a book for everyone because there might be one or two things to pick out even if you can’t relate to the theme of ‘where’s your huzband?’