#BookReview: Twisted by Stanley Umezulike

BLURB

The fate of a family hangs in the balance.

The Obi family live a charmed life, the picture of success and love. But when their only son Emeka marries a woman his parents deem unworthy, the ties that bind begin to unravel.

Wealthy, happy and successful, Emeka’s world changes when he sets his eyes on Anita, a beautiful teacher who captures his heart. Though his family disapproves, Emeka is determined to make her his wife. But after what was supposed to be a brief introductory ceremony, his perfect world begins to collapse around him.

Determined to build a happy life with his new bride, Emeka keeps his family at a distance. But he soon finds himself immersed in desperate schemes of his overbearing parents, which gets out of hand when he uncovers a secret that threatens to tear the family apart.

Now, the Obi family members are in danger of losing everything they hold dear. The unimaginable is happening and series of events have already begun to push them into the darkest tunnels of their lives. Will they be able to weather this storm or will they be swept away by the tide?


MY REVIEW

As the title goes, Twisted is a story that shines a light on the evil that can lurk within a person and the consequences of the same. It's taken me a while to write this review, because I didn't know how to write it without sounding like I completely hated it. I'll outline what worked and what didn't, then you can make your decision.

The story starts with an intriguing prologue, which kept me interested wondering how present-day events fit into that. The pacing is even, so there were no boring stretches. The pertinent plot issues are resolved, leaving no serious loose ends. 

That said, there were a lot of things that didn’t work for me. First of all, the story is full of Nollywood style drama, which is not my preference.  I realise that's exactly what other want, so to each his/her own.

I found the hero to be unsympathetic, especially after some action he took for which he showed no remorse. Things work out too nicely for him, and he doesn't grow significantly over the course of the story.

The portrayal of women left a lot to be desired. With the exception of one, the women came off as victims. I wish the author had given more strength and depth to them. Thinking back on  it, though, I wonder if perhaps this is a reflection of the society depicted by this work of fiction. If that was the objective, then ok... 

The final thing I'll say is that, I feel the story should have come with some content warning, as there are a few scenes that could be triggering for some readers.

I should mention that this is not a romance novel. It has romantic elements and there is an HEA, but it's more of a family drama than a traditional romance story. This is my first time reading this author, and I'm open to reading more of his work..