Book Review: The Small Print by Abimbola Dare

I have learnt not to judge a book by its cover. The first full-length novel I read had no cover. I mean, it wasn’t published like that but only to let you know that covers most times do not really mean substance. And if I had bothered about that, I wouldn’t have read the book that inspired me to write thrillers. But when I saw The Small Print, I was tempted. I would have been wrong with my judgment because the book promises an interesting read. When I began reading the book, I instantly was drawn back to a wonderful Christian children’s book God and a Boy Named Joe by Ethel Barrett, written with such skill that even an adult could enjoy. Abimbola Dare has written with a keen eye to wonderful detail, and also with a great sense of humor.

The novel begins with a scene in an office in London with one of the three main characters Wale Ademola reporting for a promotion interview only to his shock, find his ex-wife that he has ran away from in Nigeria sitting right in the room. From this, the reader is guaranteed of an intriguing string of events, especially when Jennifer the other character in the main picture did not show whatever it was that had joined her and Wale. I have not read the whole of this book but the opening chapter alone is a strong indication of something worth reading. Such novels are meant to have two key elements that make them unputdownable: drama and suspense. Abimbola has incorporated all these with a good mix of narration and dialogue.

The Small Print doesn’t appear a classic, though. Apart from the cover’s extra colorfulness, the title does not go down well with me as a compelling novel title, also taking the intrigue the body of the book itself promises out of it. But this can be unnoticed by readers with the book’s high promise of intrigue and suspense.

Abimbola has registered herself as a strong voice in Christian fiction and I give her credit for taking a bold step into an aspect that not too many Nigerian authors find project worthy owing to the huge challenges. The release of The Small Print comes in less than a month and I am waiting to read it. To those that fancy inspirational Christian fiction, Abimbola’s The Small Print would be a good read. And even to those looking for a good alternative to their preferred genre.