Name: The Girl with the Louding Voice
ISBN: 9781524746025

The Girl with the Louding Voice

While a compelling book with a strong storyline, I struggled to get through the prose. Perhaps it was the wrong moment for me to start the book, maybe I will revisit in the future. 

Aisha Mugo

Gracie Marsden

Incredible story of a girl that overcomes a horrific life. Trigger warning for heavy subjects. A triumphant story.

Sabanar

Damn what a book - it was so sad and heartbreaking but bless Adunni, her optimism through the book even though everything she goes through is so sad.

Sad how this book is kinda the reality on the slave labor/ trading and child marriage part.

Good read :( 

Book 2 of the BOOKLING book club.

Amanda

Gorgeous story. Rich characters. Full of reality and hopefulness.

Cheri McElroy

Adunni, at age 14, has experienced so much loss. The death of her mother, an unwanted marriage, accusation of a crime she didn’t commit, and abuse at the hand of her employer. But she never gives up on her dream to finish her education, become a teacher, and find her “louding” voice-the voice where she has a choice in her life.

Adunni’s fire, bravery, and perseverance moved me. Her ability to grieve and still love God and others inspired me. Her voice will stay with me.

Clara Moore

Heart wrenching and heart warming at the same time. Adunni is the character we all didn’t know we needed. She is smart, hardworking and witty even in the toughest of situations. She shows us to stay strong in the face of adversity and to never give up on your dreams.

Nedu

this was so good, I have so many thoughts, proper review incoming

Nicki

Welcome, Adunni, welcome to your new free.  

Am I crying a little bit? Yes, Yes I am. Oh my god. This book was really good. Every time I picked it up I became so engrossed in everything. I want to know more about Adunni. I need to know her next chapters. The way this is written added to the layers of authenticity. This book just further confirms that west africans and people from the Caribbean have very similar upbringings. When I tell you I felt like I was watching a Nollywood film right here in these chapters?

Thanks Nedu for making me get to this one sooner than later! PS- This should've absolutely won over Such A Fun Age. Yeah, I said it.

Cindy Lieberman

4.5 for this debut YA novel about an indefatigable 14 year-old girl in a Nigerian village. Adunni’s life takes a dramatic turn after her mother falls ill and dies. Fortunately, this novel steers clear of some of the more extreme “torture porn” of some other recent novels about poor girls and women in dire circumstances. Not that Adunni has it easy...

Archita Birla

this book is incredible. it such a sad but powerful story, and I was so moved by it. at times it was incredibly difficult to read and there are some very serious content warnings for: (view spoiler)[rape, abuse, toxic relationships, unhealthy power dynamics, child marriage, and servititude (hide spoiler)] that are important to heed. 

i really liked how this story was told from the main character (Adunni)'s perspective, and how this remains a story about her, it does not champion other people, she is the star. 
 
Adunni is a greater character and written very well, she is brave, struggling, honest, and very, very human. 

i would highly, highly recommend this book.

Nadine 

A lovely clear and loud voice of a 14 year old girl growing up in poverty, married off as the 3rd wife, escaping only to be an indentured servant at the risk of the unwelcome advances of the "madam's" husband.
throughout she shows her humour and resilience. Great for upper middle school / YA

Summer Stanley

Captivating, eye-opening, upsetting, and inspiring, I loved this book! I especially enjoyed the narrator's voice. Adunni is an enduring example of resilience. Her bravery is unnoticed to herself and many around her, but to those who notice (including the reader), her courage is LOUD and resounding. I hope I can take some of her with me everyday.

Jennifer Rittall

My first five star read in a very long time. Stories like this one are so necessary to me as a reader. It’s heart breaking but out of it comes increased compassion and thankfulness.

