Oyinda Loves Books

Title: The Mechanics of Yenagoa

Author: Michael Afenfia

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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I have so much to say about this book! I read it in two sittings, cause I had to sleep after I started it at night, and then I picked it when I was free the next day. It was really great, but there I had qualms with the writing style and the ending (this is a spoiler free review)
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This book follows Ebinimi, the main character, as he navigates life in Yenagoa as a young unmarried man who gets into one problem after another. He’s flanked by his girlfriends, Adinnq and Blessing; his workshop boys, Biodun, Broderick, and Saka; his sister and her husband (in their turbulent marriage); and the pastor that has made his inherited home his church headquarters.
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The story was really good and so funny! There were so many LOL moments in this story. There were other moments when I just wanted to slap Ebinimi, because he acted very foolishly so many times. There were so many things that could have been avoided if he’d just applied a bit more sense in his actions.
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There were so many Southern-Nigerian infusions in this novel, and I loved that very much. The author also discussed various themes and subjects in depth, and he did a great job of tackling them. I love the fraudulent pastor trope, and the way he delved into the politics and abuse of power in the Nigerian system by politicians and policemen.

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I highly recommend this book to everyone ❤️

Blurb:

Ebinimi, star mechanic of Kalakala Street, is a man with a hapless knack for getting in and out of trouble. Some of his troubles are self-inflicted: like his recurring entanglements in love triangles; and his unauthorised joyriding of a customer’s car which sets off a chain of dire events involving drugs, crooked politicians, and assassins. Other troubles are caused by the panorama of characters in his life, like: his sister and her dysfunctional domestic situation; the three other mechanics he employs; and the money-loving preacher who has all but taken over his home.

The story is fast-paced with surprising twists and a captivating plot – a Dickenesque page-turner. This is Ebinimi’s story but it is about a lot more than him. It is an exploration of the dynamics between working-class people as they undertake a colourful tour of Yenagoa, one of Nigeria’s lesser-known cities, while using humour, sex, and music, as coping mechanisms for the everyday struggle.

It is a modern-classic tale of small lives navigating a big city.

The Author

A writer, social commentator and public intellectual, Michael Afenfia doesn’t believe in boundaries. He has crisscrossed genres in his writing and is never afraid of trying out new things.

Although a lawyer by training with years of experience in banking and in the public service, writing has always been his passion.

So far, he has authored a number of critically acclaimed novels: When the Moon Caught Fire (2010), A Street Called Lonely (2011), Don’t Die on Wednesday (2014), and Paxoid (2016) which he co-authored with his teenage son, Biboye.

Between 2014 and 2016, he served as Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Bayelsa State Chapter. He currently resides in Canada with his family, but continues to mentor young creatives in Nigeria.