Allow Me to Introduce Myself: A Novel

by Onyi Nwabineli Narrated by Nneka Okoye

Overview

Her life. Her rules.*Finally.

Anuri Chinasa has had enough. And really, who can blame her? She was the unwilling star of her stepmother's social media empire before “momfluencers” were even a thing. For years, Ophelia documented every birthday, every skinned knee, every milestone and meltdown for millions of strangers to fawn over and pick apart.

Now, at twenty-five, Anuri is desperate to put her way-too-public past behind her and start living on her own terms. But it's not going so great. She can barely walk down the street without someone recognizing her, and the fraught relationship with her father has fallen apart. Then there's her PhD application (still unfinished) and her drinking problem (still going strong). When every detail of her childhood was so intensely scrutinized, how can she tell what she really wants?

Still, Ophelia is never far away and has made it clear she won't go down without a fight. With Noelle, Anuri's five-year-old half sister now being forced down the same path, Anuri discovers she has a new mission in life...

To take back control of the family narrative.

Through biting wit and heartfelt introspection, this darkly humorous story dives deep into the deceptive allure of a picture-perfect existence, the overexposure of children in social media and the excitement of self-discovery.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Allow Me to Introduce Myself:

“Allow Me to Introduce Myself is a sharp, poignant and insightful read.”—Oyinkan Braithwaite, international bestselling author of My Sister the Serial Killer

“An unputdownable read! Skilfully and delicately written, Allow Me to Introduce Myself helps us behave more ethically in this age of social media obsessions. Onyi Nwabineli is an immensely talented writer whose pen is sharp and unflinching.”—Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, bestselling author of Dust Child

“In many ways, this novel recalls Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. Both novels foreground immigrants and immigrant struggles, including racism and xenophobia; both novels have the same sweeping third-person-omniscient point of view, peppered with wry observations about life and humanity. This novel tells a moving, thought-provoking story that interrogates the toxic and parasocial dynamics associated with influencing.”—Kirkus *starred review*

“This timely, gripping novel establishes Nwabineli as a writer with the emotional insight to tackle heavy topics in a skilled and thoughtful manner and will provoke lively discussions for book clubs.”—Booklist

“A tack-sharp, beautifully told tale of agency and reclaiming your power. Nwabineli is the queen of flawlessly blending serious topics with witty contemporary prose. Her way with words is an incredible gift.”—Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, bestselling author of Everything Is Not Enough

“Rich with emotion, heartbreaking, and timely. A fresh and compelling perspective on living online.”—Peace Adzo Medie, author of Nightbloom

“I loved everything about this book, from the original portrayal of social media and influencer culture, to the excellent humor. Once again, Onyi Nwabineli tells a story that is wise, captivating and unforgettable.”—Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of The Three of Us

Praise for Someday, Maybe:
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick * A Book of the Month Club Pick * LibraryReads Pick

“Nwabineli is magic with words, and manages to be at turns bitingly funny and heart-breakingly gutting. A book that acknowledges despair whilst encouraging hope.”—Bolu Babalola, bestselling author of Honey and Spice

"If you are someone who gravitates toward emotional gut punch reads, allow me to introduce you to this spectacular debut…"—BuzzFeed

“Incisive and witty. I couldn’t put it down. Each richly developed character leaps off the page with vivid dimension.”—Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, bestselling author of Everything Is Not Enough

“One of the most powerful novels about grief I’ve read. It is simultaneously moving, witty and restorative.”—Daily Mail

“A heartbreaking exploration of grief that illustrates the power of relationships with those we love.”—ESSENCE

“Someday, Maybe is an earnest study on grief that forces you to examine it and not look away.”—Associated Press

"Nwabineli’s exceptional debut is a heartfelt and moving portrayal of grief and recovery in all its messiness…This is an excellent choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy thought-provoking, deeply emotional fiction."—Booklist *starred review*

“Reflective and heartrending, Someday, Maybe is also surprisingly witty and compellingly relatable. A powerfully realized debut.”—Ms. Magazine

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2024-03-23
Scarred by a childhood and adolescence spent as the face of her stepmother’s social media empire, a London woman tries to protect her little sister from the same fate.

Aṅụrị Chinasa is not okay. While she runs two thriving businesses and, at 25, has enough money to afford a two-bedroom apartment in London, she struggles with alcoholism, likes to verbally abuse consenting men online, and is semi-estranged from her father, Nkem, and her stepmother, Ophelia. Enabled by Nkem, Ophelia, a famous blogger, made a name for herself on the back of her experiences raising Aṅụrị, sharing photos, videos, and anecdotes that won her millions of fans and lucrative sponsorships. For Aṅụrị, the material benefits of such fame and fortune couldn’t outweigh the social and emotional drawbacks—constant scrutiny, a lack of anonymity, even a kidnapping attempt—but Nkem and Ophelia didn’t see it that way. When Aṅụrị cut ties with the business at age 18, she was soon replaced by Nkem and Ophelia’s new baby, Noelle. Five years after Noelle’s birth, Aṅụrị, still suffering the ill effects of hypervisibility, sues Ophelia in an attempt to force her stepmother to expunge her social media accounts and commercial ventures of anything Aṅụrị-related. Roughly around the same time, the relentlessly momagered Noelle begins to exhibit worrisome behavior. Concerned for her sister’s welfare, Aṅụrị undertakes a new crusade against the backdrop of the ongoing lawsuit: to liberate Noelle from stardom. For all the righteousness of Aṅụrị’s cause, Nwabineli’s cleareyed narrator resists the temptation to wholly vilify Nkem and Ophelia; brief chapters told from their perspectives, coupled with the narrator’s occasional injections of background information, offer insight into why they made the mistakes they did. In many ways, this novel recalls Zadie Smith’s White Teeth (2000). Both novels foreground immigrants and immigrant struggles, including racism and xenophobia (Nkem and an infant Aṅụrị emigrated to England from Nigeria after Aṅụrị’s mother died; Ophelia’s contrasting whiteness is a subtle point of tension); both novels have the same sweeping third-person-omniscient point of view, peppered with wry observations about life and humanity. Though it isn’t a modern classic like White Teeth, this novel tells a moving, thought-provoking story that interrogates the toxic and parasocial dynamics associated with influencing.

A parable for the social media age that critiques without resorting to alarmism or preachiness.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160216874
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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