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No One Dies Yet
How do you begin a murder story starring a curious foreigner and an opportunistic local without giving away the entire plot—who died and why? You start with the obvious villain.
2019, The Year of Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country's underground queer scene. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their way into Accra's privileged circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle. The pair's tense relationship sets the tone for what becomes a shocking and unsettling tale of murder that is at times funny, at times erotic, yet always outspoken and iconoclastic.
2019, The Year of Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country's underground queer scene. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their way into Accra's privileged circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle. The pair's tense relationship sets the tone for what becomes a shocking and unsettling tale of murder that is at times funny, at times erotic, yet always outspoken and iconoclastic.
384 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 17, 2024
This is one of those obvious first novels where the author wants to stuff everything he's thinking and wanting to talk about. Some of it works, some is fun and bold, and some of it doesn't work.
February 20, 2024
Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Enough said.
August 5, 2023
Wow. Such a rollercoaster. This book is told (mostly) from the perspective of Kobby and Nana, both contemporary Ghaniains. The former represents the liberal and western-leaning Ghana, while the latter represents the more traditional part of that society. The story unfolds during 2019, the Year of Return, when the government of Ghana encourages blacks who live in e.g,, US and Europe to come visit Ghana and connect to their roots. The story centres 3 friends who come from the US, and meet both Kobby and Nana, and spend 2 weeks with them.
The book tackles multiple topics. First and foremost, it's about the tension between black Africans and the descendants of black slaves living outside of Africa. This is the central theme, and governs much of the tension in the book. Secondly, it's about the gay experience in Ghana, and how local gays survive and thrive (or not). Thirdly, it's about psychological suffering and inner deamons, and what it takes to exercise them (or at least keep them at bay). Finally, it's a thriller with murder(s) at its core.
The story is immensely powerful. Its use of language is superb - with the narratives of Kobby and Nana written in the first person, and genuinely coming across as being written by different people. The emotional tension and the psychological depth are spectacular. The story of Kobby in particular is mesmerising - he is such a complex and multifaceted personality that finding out more about him feels like its own kind of thriller. I also loved the intensely personal characterisation of the politics at the core of the book, which helped me see what it might feel like living in the midst of the tension between the local population and the "returnees".
I have to also comment on the fantastic depiction of gay life and culture in this book. It's probably the best I've ever read, in any novel, from any country. It comes across as genuine, authentic, warm, nuanced, complex, and intimate. It's not contrived, "over-acted", or over-dramatised.
The only flaw I saw in this book is probably the final chapter, which tells the story post 2019. Frankly, it would have been a better book without it. It felt like a 5 limb - it had a different vibe, rhythm, and style. It also felt faintly post-apocalyptic, but not in a great way.
Highly recommend it to anyone interested in Africa, the black experience, being gay in Africa (or elsewhere), relationship between men, trying to find oneself, impact of colonialism on contemporary culture, etc. One of the most powerful and intense books I read in a long time. I feel like Kobby will stay with me for a long time.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The book tackles multiple topics. First and foremost, it's about the tension between black Africans and the descendants of black slaves living outside of Africa. This is the central theme, and governs much of the tension in the book. Secondly, it's about the gay experience in Ghana, and how local gays survive and thrive (or not). Thirdly, it's about psychological suffering and inner deamons, and what it takes to exercise them (or at least keep them at bay). Finally, it's a thriller with murder(s) at its core.
The story is immensely powerful. Its use of language is superb - with the narratives of Kobby and Nana written in the first person, and genuinely coming across as being written by different people. The emotional tension and the psychological depth are spectacular. The story of Kobby in particular is mesmerising - he is such a complex and multifaceted personality that finding out more about him feels like its own kind of thriller. I also loved the intensely personal characterisation of the politics at the core of the book, which helped me see what it might feel like living in the midst of the tension between the local population and the "returnees".
I have to also comment on the fantastic depiction of gay life and culture in this book. It's probably the best I've ever read, in any novel, from any country. It comes across as genuine, authentic, warm, nuanced, complex, and intimate. It's not contrived, "over-acted", or over-dramatised.
The only flaw I saw in this book is probably the final chapter, which tells the story post 2019. Frankly, it would have been a better book without it. It felt like a 5 limb - it had a different vibe, rhythm, and style. It also felt faintly post-apocalyptic, but not in a great way.
Highly recommend it to anyone interested in Africa, the black experience, being gay in Africa (or elsewhere), relationship between men, trying to find oneself, impact of colonialism on contemporary culture, etc. One of the most powerful and intense books I read in a long time. I feel like Kobby will stay with me for a long time.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
August 18, 2023
(4.5)
No One Dies Yet by Kobby Ben Ben is a weird, chaotic, raunchy, and at times surreal, perhaps a little auto fictional literary thriller. In essence, I have no idea what I’ve just read, but my gosh, was it good.
Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America in Ghana during the Year of Return in 2019. They plan to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country's underground queer scene. But this novel really isn't about them. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their way into Accra's privileged queer circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle.
