I hate to DNF netgalley books but it seems to be happening a lot recently, again I just don't gel with the writing style so I'm going to put it down.

deeply moving. heavy. i am excited to see more work from this writer.
definitely a read that will stay with you for a while.

I liked the overall story, although, I thought it dragged in some parts. I give this title 3 stars. Will recommend to friends if asked.

Blessings was an excellent read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I would read more from this author again.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This is a really stunning debut by Nigerian writer Chukwuebuka Ibeh about a young gay Nigerian boy’s coming-of-age through his adolescent experiences at a boarding school, and then at college, told in alternating perspective chapters between the main character and his mother.

The writing is gorgeous and has a lovely flow to it, doing an excellent job of balancing physical and emotional detail; the characters and their relationships were compelling and felt very real, even (especially?) when they were difficult or frustrating to read about; and it felt extremely grounded in the time and place it was set.

There’s a lot of hope and a lot of mourning here all at once, as the main character both finds queer community and becomes increasingly isolated from it as the political climate becomes more hostile to queer existence. Really, really excellent work which feels extremely developed and mature (especially for a debut), and I will absolutely read whatever Ibeh puts out next. Highly recommended.

Obiefuna is sent to boarding school by his father after being caught with a boy. He has to figure out how his new school's hierarchy and rules work while still coming to terms with himself. Part of the story is told from Obiefuna's POV and the other from his mother Uzoamaka, who is dealing with the absence of her son. Overall, a coming of age story of a gay teen who is trying to figure things out in a country that forbids it.

I found the story to be very moving with truly lovable characters. I was immediately immersed in the plot and felt like the writing pacing was perfect. There’s nothing I would change about this story! I look forward to learning more about this author and reading more of their work.

Blessings is a beautiful story about acceptance, growth, and love (unconditional and conditional). This is truly a special book with characters you’ll love and come to love. I wished that I could hug Obiefuna so many times through this. Ibeh wraps Blessings up tenderly. A must read.

"I often think of how much love is lost as gay kids grow up. We are robbed of the chance to experience the innocence of early teenage love. Because you spend all that time filled with fear, mastering your own pretense." - Chukwuebuka Ibeh

This is a breathtaking and exquisitely written coming-of-age novel that exists at the intersection of a queer sexual awakening, tense familial bonds, and societal bigotry. The novel is set in Nigeria, concluding with the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014. The MC, Obiefuna, is a sensitive soul who is banished to boarding school after his father discovers his sexuality. The story is filled with vivid portrayals of Nigerian culture and the struggle for societal acceptance.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Nigeria Blessings is a complex, deeply moving story of Obiefuna as he navigates being a gay teen in Nigeria. This is not an easy read but a deeply important story.

It took me a little while to get invested in the story. I found the pacing to be both slow and impossible to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley for teh ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really wanted to like this book, gay coming of age stories set in Nigeria are certainly not something I come across everyday, The coming of age portion of this book worked pretty well but the characterization fell apart for me. This is a dual POV between our main character and his mother, but both are fairly devoid of personality. All the characters in this book feel very one note. I think it would have been better off being more fleshed out and allowing us to see more of their interior life, especially Obiefuna, who feels more like passive passenger than an active decision maker in his own life. I almost gave up at the 35% mark, but ultimately I am very glad that I finished it because the ending responds to actual decisions made by the Nigerian government with regard to gay citizens and it was very interesting.

Finishing this book a day after attending Chicago Pride was a reminder that pride and joy in ourselves are not something to be taken lightly. Blessings follows Obifuna, “may my heart not be lost,” from childhood into adulthood as he discovers himself and his sexuality while also having to face the repercussions of what it might mean to be gay in Nigeria. The second half of this book is where it shined for me, and it makes me think about how lucky I am to live in an age where being out does not mean a death sentence (though I also cannot forget that for many, it very well may). It is so important to me to read stories from queer folks across the diaspora because our experiences are many, and our love contains multitudes. Happy Pride everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the E-Arc

this took me a minute to get into but once i did i was so invested in obiefuna's story/coming of age. the writing style is slow but still manages to keep you hooked, wanting to see where obiefuna and those around him will end up. thank you netgalley and doubleday books for an eARC of this release!

Blessings was stunning debut. The writing in this story was beautiful while not being feeling to flowering to understand. This story is about judgement, acceptance, and love. Obiefuna is sent to boarding school by his father after being caught with another boy and we see Obi go through boarding school trying to be different and fight who he is to be accepted. He's been told that the way he is is wrong and wants to be accepted. I really empathized with his character. I also empathized with his mom because for majority of the book she had no idea why her husband sent their son away. She felt lost without her son and would've fought for him to stay no matter what. This was a beautiful and eye opening book.

