Anjorin seamlessly merges the ancient magic of traditional healers with a 22nd-century Nigeria where police robots are the norm in parts of the world. Badoo’s efforts to move on with Bunmi result in acts of vengeance from Sade that are both humorous and chilling at once. Badoo’s sense of pride and culture as both a Yoruba and an African is keenly felt even though he is also very much a modern man. Anjorin paints this world in broad strokes, building a picture of global politics through small details in the narrative rather than exposition. This includes several surprising details, one being that the Christian rapture has occurred. Excellent pacing and tender, atmospheric prose make this novella difficult to put down. I also enjoyed reading the poems that appear between several chapters. The Night My Dead Girlfriend Called is a tour de force straddling both literary and speculative fiction genres.
Reviewed for Reader's Favorite