It’s the relationship between Kobby and Nana that I loved the most. To me they felt like a representation of two modes of Ghanaian masculinity at odds with but also, in some ways, co-existing with each other. Kobby is gentle and caring towards Nana who is convinced that Kobby is Anansi but still - initially - cares for him. It’s a heartbreaking relationship but can, at times, be deeply poignant. There’s a beautiful moment when both Kobby and Nana separately go in search of chickens for a spiritual ceremony that had me laughing and crying at the same time. I will say no more about it but know that the symbolism and foreshadowing in this book runs deep.
NODY is heavy on social critique, which is well delivered but might not resonate with everyone. The book explores themes of sexuality, colonial violence, race, African spirituality, transnationalism, and much more. It's packed full of commentary on repatriation, offering a perspective that people from Western Black diaspora countries might not have fully considered. If you're considering joining the repatriation movement, this might be a great place to start!
However, NODY isn't solely a social critique. It's also completely unhinged, dark, graphic, and often funny. It’s undoubtedly a crime thriller and is brutal in its matter-of-fact delivery of the more violent sections. This delivery consistently caught me off guard and left me unprepared for what lay ahead. I didn't know how to feel throughout much of the book which created a pretty tantalising and unique reading experience. I’m still not sure what happened in the end.
Ben Bens’ writing style is immersive and refreshingly original whilst also being reminiscent of the 1980’s American novels he critically references in the book. Benn Benn also pulls no punches in his critique of Western publishing houses. It's a very clever, very meta book.
His style is also intentionally chaotic, which I found appealing, but some readers might become frustrated due to the occasional stream-of-consciousness passages that can be slightly confusing. Because of this, I would categorise NODY deeply within the literary fiction genre. It's definitely not a light read.
Fundamentally, NODY is the kind of book people study. It’s dark, frank, sharp-witted, and reflective. It immediately struck me as a classic and will undoubtedly linger in my thoughts for a while to come.
Thank you to Netgalley and Europa Editions (UK) Ltd for this ARC Copy
No One Dies Yet by Kobby Ben Ben is a weird, chaotic, raunchy, and at times surreal, perhaps a little auto fictional literary thriller. In essence, I have no idea what I’ve just read, but my gosh, was it good.
Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America in Ghana during the Year of Return in 2019. They plan to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country's underground queer scene. But this novel really isn't about them. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their way into Accra's privileged queer circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle.
It’s the relationship between Kobby and Nana that I loved the most. To me they felt like a representation of two modes of Ghanaian masculinity at odds with but also, in some ways, co-existing with each other. Kobby is gentle and caring towards Nana who is convinced that Kobby is Anansi but still - initially - cares for him. It’s a heartbreaking relationship but can, at times, be deeply poignant. There’s a beautiful moment when both Kobby and Nana separately go in search of chickens for a spiritual ceremony that had me laughing and crying at the same time. I will say no more about it but know that the symbolism and foreshadowing in this book runs deep.
NODY is heavy on social critique, which is well delivered but might not resonate with everyone. The book explores themes of sexuality, colonial violence, race, African spirituality, transnationalism, and much more. It's packed full of commentary on repatriation, offering a perspective that people from Western Black diaspora countries might not have fully considered. If you're considering joining the repatriation movement, this might be a great place to start!
However, NODY isn't solely a social critique. It's also completely unhinged, dark, graphic, and often funny. It’s undoubtedly a crime thriller and is brutal in its matter-of-fact delivery of the more violent sections. This delivery consistently caught me off guard and left me unprepared for what lay ahead. I didn't know how to feel throughout much of the book which created a pretty tantalising and unique reading experience. I’m still not sure what happened in the end.
Ben Bens’ writing style is immersive and refreshingly original whilst also being reminiscent of the 1980’s American novels he critically references in the book. Benn Benn also pulls no punches in his critique of Western publishing houses. It's a very clever, very meta book.
His style is also intentionally chaotic, which I found appealing, but some readers might become frustrated due to the occasional stream-of-consciousness passages that can be slightly confusing. Because of this, I would categorise NODY deeply within the literary fiction genre. It's definitely not a light read.
Fundamentally, NODY is the kind of book people study. It’s dark, frank, sharp-witted, and reflective. It immediately struck me as a classic and will undoubtedly linger in my thoughts for a while to come.
Thank you to Netgalley and Europa Editions (UK) Ltd for this ARC Copy
January 9, 2024
I read this book as part of my local bookshop book of the month subscription. Again not a book that I might have chosen by myself, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a longish book, and in my experience, these days when you get longish novels, it tends to be full of "fillers". It's not the case with No One Dies Yet. Every paragraph has an impact.
Somebody else described it as a rollercoaster, and I think it's a very fitting description. It takes you up and down, and then turns and twists. Some of the scenes could be a bit too much, depending on the person I guess. There are quite a few very vivid descriptions of gay sex between men. I can't say if they are realistic or not, I want to guess the author is talking from his own experience. Personally, I didn't mind, but I didn't really think so many or so in your face was necessary. But others might think otherwise.
The rollercoaster thing is true, it is also true there are lots of different themes going on in the story, sex, LGBT culture in Africa, talk about slavery... etc and what I found most interesting is the description of the relations between African black people, white foreigners, black people from America and Britain. A big thing in the novel was the diaspora, and how Ghana was trying to attract money through the tourism of those descendants of the African slaves.
