REVIEW OF EUNICE E. NJEZE'S VALERIA'S BEST

Title of the Book: Valeria’s Best Author: Eunice Eberechukwu Njeze Genre: Fiction

Social and Historical Context: Valeria Amadi has big dreams and desires to be successful. She deals with bullies and the unrequited love of her teenage crush. With a few good friends, a lovely family and unflinching passion for her hobbies, she is distinguished amongst her peers. Synopsis: Many adults are quick to misjudge teenagers for their actions. They are hasty to label them with adjectives which make them appear as the biggest problem to humanity. However, teenagers are only young people on a journey in search of who they are. It is E.E Cummings who says, “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are” and this exactly is what Valeria’s Best portrays. Valeria Amadi is an intelligent teen who refuses to succumb to bullies, peer pressure and an average life. Valeria challenges the status quo of what a typical fifteen-year-old should be. In this book, we see her as the fun loving, family oriented and artsy individual who would rather live in a world of books, journals, educative tv shows, music and a few closely knit friends. These influences go on to play a major role in her development as a well-rounded individual. When she tries her luck with teenage love and fails, she directs the energy into becoming a better person. She completes her book and with the help of her foresighted parents gets it published. The book, which garners her public recognition from top government officials, lands her a rare scholarship opportunity outside the country. She goes on to dazzle the world with her talents while bringing joy to her family. Valeria’s arch rival Jenny Vegas poses a threat to her ambition at some point in the novel, but Valeria’s wisdom comes to play when she is able to make her enemy her friend. She convinces Jenny to become a part of her girl group who delight in music. How Jenny handles this responsibility as the Amadi’s and Vegas’s settle an old family feud thickens the plot of this great book. Writing Style: This book is written in a second hand writing style with simple language. It is a work of fiction with a high school theme. Evaluation: The characters in this book are relatable in terms of their personalities and expressions. The author who is pretty much the same age as the protagonist in her novel has done a great job with her storytelling, especially since it is her debut book. She does deserve an applause. While it may seem as though she did a bit of telling than showing in some chapters, she successfully presented a clear picture of what an average teenager battles in school, at home while finding their place in the world. This is definitely a good book for teenagers especially teenage girls who struggle to define themselves.

Francisca Ogechi Okwulehie is the founder of Moncoeur Global Concept and Author of two Fiction books.
She holds a B.A and an M.A in Philosophy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Her works has appeared in the Afriworiliterary Project Anthology; The Different Shades of a Feminine Mind (2017) and the 84 Bottles of Wine For Wole Soyinka Anthology (2018). She has a penchant for highlife music.



Review by Francisca O. Okwulehie © 2020