With Love, Miss Americanah

May 1, 2024
A Nigerian teen moves to the U.S. with her family and embarks on an unusual plan for navigating senior year. Enore Adesuwa has decided that the best way to manage in her new high school in New York's Hudson Valley is to study the movies recommended by Adrian, her American cousin. Unlike Esosa, her younger sister who jumps right into things, Enore always needs a plan. She's also still processing the loss of her beloved father, and it doesn't take long before she realizes that, despite the 10 rules she's made for getting along (among them, avoid popular people, control your heart, don't make enemies, and don't drink the punch at school dances), unexpected events and circumstances will get in the way. First, there's attention from popular and attractive Davi Santiago. He encourages Enore to audition for the school musical, which leads to her lying to her academically focused mother, who believes she's joined math club. Enore finds herself on a collision course between her mother's expectations and what brings her joy. In her YA debut, Igharo has crafted a lively novel that cleverly balances the portrayals of a family coping with grief and the whirlwind of high school experiences. Enore is well drawn, believable, and easy to cheer for, and her developing relationship with Davi is touching. Secondary characters and rich cultural elements add color and texture to the narrative. Warm, well rounded, and a perfect combination of entertaining and substantive. (Fiction. 14-18)

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May 27, 2024
A Nigerian teen struggles to acclimate to life in America in this endearing character-focused novel. Following her father’s death, 17-year-old Enore Adesuwa, her mother, and her younger sister emigrate from Nigeria to Hudson Valley. Hoping to avoid feeling like a fish out of water and teach herself how to navigate American high school, Enora watches classic teen movies given to her by her cousin. Using what she learns from movies such as Sixteen Candles and Mean Girls, Enore establishes a list of rules she’s certain will ensure her survival. Yet she promptly breaks rule #1 (“Avoid interacting with or befriending anyone who is popular”) when she meets football player Davi Santiago, a Brazilian American classmate with whom she bonds over their cultural differences and similarities. When Davi persuades Enore to audition for the school’s upcoming production of “Cinderella,” she agrees. Things get complicated after she aces her audition and lands the lead role, an accomplishment she must hide from her mother, who wants Enore to focus on academics. Focusing on both the joy and grief associated with drastic change, Igharo employs lush prose that eschews didacticism and deftly balances high school romance, cultural traditions, and the importance of representation in this confident debut. Ages 14–up.

Starred review from June 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* With Love, Miss Americanah is the next coming-of-age hit, perfect for fans of Jenny Han. After her father's death, Enore's family uproots from Nigeria and moves to upstate New York, right before her senior year. This new start fills Enore with dread, so she spends the summer doing homework--researching the quintessential American high-school experience. Equipped with iconic teen movies like The Craft and Mean Girls, Enore knows what she needs to do, and not do, to keep a low profile at her school. All her well-researched rules start to go out the window when she catches the attention of popular boy Davi and finds that she enjoys spending time with him, even if it draws unexpected attention. Enore slowly begins abandoning her rules and starts living for herself, even if it challenges her mother's expectations of her. Igharo's YA debut hits all the right notes, and it finds success in timid Enore. While navigating her grief, she also wades through a new culture, making poignant observations about living in the U.S. Through new relationships, pursuing new opportunities, and taking a stance on what's important, Enore finds her voice in more ways than one.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024
A teenager newly arrived in the United States from Nigeria uses movies such as Sixteen Candles, Mean Girls, and Heathers to prepare for attending an American high school. Enore Adesuwa's family immigrates just two months after the death of her father. Her younger sister appears to adjust more easily to life in a small town in New York's Hudson Valley than Enore, who spends most of her time at home watching DVDs. These movies influence Enore to set ten rules about surviving in a U.S. high school; e.g., steer clear of the popular kids, "no crushes," and avoid the spotlight, rules she breaks when her audition for the school musical goes viral. And rules or no rules, sparks fly during a chance encounter with cute Brazilian American boy Davi Santiago. Their friendship leads to an eventual romance, which helps Enore to deal with her grief. Davi also helps the protagonist handle her fear of disappointing her mother, who is pressuring her to follow in her footsteps and become a doctor. Igharo deftly handles the excitement, intensity, and confusion surrounding young love as well as the mountain of emotions one goes through when mourning a loved one, through characters who are relatable and genuine. A highly entertaining and heartwarming story with a couple to root for. Marva Anne Hinton

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 16, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Nigerian teen Enore moves to America with her mom and sister before the beginning of her senior year. Uprooting her life shortly after losing her father has left Enore feeling lost, but a chance meeting with fellow cute senior Davi puts her on an unexpectedly optimistic path. With Enore's knowledge of American high school coming solely from classic teen movies, Davi and his group of friends may be just who she needs as she learns to once again find joy. Igharo's debut YA novel packs a punch with all the joyful feelings that come from a first love, coming-of-age romance. Readers will connect with Enore as she struggles with anxiety, fitting in, and juggling pressure from adults in her life. Her budding romance with Davi makes way for beautiful cultural representation as they share their families' food with each other. Additionally, there is excellent representation of how grief can manifest differently in people as Enore and her family get through in the wake of her father's death. The references to iconic teen films add a lightheartedness that balances out the more serious moments. Enore is Nigerian and Davi is Brazilian American. VERDICT For fans of Emma Lord or Nicola Yoon, this hopeful romance that follows two teens through times of grief and joy will resonate with many readers.-Emily Walker

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
A teenager newly arrived in the United States from Nigeria uses movies such as Sixteen Candles, Mean Girls, and Heathers to prepare for attending an American high school. Enore Adesuwa's family immigrates just two months after the death of her father. Her younger sister appears to adjust more easily to life in a small town in New York's Hudson Valley than Enore, who spends most of her time at home watching DVDs. These movies influence Enore to set ten rules about surviving in a U.S. high school; e.g., steer clear of the popular kids, "no crushes," and avoid the spotlight, rules she breaks when her audition for the school musical goes viral. And rules or no rules, sparks fly during a chance encounter with cute Brazilian American boy Davi Santiago. Their friendship leads to an eventual romance, which helps Enore to deal with her grief. Davi also helps the protagonist handle her fear of disappointing her mother, who is pressuring her to follow in her footsteps and become a doctor. Igharo deftly handles the excitement, intensity, and confusion surrounding young love as well as the mountain of emotions one goes through when mourning a loved one, through characters who are relatable and genuine. A highly entertaining and heartwarming story with a couple to root for.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)