Book Review for February (Blackass by A. Igoni Barret)

The book opens with Furo waking up on the day he has a job interview to find himself as a white man except for his bum that remains black. Afraid that his parents may not receive this well, he sneaks out of the house into the vibrant city of Lagos and his life changes completely.

Though Furo encounters challenges figuring out his new condition, he also benefits hugely from his new complexion; from job offers that were previously absent, to having his way with women one of them who accommodates him and handles his welfare, to people loaning him money, including strangers that have no idea where he came from.

The author touches on major themes that expose the African dilemma. This includes the level of unemployment, the diaspora wishes of every young African and also the favors that come with having fair skin. With the book’s central theme being the benefits that come with fair skin color and white privileges even in a thriving and advanced country with a predominance of black people, it does not stop there. It also lightly touches the theme of gender and identity with a side plot of a character whose gender also changes overnight.

Even though the author had the opportunity to explore deeply into human nature and how external forces can compromise or modify our true identity, he failed to do so. We also do not really see the contrast of Furo’s behavior and personality between his old and new self because there wasn’t a well-constructed back story to each character, which made the story plateau out, leaving us with more questions at the end than at the beginning.

Yet, the description of the settings throughout the novel was vivid and very comprehensive, the cleverness of the dialogue and the writing style makes it a good enough tale.

By Zubaida Baba-Ibrahim