And So I Roar by Abi Daré: Book Review

And So I Roar is the latest release from best-selling author Abi Daré. Released in August 2024, it continues the story of Tia and Adunni from The Girl with the Louding Voice. Adunni is preparing to start school; her dreams are coming true when a banging at the gate outside Tia’s house sends them back home.

CW/TW: death, attempted rape, misogyny, forced marriage

Synopsis from Goodreads

When Tia accidentally overhears a whispered conversation between her mother—terminally ill and lying in a hospital bed in Port Harcourt, Nigeria—and her aunt, the repercussions will send her on a desperate quest to uncover a secret her mother has been hiding for nearly two decades.

Back home in Lagos, a few days later, Adunni, a plucky fourteen-year-old runaway, is lying awake in Tia’s guest room. Having escaped from her rural village in a desperate bid to seek a better future, she’s finally found refuge with Tia, who has helped her enroll in school. It’s always been Adunni’s dream to get an education, and she’s bursting with excitement.

Suddenly, there’s a horrible knocking at the front gate. . . .

It’s only the beginning of a harrowing ordeal that will see Tia forced to make a terrible choice between protecting Adunni or finally learning the truth behind the secret her mother has hidden from her. And Adunni will learn that her “louding voice,” as she calls it, is more important than ever, as she must advocate to save not only herself but all the young women of her home village, Ikati.

If she succeeds, she may transform Ikati into a place where girls are allowed to claim the bright futures they deserve—and shout their stories to the world.

My Opinions

When I first learned of And So I Roar, I wanted to read it. I knew I had to read it when I discovered it continues Adunni’s story. I read The Girl with the Louding Voice in 2021 and loved so much about it. You can find my review here. Knowing what I knew of the first book, I knew the second would not be easy. Both books discuss challenging topics and are brutally honest in their approach. Both books will bring out your emotions–sadness, sorrow, anger, hopefulness, joy. They are all there, trust me.

Adunni continues to be the voice we all need to hear. She is full of wisdom beyond her 14 years. Throughout her challenges in And So I Roar, she shares many wise nuggets that made this 49-year-old stop and think. Can we please get a copy of Adunni’s Little Wisdoms printed? Please!

The story centers on Adunni’s home village and the hardships they’ve dealt with since she left. There has been little to no rain or too much of it, leaving the fields barren and insufficient food. The village leaders blame the girls and women’s sins and decide they must atone for their sins to bring back the rain.

Adunni learns there’s more to having a “louding voice.” She must show others they are enough and have a say in their lives. She learns she must roar to be heard, and roar she does.

While And So I Roar is a continuation of The Girl with the Louding Voice, you don’t need to read the first book to grasp the impact of Adunni’s voice. I recommend you try the audiobook first, as Adunni speaks broken English (not her first language), which may be a stumbling block for some people. The narrator, Adjoa Andoh, does a fantastic job of keeping characters separate when you change the POV.

Are you looking for a book featuring strong female characters? Do you enjoy reading books with a found family? What about ones that feature forgiveness and understanding even parents aren’t perfect? Then you should read And So I Roar by Abi Daré.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.