A little bit far fetched for me to be honest with you and very presumptuous in places but I read it through and it was an ok read ….

After years of seemingly living a picture perfect life in LA, Glory  packs it all up when she hears that her beloved father has suddenly passed away. When she arrives back in Peckham, South London, she is forced to deal with the family issues she has been hiding from.

As soon as I started reading HOPE & GLORY I instantly felt at home with the very distinct British and Nigerian vibes. I really appreciated how realistic London living in a Black home was depicted but also how the parents and aunties were still steeped in Nigerian culture, language, tradition and faith. It was a perfect blend of both, a nice representation of a second generation immigrant family.

This story is incredibly character driven, if you are looking for heavy plot points this perhaps is not for you. I however love books filled with messy, emotionally fuelled, intense characters and in a family full of buried secrets, there are so many different dynamics at play. Glory has a lot of questions and she is demanding answers and at times she is frustratingly rude and her relationship with Julian was immature but, her determination to seek the truth and her growth over the course of the story was heart-warming. 

As the family mysteries unravel we are witness to lies, regrets, poor communication, betrayals, injustice, human insecurities and anxieties, forgiveness, understanding, romance and through it all a families unconditional love for one another. A wonderful debut from Benson!

Apologies, I was looking forward to this but really stuggled to finish.
Thsnk you for the opportunity

I really wanted to like this but the writing is just...ugh, how shall I put it, 'green'. This reads like a first draft or the work of someone who has just gotten into writing. The author seems unsure of how to go about when it comes to describing fairly straight-forward scenes. The dialogue is okay if clunky. The plot felt quite static and there were many repetitive scenes that didn't feel entirely realistic and failed to advance the story and or develop the characters. In short: this book needs a lot of work and I am surprised that it will soon be published.

I found this book to be really enjoyable. It was well written with a well written and heartwarming storyline and well developed characters. It was such a compelling read that I couldnt put down. I can't wait to read more from the author.

Normally I love novels like this but for some reason I couldn’t get into it. I picked it up and put it down so many times that it left me frustrated.