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Aluta Adwoa Badoe Books

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Aluta Adwoa Badoe Books

Aluta is so beautifully written!
I felt immersed in history....hard to believe it is fiction. I lived the moments of each page. I even heard the "hoonnnnn sass!" so loudly that its still lingering energy almost threatens to halt this review. Oh yes! It does!
Aluta magically transposed me with its words in the way that growing up National Geograhic Magazine did with its pictures....a nostalgic reading giving when and where I grew up...It gives a real taste of the land and its people.


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Aluta Adwoa Badoe Books Reviews

As a politics junkie and someone who is perpetually interested in Ghana's history, I was so delighted to start reading Aluta. The story features Charlotte, a university freshman whose excitement and expectations for her time at school are derailed during Ghana's 1981 military coup. Charlotte becomes a leader among her peers in the revolution as the coup brings about hardships for Ghanaians, and she quickly learns of the dangers and sacrifices that come with taking a stand against injustice.

Aluta is a beautifully written novel about a story that has seldom been told. I've heard many stories about the revolution from family members, but reading this novel offered a personal, intimate account of how political turmoil affects every aspect of life for those involved. Badoe has presented a raw, unadulterated perspective on life during times of political strife, and by using Charlotte as the vehicle for this story she has given a voice to the unique struggles of youth during this time period. The pure and personal way the story is told offers a realistic account of life during this period in Ghana's history, making it hard to believe this story is fiction. As I went through the book I felt as though I was actually living the experience and empathizing with the characters as the story progressed. Badoe's ability to harness these feelings from the reader through her incredible gift for storytelling is truly remarkable. This book is a must read!
Having lived in Ghana through the revolution, I was excited to receive an ARC of Aluta, a young adult novel set in the political turmoil. The story opens with Charlotte, a girl entering university for the first time, brimming with the usual freshman excitement and fears. She has barely settled into college life when a military coup threatens her future and rages against the wealth of middle class parents. As the revolution tears through the country, university students revolt. At a time when college girls are supposed be demure, Charlotte joins the resistance dubbed Aluta. She becomes a leading figure whose beauty is both a blessing and a curse as she juggles a charismatic boyfriend and a rich admirer who become mired in the danger.

Charlotte is the kind of narrator I like courageous, charming and imperfect, inspiring both respect and hatred. Adwoa Badoe’s writing is refreshingly traditional, almost journalistic, straight to the point and devoid of purple prose. One delves into the story with few distractions. Badoe details the progression of the riots to an extent that hasn’t been done before. At the same time, she gives us glimpses into campus life at the University of Science and technology with its charm and quirks. Of particular note is her extensive use of dialogue which I found an effective vehicle for moving the story. Aluta doesn’t disappoint, and the end is a tear-jerker.
Charlotte is living her best life. She is settling into university life and getting used to all its perks. She has men lining up at her door, friends with whom she can talk the night away and, best of all, a father who is no longer able to watch every single thing she does. But what happens when political situations that are completely out of her hand disrupt her life? Charlotte has to choose between being active in the movement for justice or remaining the quiet girl her father would want her to be...

Reading this book felt a little like being on a see-saw. I started off feeling like I was the one on top, then there was a slow buildup to the main action of the story. I felt connected to Charlotte during this part. Charlotte is quite a relatable character. She is bold and beautiful --- timid at first, but not afraid to speak her mind when she has the chance. However, I spent too long at the top on the see-saw. I kept anticipating the part where I would finally be able to experience the action of the story that was introduced in the blurb. When was it coming? The answer, at least for me, was a little too long into the book. There was a long buildup to the story, which was great and allowed me to understand the characters, but the actual action took place in such a short amount of time that it felt like it didn’t belong. It took too long in getting set up that I was abruptly brought down with not a lot of explanation.

Romantic relationships and I have a long history. That is to say, I have never been in one (except in some truly wonderful dreams), and I don’t see the point of them most of the time (at least in books). I have seen an increasing trend of authors simply putting in romantic relationships into novels for some unknown reason. I wonder sometimes if it’s because they feel that their characters are incomplete without the added depth a romantic relationship gives them. The relationship between Banahene and Charlotte seemed to come out of nowhere. There were only a hint of romantic feelings by Banahene and none by Charlotte that I could pick up on. Everything the author wanted to accomplish by giving Charlotte a romantic relationship could have been portrayed by simply making their relationship a close friendship. Perhaps it is the cynical part of me talking but I did not see how a romantic relationship really had a huge impact on the book as a whole.

Overall, I enjoyed the book for the rich culture and history of Ghana it portrayed. I was able to start several conversations with my classmates all of whom are greatly interested in African history. I had never read a novel quite like this; it was a unique way to portray the journey to independence of a small nation.

As a disclaimer and very important note to those planning to read ALUTA, the end of the book is extremely heartbreaking. Everything is going so well for Charlotte, but then she becomes the victim of a brutal physical assault and subsequent trauma, all of which happens in the last 50 pages. This was a little like the see-saw effect. It all happened too quickly for me to comprehend everything. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and felt sympathy for Charlotte.

Reviewed by Pranshu A., Teen Board Member
Aluta is so beautifully written!
I felt immersed in history....hard to believe it is fiction. I lived the moments of each page. I even heard the "hoonnnnn sass!" so loudly that its still lingering energy almost threatens to halt this review. Oh yes! It does!
Aluta magically transposed me with its words in the way that growing up National Geograhic Magazine did with its pictures....a nostalgic reading giving when and where I grew up...It gives a real taste of the land and its people.