When We Speak of Nothing

This book promised much but was let down, I felt, by being overambitious in the ground it sought to cover. Had Popoola stuck to fewer topics and/or been less experimental in her writing, then When We Speak may have been a better novel. At its heart is the classic coming-of-age trope, when old bonds/loyalties are tested and sometimes replaced. As the title hints at, it is rare that we say what we really mean/feel, particularly in times of stress. Popoola's message is complicated here by the hero(ine) of the novel being black and transgender, with a father whom he had not hitherto known suddenly appearing on the scene in Nigeria. This results in a trip to Nigeria and a period of self-discovery which occurs at the same time his best friend is in hospital with a brain injury following violence in the London 2011 riots. That's a lot to take in, particularly when combined with black teenage slang, Nigerian dialect and Popoola's method writing. No doubt she is a talented author, but this has to be considered more as a piece of experimental fiction than purely enjoyable reading. On a separate note, the 2011 riots — this period of short craziness — deserves more coverage in fiction. 6½/10.

By Olumide Popoola