Kayla 

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré is truly a remarkable read that takes you into rural Nigeria and into the life of a fourteen year old girl, Adunni who is determined to receive an education. The first lesson Adunni learns however is one of bravery, resistance and perseverance. After being forced to marry a man, who already has two wives, Adunni is courageous when she prevents herself falling pregnant, and tries to save her sister wife from a terrible fate. Her first lesson shows that while men are in power, the women subjected are often continuing the vicious cycle of oppression. .
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Adunni finds herself in a new place, within the city of Lagos, and must rely on her resistance against everyone telling her she can’t. She ignores those naysayers and fills her heart with perseverance to do what it right and obtain her deepest wish. .
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While this book takes place in Nigeria, we know that it is not unique to one place or one girl. This happens in every culture, society and country. You can’t is told to women and girls in every language. ,
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This book was inspirational and fast paced, the fate of Adunni is something you want to know and each situation she finds herself in shows us another step that women and girls have to overcome. .
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I also loved learning more about Nigeria!

Emily S

I heard so many great things about this book (i.e. “BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!”), and about halfway through, I was thinking “well, I certainly like it, but *best book*?” With only a few chapters left, during a particular scene, it hit me hard that I really loved these characters...and that they felt real to me. So many of them (especially the women!) had gone through so much and yet showed crazy resiliency. And that made me love the book. This book is both heartbreaking and somehow uplifting at the same time, so would definitely recommend!

Also, plug for this one on audio! Especially as this book follows a girl who is learning English throughout the book, I felt like I knew her better when I got to hear those struggles out loud as opposed to reading them in my own “voice.”

Renske van de Weijer

Great way to start 2021, beautifully written. I enjoyed every single page of it. Beautifully heartbreaking at times and inspiring. If you haven't read this yet, go buy it right now.

Abigail F

The Girl with the Louding Voice was my February 2020 Book of the Month pick, and while it took me a while to pick it up, I’m so glad I went with this novel. There was a couple day slump when I was about 3/4 of the way through, but once I picked the book up again I flew through. 

Adunni is a character you can’t help but love. Despite her insistent naivety, you just want to see her succeed and go to school and be able to learn. Her story, while heartbreaking and occasionally a parade of misery and sorrow, is a look into young girls’ realities that is too important to skip over. The representation in this book is what makes it so powerful, and the knowledge that this fictional book is rooted in fact makes it a hard read. The story is written from Adunni’s perspective and is in broken English. I found it off putting at first, and despite understanding the point of the story being written that way, I didn’t fully appreciate it’s importance as a way to help tell the story until 3/4th way through, and now I can’t imagine it being written any other way. It was a really great style choice by Daré. 

My one negative for the book is that the middle felt long. I kept waiting for something to happen. Something different to happen. While I do think having the repetitive nature of having negative and horrible things follow each other holds power in reminding the reader that for some people there is no escape or putting the book down, I was also ready for the plot to keep moving forward. 

In spite of that nit-picky critique, I can’t say enough positive things about this book and its place in world literature. Representation is so important, and giving a voice to those that are unable to find their own “louding voice” is an important thing to do to raise awareness and bring about change. 

The Girl with the Louding Voice gets 4/5 songs for its lovable characters and important messages. Adunni makes my heart ache and soar at the same time, and stands as a great reminder to stay positive in these trying times. If you enjoyed either The Rent Collector or Sold, I highly recommend this book. I think of it as an amazing combination of the two stories.

Krystal Campbell 

DNF - finished 62 pages and couldn’t handle writing style.

Renee Blankenship

Thank you to the publisher for my free copy. 

"...I don't just want to be having any kind voice...I want a louding voice." 

Theres something about reading a book with a main character that digs deep and doesn't let go- that feeing hangs on. I'd like you to meet Adunni, a 14 year old girl from Nigeria who experiences deep sorrow and pain and hope and empathy while on her journey to finding her "louding voice". When I closed this book I was without any words to describe my experience of reading- there was nothing I could say that really felt adequate other than "READ THIS". And a strong feeling knowing I will not forget Adunni, her story or the hope she carried with her for a long time. Incredibly well written, I was invested in Adunni's journey after only a few chapters and quickly realized this book was something really special. 

I highly recommend this story if you are looking for something powerful that will move your heart and leave a lasting mark on you.

Ana Couto

Thanks to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the free review copy!

What an absolutely beautiful and heart-wrenching novel! Told through the voice of Adunni, a 14-year-old Nigerian girl, this story follows her journey as she fights to obtain an education for herself, all while being sold into marriage by her own father and attempting to escape a life of servitude. 

