Skip to content
Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers

Header Advertise
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
  • Home
  • FEATURES
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • HELON HABILA’S ‘THE CHIBOK GIRLS’ IS A CREATIVE HISTORICITY a review by Eugene Yakubu
BOOK REVIEWS

HELON HABILA’S ‘THE CHIBOK GIRLS’ IS A CREATIVE HISTORICITY a review by Eugene Yakubu

Eugene YakubuAugust 11, 2017August 3, 2020

Share

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Read Time:2 Minute, 19 Second

Helon Habila’s daring narrative ‘The Chibok Girls’ cannot be strictly placed within the novel tradition in African literature because of its overly journalistic and subjective narration. Memoir it might be, though not certainly. However, this is a creative historicity of the physical and political rubble that has turned out to be the Northern Nigerian state of Borno and its environs.

‘The Chibok Girls’ laces a generally reportage technique with literary creativity to construct sociopolitical issues swirling around ethno-religious crises, violence, corruption and political propaganda and stripping the malignant controversy that has been Boko Haram and radical Islamic militancy in Northern Nigeria. Habila’s mastery of art and storytelling skill will hold even the most indifferent of readers captive all through the narration; creating a solemn empathy and pity for the victims of this terror group.

Despite the tense atmosphere in the narrative — screaming blood and thunder, Habila manages to purge the reader of the sullen grief and fears by doling bits and pieces of humorous tales and scenes about the Northern people and even his childhood days while growing up in the North.

Habila’s mastery of art and storytelling skill will hold even the most indifferent of readers captive through the narration; creating a solemn empathy and pity for the victims of this terror group. Despite the tense atmosphere in the narrative — screaming blood and thunder, Habila manages to purge the reader of his sullen grief and fears by doling bits and pieces of humorous tales and scenes about the Northern people and even his cthildhood days while growing up in the North.

Not necessarily the grandest of literatures, ‘The Chibok Girls’, nonetheless sits in a secured haven in contemporary literature by daring to exhume issues many writers consider derogatory and nether. And the mere fact that Habila reconstructs a first hand information of what he saw and heard during his sojourn in a town considered dangerous to habituate, makes the reading amusing and the reader anxious. That events and scenes in the narrative— gory as they may seem really happened and the dilapidated settings and rubbles were actually captured by the writer offers a certain kind of freshness into the narrative. At the tail end, the reader simultaneously smiles and frowns— smiles that the writer successfully accomplished his risky fieldwork in Maiduguri and frowns that some innocent school girls kidnapped from their hostel on the fateful night of April 14, 2014 are still missing and their families ‘eternally’ mourning, while the infamous mob (Boko Haram) is still at large.

Habila’s ‘The Chibok Girls’ is generally a historical novel — a must- read for all Nigerians and Non- Nigerians alike eager to uncover the politics behind Islamic radicalism in Northern Nigeria and mostly “related to religion or politics ” (35)

You can buy the book on Amazon.

About Post Author

Eugene Yakubu

Eugene Yakubu is a book critic, reviewer and storyteller. He loves art and nature; and spends his time reading beautiful novels and writing stories. He reviews Nigerian books for Authorpedia.
yeugene78@gmail.com

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • More
  • Telegram
  • Tumblr
  • Print

Related

Tagged Helon Habila, The chibok Girls

Post navigation

Previous

Previous post:

THE POET AS A VOICE OF CONSCIENCE: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF AGARAU’S FOR BOYS WHO WENT by Ayoola Goodness

Next

Next post:

GREEN GRIOTS: TELLING REFRESHINGLY INDIGENOUS STORIES

Previous post THE POET AS A VOICE OF CONSCIENCE: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF AGARAU’S FOR BOYS WHO WENT by Ayoola Goodness
Next post GREEN GRIOTS: TELLING REFRESHINGLY INDIGENOUS STORIES

5 thoughts on “HELON HABILA’S ‘THE CHIBOK GIRLS’ IS A CREATIVE HISTORICITY a review by Eugene Yakubu”

  1. Balat Lambaya says:
    August 13, 2017 at 7:38 am

    Nice review Mr. Yakubu. Looking forward to reading the Book.

    Reply
  2. Amari Jospeh says:
    August 14, 2017 at 6:15 am

    ‘The Chibok Girls’— “screaming blood and thunder”,?. Sounds like a real “must- read”.

    Moving words sir. ??

    Reply
  3. Joseph Agbo Amari says:
    August 14, 2017 at 6:34 am

    Interesting review. You’ve practically opened the pages of the narrative.? ??

    The Chibok Girls must be an interesting read too. Grabbing a copy ASAP.

    Reply
  4. Onyeama Ezeh says:
    August 23, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    northern Nigerian state of Borno, not Maiduguri.
    maiduguri is only a state capital sir. take note.
    Good work.

    Reply
    1. admin says:
      August 23, 2017 at 5:06 pm

      Noted and corrected. Thanks.

      Reply

Say something about this post Cancel reply

Icon

CỌ́N-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE: ‘PACESETTERS’ [ISSUE 2, VOL. 2 | OCTOBER 2022]

1 file(s) 10.11 MB
Download
Close
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Social profiles
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD

ABOUT US

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Ltd. (RC 1234112), is a foremost publishing and educational institution that supports and promotes Nigerian writers and writings talents through several initiatives like contests, prizes, and an annual literary festival. Our publishing susbsidiary is AUTHORPEDIA.

CONTRIBUTE

QUICK LINKS

  • CỌ́NSCÌÒ
  • CONTACT US
  • DOWNLOADS
  • PUBLISHING
  • SUBMIT TO WRR
  • SERVICES
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Copyright Words Rhymes Rhythm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
 

Loading Comments...