Ajayi Mary’s To Kill A Raving Victim is a fictional novel that revolves around the failings and strengths of Valerie Atta, a half-bred girl (Ghanaian father and Nigerian Mother).
The time frame of each activity in the book enables the reader to keep up with the story. The book depicts the struggles of the protagonist in earnest search for her former lively self and utilizes it as blueprints in achieving her true purpose in life.
Valerie constantly reminisces of the key chapters in her past which portrays her cheerful spirit with other children and her blood relations in Nsutem, Ghana. She had to be faced with immeasurable victimization and violence which contributed to the transformation from her better self, to a battered version. At the end, she found her purpose through all the sufferings.
This book is a typical embodiment of the fact that neither violence nor victimization can be stronger than the fulfillment of one’s purpose in life. This position is illustrated by the title of the book since a ‘raving victim’ is depicted as a mental crisis in human form, that constantly challenges her to think only about her bad episodes and nothing close to moving on with life.
Hence, the author in a bid to form a crystal ball of style and savoury, makes the mental and raving victim that lives in the dark corners of Valerie’s heart, the antagonist of the novel. The author spices up her book with some light romantic fireworks that is readable by all manners of men since they are just mere mental words that do not evoke illicitness.
The Romantic part of this book walks us through the extent of Valerie’s desperation in finding herself over her romantic life. Also, the protagonist is portrayed as a person who values relationships a lot, as she would always picture herself amidst her long lost siblings and parents and even old friends that lingers in her heart.
Ajayi Mary unveils the true value of friendship in the book. Even though, her bulk of mayhem is from friends, Valerie she found light at the end of the tunnel through the actions and inactions of a good friend, Emeka. She becomes an all-time model in Miami with his help. Her love for relationships can also be seen in the deep affection she has for her adopter, Mrs. Orji; even though they are always at cross purposes.
The theme of relationships lubricates the plot of the story since it influences the decisions of the protagonist.
The language of the book is simple and easy to understand even though it is coated with few Ghanaian slangs and Nigerian pidgins. There is no such thing as getting lost as the plot of the story evolves since the chapters in the book are arranged and followed by motivational inscriptions that drive home its bone of contention.
The book is a perfect mix for people who like to be on the same perceptive level with the narrator as the descriptive power is quite captivating. It is embellished with just a smidgen of humour and the only evidence of humour is between Craig and Jack, which can be really annoying because it depicts a bit of foolishness and insensitivity on Jack’s part.
The author tries to show through Jack’s character, that one who sees humour even in the most reasonable things would not find it hard to have a formless life. Obviously, Jack would fail his drama examinations from the conversation between him and Craig in the first chapter, because he takes even his education with levity hands.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because it is didactic and street wise. I recommend this book to readers who like books that embrace both African and British settings since the book is set mostly in Ghana and Nigeria; other settings are within Miami and Cambridgeshire.
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