I was both excited and nervous to read this - I had really enjoyed The Girl with the Louding Voice and was looking forward to more by the author, but was worried about having yet more trauma dumped on Adunni before she got the chance to pursue her education. This was heartbreaking, eye opening, and touched on so many intersecting issues in Nigeria today. I do still wish that we could have let Adunni have her well deserved happy ending at the end of the last book, while maybe focusing more heavily on Tia’s story, but at the same time I liked getting to be back in Adunni’s world and to see her strength in facing her past. Based on the ending I’m guessing there will be at least one more book in this world, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy listening to that as well. 

I cried many times. A really powerful and jarring story. It packs emotional punches but differently than the first book. 

This one felt contrived and preachy. The shock and heartstrings are more of a response to the real world knowledge these terrible things are actually happening to women all over the world, not because of their presence in the story or their narrative role.

The first book was so incredible and should be required reading for high school and parents but this one feels like a forced effort to bring activism. Like using graphic images on a billboard.