Daughters of Oduma by Moses Ose Utomi

What worked:

The author artfully crafts a rustic world where there’s a definite hierarchy of social levels. Bowers like Dirt and her four “sisters” are at the top and spend every day training for competitions. Bowing seems to be a form of sumo wrestling with a bower throwing her opponent to earn points or forcing them out of a circle of sandbags to end the match. Dirt is part of the Mud Fam and she’s the Second Sis in the clan. The First is expected to represent the Mud in the God Bowing tournament and this year’s results will be extra important. Dirt will soon become a woman and leave her sisters and they’re already at the minimum number to remain together. The winning Fam will inherit all of the new bowing recruits and the Mud Fam will disband without that happening.

The most interesting part of the story is Dirt’s character and her internal struggle to become a champion bower. She’s out of shape and unmotivated and one of her younger sisters can even kick her butt. On the other hand, she knows the importance of the God Bowing tournament and how her family’s survival is at stake. To not compete would insult the Mud Fam but her skills and moves are slow and clunky and she tires too easily. The First has confidence in her and offers unwavering compliments and support. So why does she listen to the doubting voice in her head that always leads her to defeat? She is brave. She is fat. She is Dirt. This is what she must remember.

Different chapters focus on different characters to provide various perspectives on the story. Dirt’s sisters love living in their Mud Fam but they’re uncertain about their futures. Swoo aspires to become a champion bower and she resents Dirt’s attitude toward the championship. Nana has dreams beyond bowing but tradition dictates the direction of her life. Verdi isn’t the First of the Vine Fam but she manipulates Carra Carre to do her bidding. Carra Carre is obsessed with winning to help her Vine Clan but Dirt eventually realizes they share some of the same vulnerabilities. Verdi’s distorted vision of future Fams will result in drastic changes and it requires sacrifices and destruction in its wake. The various points of view allow readers to develop an overall picture of conflicting events.

What didn’t work as well:

Part of the world-creation includes dialogue specific to the story so the vocabulary sometimes affects understanding. Readers should still be able to get the gist of what characters are saying but the exact ideas may require inferencing. That being said, a unique language is necessary in order to effectively immerse readers in the culture.

The Final Verdict:

The unique culture and conflicts in the story are highly engaging. The author crafts an emotional tale where the dramatic suspense builds to an epic climax between two formidable forces. Overall, I highly recommend you give this book a shot.