Tomi Joseph

**Aquarian Dawn** *(Includes Spoilers)* Ebele Chizea initially captivated me with this book, but my enthusiasm waned as the story progressed. To be clear, the author’s writing talent is evident throughout. However, the plot, dialogue, and overall theme begin to feel disjointed after a certain point. The first instance where the story lost me was with Sal’s return. Up until then, I was eager to explore the complex relationship between Ada and her mother and Ada's journey of discovering her ancestral roots. Unfortunately, the narrative shifts into what feels like the author’s Wattpad fantasy. There are several clichés in this novel that I found particularly problematic, these are just a few: 1. Ada uses her emergency savings to run off to Italy after a few letters from her high school fling who ghosted her. We never learn why he disappeared or why he reached out after so long. 2. Upon arrival at the airport, Ada immediately hops on a motorcycle (yes, a motorcycle). Naturally, she has never ridden one before, and of course, she clings super tightly to Sal. But where does she keep her luggage? 3. Ada has an intimate encounter with Sal, described as a “modern adaptation of a Roman god” (an actual quote), on a rose-petaled bed, even though he admits to seeing another woman. 4. Ada travels to “Nabuka” to find her roots, only to fall for Obinna, a charming rogue who of course guarantees she will fall in love with him at their first meeting. 5. Sal randomly reappears, this time in Nabuka, leading Ada to cheat on her imprisoned husband with him, as Sal claims she is his destiny. Many of these elements felt unnecessary and detracted from what could have been a focused story about Ada and her quests. Another issue is the lack of depth in Ada’s character development. All we know she is a nationalist who enjoys poetry, has a strained relationship with her mother, a bad smoking habit, falls for any guy who shows interest, and frequently storms off in anger. Additionally, important subplots are abandoned without explanation. Ada’s main goal of finding her birth-father is dropped after one attempt with Obinna. A significant revelation in her mother’s journal is mentioned once and never explored further, missing a key opportunity to deepen the understanding of Ada’s mother and perhaps locate her father. The repetitive nature of Ada and her mother's arguments, without resolution or heartfelt conversations, also detracts from the story. The blurb mentions Ada uncovering family secrets that threaten her future, but these elements are not clearly addressed in the book. The anticipated significant roles of Ada’s mother and her ancestral roots are overshadowed by the love triangle, with the main plot ultimately feeling sidelined by the novel's end. While Chizea’s writing skills are undeniable, this particular young adult novel felt scattered and lacked coherent development. Additionally, the use of "Afa" and "Nabuka" as code names for regions/ethnicities, while other names remain regular, was confusing to me.