ZOOLOO'S BOOK TOURS | FUTILITY | NUZO ONOH

ABOUT THE BOOK

For readers of Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister the Serial Killer and Bella Mackie's How to Kill Your Family, this is a monstrous, gleeful, bitingly funny tale of murder, body-swapping and bloody vengeance from the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award® for Lifetime Achievement and 'Queen of African Horror'.

Chia runs one of the best restaurants in Abuja, Nigeria, and is renowned among the male clientele for her captivating beauty—she is every man's dream woman—and delicious hot pepper soup. But her hot pepper soup has a secret ingredient, and her beauty is not what it seems…

Claire is a 50 year-old British woman living in Abuja with her young Nigerian boyfriend and his beautiful cousin, Shadé. Consumed by jealousy and resentment and blinded to the poisonous tendencies of her beloved son, after a night out at Chia's infamous restaurant, Claire's carefully organised life spirals into chaos…

Both women seethe with rage and bitterness, and when a trickster spirit offers them revenge on those who have wronged them, they cannot resist...

Crackling with wit, this is a blood-soaked, expletive-laden, vengeance-filled horror story. Satirical, twisty and murderous, this is bloody, deadly fun from a writer at the top of her game.

REVIEW

Be careful what you wish for in this brilliant latest release by the Queen of African Horror, Nuzo Onoh.

Chia is out for revenge and she will exact it on every man that she seduces and add their manhood to her renowned hot pepper soup.

Meanwhile, Claire a member of the British diplomatic core is currently dating a man half her age and dangling his cousin Shade along whilst promising her a visa.

When they are both visited by the same trickster god, promising them whatever they want. Their paths will cross in the most unlikeliest of ways.

You hear that? That is the sound of me tipping my hat to Nuzo Onoh for making an engrossing story about the two most odious characters that I have read in fiction and made them be as engrossing and engaging as what she has.

Futility is a bloody tale of two women and the revenge that they dole out on those that have wronged them. Chia’s primary trauma started when her best friend ran off to England with her then fiancée. After swearing revenge, the trickster god Efu makes her a bargain, to get revenge in return for her to feed him the souls of the sacrificed men.

Claire comes across Efu when she meets him as a young beggar child outside a shopping mall. Similar to Chia, Efu gives her the same deal.

Whilst I was reading this, I could not get Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein out of my brain. Similar to Frankenstein, Chia and Claire are absolute monsters, but where they differ from Victor’s creation is that they are not built by design like the creature, but are sewn together piece by piece by the circumstances that shape them. And whilst you can have sympathy for them and the things that they have endured in the past, you cannot excuse the way that they treat people in the present.

Futility is a visceral, profane and darkly comedic entry in the female rage genre of horror, and is a perfect companion piece for Victorian Psycho by Virgina Feito.

Who is Nuzo Onoh?

Nuzo Onoh is an award-winning Nigerian-British writer of Igbo descent. She is a pioneer of the African horror literary genre. Hailed as the “Queen of African Horror”, Nuzo’s writing showcases both the beautiful and horrific in the African culture within fictitious narratives. Nuzo’s works have featured in numerous magazines and anthologies. She has given talks and lectures about African Horror, including at the prestigious Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, London. Her works have appeared in academic studies and been longlisted and shortlisted. She is a Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Nuzo holds a Law degree and Masters degree in Writing, both from Warwick University, England. She is a certified Civil Funeral Celebrant, licensed to conduct non-religiousburial services. An avid musician with an addiction to Jungyup and K-indie, Nuzo plays both the guitar and piano, and holds an NVQ in Digital Music Production. She resides in the West Midlands, United Kingdom 

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