Suleiman Ocheni

>
Baby Factory tells the story of a woman on a mission to prove that her baby isn’t dead. It is a very interesting premise but I couldn’t help wishing by the end that certain steps had not taken place. I think the book was a bit too confused as to what it wanted to be. A romance with a side of mystery? A mystery with a side of romance? It ultimately didn’t pick any and therefore suffered as a result. The plot was also quite unbelievable at times.

Good idea, so-so execution.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.
… (mehr)

I excitedly won the book through the LibraryThing member giveaway to read in exchange for a honest review.

Immediately upon the opening of the story was the essence of “Zikora” a short story by Adichie. However, the story became Ocheni’s own, and gives readers what his voice is in the literary world.

I definitely appreciate the footnotes in this kindle version in which the Hausa language of the Nigerian, Igbo and Pidgin English is spoken. It allowed me to keep reading with clarity, understanding, and nonstop speed. Kudos to you Ocheni!

The story switches to the epistolary format (letters) in which it gave the deep thoughts from Aleeza, and what she was experiencing emotionally. As the storyline moved from a love story to a mystery, I was intrigued. Chapter eleven revealed the essence of the title of this novel - “Baby Factory “. Baby factories where underground establishments that acquired children any way they could and sell them to anyone willing to pay high prices. I teared up at Aleeza’s description of her father and their relationship. It sounded exactly like my father and mirrored my adornment to him. The story played out like a Die Hard movie with espionage, and stake outs, but overall this was not a boring read, but a very interesting story.

Ocheni is definitely a writer to look out for. His writing style is poignant and well written. I enjoyed reading this mystery, suspense and a contemporary romance novel. I look forward to more from Ocheni!… (mehr)

In Baby Factory, Suleiman Ocheni has created a masterful piece of writing. From the first line, he managed to capture my attention and keep it.

Aleeza is an innocent black girl who has led a very sheltered life.

The very first time Aleeza becomes involved romantically she becomes pregnant then experiences her first heartbreak. Finding that deep-seated love of mother within herself Aleeza decides to keep her daughter.

She is amazed and in awe of her child. She spent a long time examining her.

As she was getting ready to send her daughter back to the child care unit, Remy’s father walked in. In her anger over the way he broke her heart, Aleeza refuses to let him see his daughter.

The very next day they are given some very disturbing news that caused her to regret that decision.

She is devastated by the information she received about her daughter. However, Aleeza has reason to doubt what she is told, and against the arguments of her loved ones Aleeza launched an investigation to get to the truth of the matter.

The characters are powerful and so realistic. The debt of character and psychological strength displayed will have you all involved and rooting for them.

This book has the shock factor in spades. It’s culturally revealing and is far from clichéd.… (mehr)

I received a copy of this book from the author to read and review.

Aleeza Kalu's story begins with the birth of her child, a little girl she calls Remy. She spends a long time counting and re-counting the baby's fingers and toes, and notes the cornucopia shaped birthmark on the baby's big toe. Her ex-boyfriend arrives, as he's only just been told by Aleeza's meddling best friend that Remy even exists. He wants to meet his daughter. Aleeza refuses, and has the nurse take the baby away, but Richard refuses to leave.

Several hours later, they get the news that every parent fears. Their daughter has died. Though Aleeza's Nigerian cultural customs say not to look at the baby, she can't believe that her perfect daughter has died, and she insists on seeing her. When the baby is brought to her, she says Remy looks wrong, and is told that is due to the pallor of death. But when Aleeza spends time looking the baby over, she notices that the birthmark is missing, and she KNOWS that this isn't her baby.

People (even her close friends and family) are insisting that Aleeza's grief is making her paranoid, and after the police seem to agree with them she decides to handle it on her own. This fast-paced, engaging thriller is full of twists and turns. The title gives a rather large hint about the reality of the situation and I would say that that might be one thing that could be changed to make it that much more suspenseful.

All in all, the book surprised me a few times, and I enjoyed my time in Aleeza's world. It often felt like both she and the reader are racing the clock, trying to find out the details before it's too late. The book deals with love, loss, and learning to trust again. Aleeza is a very human character, and she makes mistakes she regrets, and has to learn and grow from them. She has to learn to rely on others, and to trust them to be there. It is an achingly painful story, like any story dealing with the loss of a child, but it also has moments of hope that shine through the darkness.… (mehr)