Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi
Longtime couple Aima and Kalu should have been together forever, but a recent move to New Lagos, Nigeria revealed the cracks in their relationship. The night after their breakup, Aima goes dancing with party-girl friend, Ijendu, while Kalu heads to an exclusive sex party hosted by his best friend, Ahmed. An impulsive decision by Kalu ignites the wrath of a dangerous man, and the friends are pulled into Lagos’ seedy underworld.
Over one action-packed weekend, our protagonists hurtle through the underbelly of a city rife with murder, blackmail, and sexual violence. Narrative perspective bounces between characters who face impossible choices about how to protect the people they love. Full of drama and intrigue, this high-octane thriller is a stylistic departure from Akwaeke Emezi’s last novel, the romance You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.
Little Rot is a stylish, sexy roller coaster of a book that never slows down.
Reviewed by Emma Radosevich, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive November 2024 issue.)