This was such a tough read at times. I wish I could give Obie a hug through the pages. This was written so excellent that within the first 30% of the book I knew it would be a 5 star.

A powerful and compelling read, Blessings is the debut novel from Chukwuebuka Ibeh, which tells the story of Obiefuna, a young boy growing up early aughts Nigeria who is sent to a Christian boarding school after his father finds out he's gay. Most of the novel is told from Obiefuna's perspective as he struggles daily to keep his sexuality a secret, while finding glimmers of love and acceptance throughout his adolescence. There are a few chapters interspersed throughout from his mother, Uzoamaka's, perspective about the heartbreak she feels over her husband sending their son away.

Ibeh's prose is both lyrical and to the point, and I found myself compelled to keep reading even when the content was heartbreaking (spoiler alert: most of it was). As a second generation Nigerian-American, I haven't had the chance to read many books about the LGBTQIA+ experience in modern Nigeria, and I'm grateful I was able to read this one. I found the last third particularly affective as Ibeh paralleled the US's Marriage Equality Act with Nigeria's Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. I do wish Uzoamaka perspective started a bit earlier and we got to see more of Obiefuna's childhood before he was sent away to amp up the emotions in the third part but it's a minor quibble. I'll be on the lookout for Ibeh's next novel. Thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for the arc.

“Blessings” is a raw coming of age story that follows Obiefuna as he navigates the complicated feelings of being a queer teenager in Nigeria. The themes of self-acceptance, grief, and the weight of societal expectations all come through beautifully as the reader is shown glimpses of Obiefuna’s life experiences.

This story was a bit tough for me to get into in the beginning since it felt like we were dropped right in the middle of Obiefuna’s life, not given much time to adjust to the setting and situation before seeing him begin to navigate his sexuality. Despite that, I could feel the raw emotion from the very beginning. I also felt that this story was a bit slower paced than my usual taste but the emotional beats in the latter half made this well worth the read.

The aspect of this book that I appreciated the most was the complexity of it. The characters, the situations, the moral quandaries, all of it felt so nuanced and left me thinking about how I would struggle to handle what the characters were facing. Most of all I enjoyed how complex every character was, Obiefuna especially. Watching him have to handle such morally intense situations left me so worried for how he would come out on the other end. Multiple times I wished I could reach through the pages of the book to tell him he was strong for what he did, especially in the moments when he chose to protect himself. I cannot say that I have lived any of his experiences myself, but I could feel the emotional weight to each moment.

I would definitely read another work by this author. Their writing style was beautiful and managed to pull out so many emotions in a rather short book. I look forward to what else the author has to offer.

Blessings is a quiet, introspective book about self-discovery set in Nigeria. Obiefuna lives with his parents and brother, and is seen as quiet and reserved while his brother Ekene is brash and active. After his father witnesses an intimate moment between him and another teenage boy, he is sent away to a boarding school perhaps in hopes that the strict hierarchical nature of the school will "straighten" him out. Interpresed with Obiefuna's exploration of the world is chapters narrated by his mother Uzoamaka who is heartbroken by the absence of her son. The happenings in this book overlap with the crackdown of same sex relationships in Nigeria.

This is an impressive debut by Chukwuebuka Ibeh that tackles thorny politics and familial relationships while also providing a moving internal journey of one young man. I hope many people find this book and enjoy.

Thank you to Doubleday Books via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

Obiefuna and his mother Uzoamaka tell this coming of age and coming out story set in Nigeria in the years 2000-2010. It's an emotional tale, mostly, oddly enough, from Uzoamaka's perspective, who is confused as to why her beloved son has been sent to boarding school and distressed in her life and marriage, Obiefuna's experience in boarding school is tortuous but also familiar in some ways. This is atmospheric, interesting, and thought provoking. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read- I'm looking forward to more from Ibeh.

In Nigeria, sweet, sensitive Obiefuna is caught by his father in a compromising position with another boy. This sets off a chain of events that will change his life forever.

Sent away to a boarding school, Obiefuna now faces a whole different set of obstacles, while his mother remains at home wondering WHY her husband sent their son away. Always knowing there was something different about him, she has protected him and never loved him any less, so reconciling why her husband pulled him from his school to send him away is hard.

Obiefuna is grappling with his attraction to the same sex. It is widely seen as sinful and shameful by the conservative Nigerian majority. It’s not safe for him and we see that play out in numerous ways throughout this book.

There were moments I wanted to weep for him, and moments I wanted to scream at him… All the while, though, I loved Obiefuna. We see the reasons behind some of his actions, good and bad. I just wanted him happy.

This was a really beautiful story, following Obiefuna through his three years at boarding school and the years after. The growth is immense, and told through such a unique lens, at such a pivotal time in the world for queer rights.