#BookReview: Impostor Alert by Uduak Akpabio Umoren

BLURB
Two women meet on a bus heading for Lagos – one to continue her poor-paying job as a prostitute, and the other to visit a long-distance boyfriend. Both women discover that they share an uncanny resemblance and become fast friends. But before the end of that day, there will be a fatal crash. One woman will die and the other – following a case of mistaken identity – will impersonate her.

Gently navigating the chasm between the lives of the oblivious rich and desperately poor, Impostor Alert! is a finely wrought tale about grief, forgiveness, and redemption.

MY REVIEW

The "impersonation" theme is one I enjoy quite a bit in fiction, so when I read the blurb, I was eager to read the book. Plus, I love the cover!

The story follows Inyene who has had to make sacrifices to earn money for her family to survive following the death of her father. She dreams of a better life, but it seems life just isn't going to work out that way for her. A chance encounter, a tragedy and an honest case of mistaken identity thrust her into the kind of life she dreams of.

Inyene was easily my favourite character in the book. Despite her deception, it is easy to empathise with her. I found myself rooting for her very early in the story.

Impostor Alert maintains a steady pace and provides enough twists and turns to keep you reading until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the impersonation theme in an African context. The characters were all interesting, even though a couple of them made me want to roll me eyes. The host of characters got a bit confusing at times, since I wasn't used to many of the names. However, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the story.

This is my first book by Uduak Akpabio Umoren, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

NB: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author, and I am giving my review voluntarily.