Book Review: The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa

Blurb

Review of The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa.

When you are accustomed to the finer things in life – designer shoes, champagne, VIP lounges, exotic holidays abroad, a luxury penthouse, expensive wheels – what independent young woman in her right mind would want to let them go? Certainly not the beautiful, ambitious and super-streetsmart Bontle Tau, the girl who has used her good looks and winning charm all her life to get exactly what she wants. The lifestyle doesn’t come cheap, though, nor does maintaining the body that allows it (just ask Dr Heinz at the beauty clinic). Luckily, Bontle has a degree in MENcology, and there is no shortage of blessers at her penthouse door, eager to give her all the love and (financial) support she needs. Papa Jeff might be overweight and getting on a bit, and receiving some unwanted attention from the Hawks; and Teddy might not have fully come through for her on that messed-up tender business; but Mr Emmanuel, the Nigerian businessman with deep pockets and the possibility of conferring second wife status … could that be love?

My Review of The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa.

First of all, this book is the bomb! Damn!!! I really really enjoyed every bit of it. As a lover of humor, this book gave me so many ‘damn! This is so funny’ moments. I love the storytelling technique, the storyline itself, and the protagonist, Bontle Tau.

Bontle has lots of baggage, but you can’t just hate her. She tells this story from her heart and makes you see why she behaves the way she does. Our girl, Bontle, is a ‘blessee’ which means she’s a beneficiary of different benefactors who we call ‘sugar daddies‘ in Nigeria. But in South Africa, girls who sleep around with rich men for monetary and non-monetary benefits are called ‘blessees’ while those who fund these lifestyles are called ‘blessers.’

Review of The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa.

Bontle loves the good life. She drives a convertible and lives in a penthouse. She loves money and every good thing money can buy, and she doesn’t even pretend to be modest. She has an ‘almost’ ex-husband, Ntokozo. Because even though they have been separated for two years, he still doesn’t want to sign the divorce papers and set her free totally.

But Ntokozo has nothing on her lifestyle. One thing about Bontle is that she’s only there for a good time. Once the money stops pouring into her account, she dumps you for a better and richer blesser. She has many lovers like Teddy Bear, Papa Jeff, Mr. Emmanuel, and her aunt’s husband, Uncle Chino.

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No, don’t judge her. She already knows she lives a messy life, but she can’t stop. Won’t stop. One thing I love about her though is that she’s industrious. She has like three businesses she runs on the side, and though she relies on her blessers to fund her lavish lifestyle, she also does her businesses and is happy.

Though this book is humorous and interesting, there are lots of lessons to pick from it. First is that promiscuity never really pays. Bontle, our girl, would make a lot of mistakes in her quest of living and enjoying the good life. She bleaches her skin to attract men and also does a lot of plastic surgeries just to keep looking young and attractive. She’d later regret most of her choices in life.

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Then there’s the theme of the effects of bad parental upbringing. Gladys, Bontle’s mother is a bad influence. She is rough and doesn’t give Bontle a good upbringing. And growing up in that very unfit environment makes Bontle into what she is. She never wants to go back to the trenches again, so she does her best to get money by any means possible.

There’s also Loki, her younger brother, who is also neglected by her mother and, and who turns into a drug addict under her mother’s nose. Because Bontle is engrossed with living her lavish life in the city, she is never present for her family. She only sends Loki money from time to time to make him happy, but he mingles with the bad guys, and at the tender age of fourteen, becomes a drug addict.

Review of The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa.

Bontle is also the kind of girl you don’t introduce to your boyfriend or husband, especially if he’s stinkingly rich. She doesn’t care if you’re her best friend or not, she’s going to snatch your man and there’s nothing you can do about it. When Iris, one of her best friends, tells her and Tsholo about her Nigerian blesser, Mr. Emmanuel, Bontle becomes extremely interested and plans to snatch the rich guy. There’s no stopping our dear Bontle, once she smells a rich man who looks like a potential blesser. Being a self-acclaimed street-smart girl, she knows all the tactics to get a man in her bed. And she puts so much energy and time into doing that, till she achieves her aim.

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I enjoyed reading this story. I like the fact that Makholwa approaches such a serious topic subtly and humorously. I also like the way Bontle tells her story. She tells this story in a way that you feel like you’re inside the book with her, listening to her story directly from the horse’s mouth. I also love the fact that there is a strong use of language in the book. There are so many South African words, and I’m happy to learn a few like ‘wena.’

Review of The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa.

This is my first time reading Angela Makholwa and trust me, she just got herself a new fan. I totally enjoyed reading Bontle’s story and finding out the extent her childhood and various personal experiences shape her life and affect her decisions. I’d totally recommend this book to everyone who loves to read, and I’ll rate it as 4.8 /5.

Have you read the book? What do you think about it? Please share your thoughts with me in the comment section. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on all social media platforms, and share with your friends. Thank you for visiting Bookish Pixie.