I felt like this book was all over the place and there was just too much going on. I couldn’t get a good sense of Zainab and the book just seemed to stop at the end without a satisfying resolution.

I was waiting for a book like this! Zainab Takes New York is a sweet, charming, funny story about friendship, finding yourself, and love. We follow Zainab's journey as a new NYC resident as she navigates a new chapter of her life with a little guidance from her ancestors. This book is filled with so many lessons from incredible characters. Thank you, NetGalley!

Zainab Sekyi is a 21 year old international student from Ghana. She's on the move to New York and is living abroad. I loved that this book shows the struggles of being a grad student living abroad. I adored reading about her friends and family. The family secrets is what kept me going and I can't wait to go in-depth about this in a review on my bookstagram account @meetcuteromancebooks closer to the pub date.

A fun coming-of-age story about a young artist who hears the voices of her female ancestors in her head. The book was charming, and very neatly portrayed the internal struggles of trying to “discover” yourself while torn between differing expectations, from others and yourself, of who you’re supposed to be. Zainab isn’t perfect, and watching her stumble makes her feel very human.
The actual story felt clumsy at times. The beginning was very slow, only seeming to find a comfortable pace after a few chapters. Zainab’s problems were consistently introduced as Big Deals and then handwaved-away in later chapters, often being solved by other characters without much real change on Zainab’s part. The ending didn’t feel like much of a resolution; the story just stopped.
Overall, the novel was sweet, but did not make a great lasting impression on me. It would make a lovely summer read, especially for someone starting a new chapter in their life at the end of adolescence/beginning of adulthood.

This was just the most beautiful book ,from it's gorgeous cover to the immersive storyline. I haven't read anything quite as engaging as this in recent years!

“I wanted to simultaneously laugh and cry. I was being killed and reborn, with a stranger for a midwife."

The story follows Zainab Sekyi, a 21-year old international student from Ghana on her move to New York for graduate school. Although embarking on the journey alone, she’s accompanied spiritually by her ancestors Fati, Zeina and Jamila. Physically, she also finds support in a couple of family members residing in the Bronx, an old friend, a new roommate and a handful of questionable suitors. She’s lost, on a man hunt and in need of a couple reality checks - but this is no ordinary NA fiction tale.

Ayesha has a way of writing that makes it hard to put the book down. The story was absolutely engrossing and at times, hilarious. I naturally completed it in one sitting. Zainab navigated the struggles of starting a career, a sexual debut and finding her way outside of the expectations of her family, both rooted in the traditions and religions under which she grew.

I was captivated by the focus on ancestral ties and juju. Zainab developed a real relationship with her ancestors, who consequentially trusted her with hidden family secrets. They also offered varying advice that reflected the different eras and societal influences they grew up under. Nonetheless, despite their differing perspectives. their unwavering support of Zainab was visible. I honestly think that everyone needs a Fati and Jamila on their shoulders.

Ayesha covered the hardships of living abroad and the solace that can be found in others during difficult times; home isn’t just a physical place. She also delivered insights to different generational struggles for Ghanaians, touching on LGBTQ+ issues briefly, but with enough details to let the reader fill in the gap themselves.

I love reading Ayesha’s work and learning more about Ghanaian culture and traditions through tales of strong, female leads who don’t need men to build their story lines. The men often act as catalysts, but are side characters at best (although I can’t lie, I did love Kweku). The book is a light-hearted, engaging read I absolutely recommend.

Another 5/5.

Zainab is just moving to New York. On her journey to the city she starts to hear the voices of her ancestors in her head. Will she start to listen to them as they try in their own way to help her?