The author's choice to depict this story through Adunni's exact language, grammar, and syntax is---in my opinion---what makes this novel so powerful. Not only is it brutally authentic but it gives Adunni what she craves most: the ability to have her voice heard. As I sit here writing this review, I don't think there are proper words to describe how in awe I am of Adunni's courage and confidence. Despite the horrific traumas she's subjected to, she remains firm in her belief that her voice matters, and that she is 100% deserving of a quality education. The term "strong female character" is something that gets bounced around in major book reviewer platforms like Bookstagram, BookTube, and popular book blogs, but I think Adunni is one of the few characters I have ever encountered that truly embodies that definition, and takes it to the next level. If there's any February release you need to read, it's this one.

Jana Pashovska

Written in a version of pidgin English that is spoken in Nigeria, this book paints a very real and devastating picture of all the hardship young African girls have to go through: from limited education opportunities to forced marriages at a very young age, from slave-working without getting paid to daily beatings and sufferings—it is a sad, sad story which still offers a shred of hope about how the kindness of others, together with our own determination to have our 'louding voice' heard, can lead to great things. That being said, the plot is still a bit predictable and I wasn't particularly dazed by book, as much as it helped me learn about the situation in Nigeria. Worth reading for sure, but it could have been better.

Emily Christensen

At the beginning of 2021 it’s only fitting to write about one of the most popular books of 2020, The Girl with the Louding Voice!

Quick synopsis: After losing her mom, Adunni’s father sells her into marriage at the young age of 14 even though all she wants is to obtain an education. However, as a girl living in rural Nigeria, Adunni has very little choices or options. After some page turning events, Adunni ends up as a maid (servant) for a wealthy family in Lagos and that’s where the true story of seeking empowerment and education begins for Adunni!

The Girl with the Louding Voice has an incredibly powerful message with an empowering and lovable main character. I devoured the book in a little over a day! I wish I had read this one sooner - I was a little intimidated with the length but it was quite a page turner. 

My one con? While I did really enjoy this book, I felt like it was a little...underwhelming for what I was hoping for? There was nothing wrong with it but it didn’t have as much depth as I was hoping for and it was written a bit plain and straightforward (maybe a bit more like a YA novel?). 

I think this would be an excellent first read for someone trying to understand Nigerian culture and the roles of most women in a country such as Nigeria.

The facts at the beginning of most chapters were amazing (and probably my favorite part) - I wish every chapter started with a fact! 

In terms of another book about Nigeria with maybe a bit more depth I would highly recommend The Death of Vivek Oji!

Janet Doré

"...the future is always working, always busy unfolding better things, and even if it doesn't seem so sometimes, we have hope of it."

This book pulled me into the life of a young Nigerian girl from the very first page and didn't let go until very late last night when I hit the author's acknowledgments. 😍

If you've lived a life of white privilege as I have, it'll make you rue the day you ever complained about a single damn thing. By the end, you'll (hopefully) be fired up enough to take action to make a difference in the life of a young girl living in a country where women are still viewed as property.

The young girl at the heart of this heart wrenching and inspirational story is 14 year old Adunni—and I'm madly in love with her.

Although the story is filled with hardship, tragedy, abuse and violence that NO child should ever be subjected to, somehow it's not totally depressing—probably because Abi manages to convey how each and every part of Adunni's story plays a part in making her wiser and emboldens her to fight fiercely for her survival and education so she can help herself and others like her.

This story solidified my stance on the "hardships" in my own life—they serve a purpose, they make me better, and I need them to develop a strong sense of empathy that drives me to make this world a better place.

Abigail | 

A book like this, it renews compassion and gives perspective. It teaches you about a culture you may not have understood before, it tells of horrors and beauty and it makes you think. It’s wonderful. And I love that it’s by a woman of color, for everyone looking for extra recommendations right now. 

I love Adunni. She is a warrior. She endured so much pain and still found ways to be hopeful. This book will help you appreciate small kindnesses- and it shows how they can make or break the hearts of others. I’m not very good with words on these kinds of books, because I don’t ever feel like I can justify things and themes so important, but you can trust me- this is a great one.