On the one hand, we learn a bit of history and the terrible experiences they went through. On the other hand, we learn the relationships between black people from Africa and those from other countries are not as straightforward as we could think. I learnt the word hotep, which in my limited experience and knowledge I can only equate as the black equivalent of the white pseudo-hippy middleclass wokism.
You see black Americans that come with all the baggage of the American racial issues. They land on Ghana and are convinced that their blackness is somehow a freepass, surprisingly we also see that they look down on the local African black people and even in their expat-black American parties they totally ignore and blank out the local black people. It goes as far as local people trying to work on their accents to "pass" themselves for British or American black people. How is that for irony.
Interestingly, when I started the book I was really confused. I thought the 3 American friends who come to visit are 2 white friends and one black American man. I got even more confused in the middle when who I thought was the white friends Elton and Vincent's husband are talked about as being black, when at the beginning Koby describes them as the black man, Vincent, and his two white friends. It turns out that being prejudiced is not exclusively a "white man's" sin, but it is universal. The author explains through Kobby, the character that the American friends would be surprised if he told them that in Ghana they're not considered as black men, they were considered white because of the colour of their skin. More irony.
More irony later on, maybe mental health issues, who knows, when Vincent goes around taking revenge for his "ancestors" by killing random white people in Ghana.
I am not sure if this was the aim of the author, but to me one of the main themes to take away from this book is that nobody is free from American imperialism. Even black people who feel are oppressed in America, go to supposedly find their roots in the "mother" land and behave as horribly and haughtily towards the locals as their white ancestors behaved towards their black ancestors.
The book is not perfect either. It is true that towards the end gets a bit too confusing, with maybe too many themes. I am not sure why the subplot of Kobby's past and how his brother died is important other than to show one of his screws is loose.
Other people have already commented on the two main narrators being Kobby and Nana, one representing the more modern country and also the struggles of gay people, and the other representing the religious zealotry and the traditions. Both are in serious need of mental health support for different reasons though.
I think it´s a great first published book for the author. I'd love to read more from him.
Somebody else described it as a rollercoaster, and I think it's a very fitting description. It takes you up and down, and then turns and twists. Some of the scenes could be a bit too much, depending on the person I guess. There are quite a few very vivid descriptions of gay sex between men. I can't say if they are realistic or not, I want to guess the author is talking from his own experience. Personally, I didn't mind, but I didn't really think so many or so in your face was necessary. But others might think otherwise.
The rollercoaster thing is true, it is also true there are lots of different themes going on in the story, sex, LGBT culture in Africa, talk about slavery... etc and what I found most interesting is the description of the relations between African black people, white foreigners, black people from America and Britain. A big thing in the novel was the diaspora, and how Ghana was trying to attract money through the tourism of those descendants of the African slaves.
On the one hand, we learn a bit of history and the terrible experiences they went through. On the other hand, we learn the relationships between black people from Africa and those from other countries are not as straightforward as we could think. I learnt the word hotep, which in my limited experience and knowledge I can only equate as the black equivalent of the white pseudo-hippy middleclass wokism.
You see black Americans that come with all the baggage of the American racial issues. They land on Ghana and are convinced that their blackness is somehow a freepass, surprisingly we also see that they look down on the local African black people and even in their expat-black American parties they totally ignore and blank out the local black people. It goes as far as local people trying to work on their accents to "pass" themselves for British or American black people. How is that for irony.
Interestingly, when I started the book I was really confused. I thought the 3 American friends who come to visit are 2 white friends and one black American man. I got even more confused in the middle when who I thought was the white friends Elton and Vincent's husband are talked about as being black, when at the beginning Koby describes them as the black man, Vincent, and his two white friends. It turns out that being prejudiced is not exclusively a "white man's" sin, but it is universal. The author explains through Kobby, the character that the American friends would be surprised if he told them that in Ghana they're not considered as black men, they were considered white because of the colour of their skin. More irony.
More irony later on, maybe mental health issues, who knows, when Vincent goes around taking revenge for his "ancestors" by killing random white people in Ghana.
I am not sure if this was the aim of the author, but to me one of the main themes to take away from this book is that nobody is free from American imperialism. Even black people who feel are oppressed in America, go to supposedly find their roots in the "mother" land and behave as horribly and haughtily towards the locals as their white ancestors behaved towards their black ancestors.
The book is not perfect either. It is true that towards the end gets a bit too confusing, with maybe too many themes. I am not sure why the subplot of Kobby's past and how his brother died is important other than to show one of his screws is loose.
Other people have already commented on the two main narrators being Kobby and Nana, one representing the more modern country and also the struggles of gay people, and the other representing the religious zealotry and the traditions. Both are in serious need of mental health support for different reasons though.
I think it´s a great first published book for the author. I'd love to read more from him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2023
It's a swelteringly hot day when three American men descend onto Accra in hopes of enjoying the Year of Return celebrations in 2019. Elton, Scott and Vincent enlist the help of two locals, Kobby, their guide to the underground queer scene and Nana, our religious grifter and morality police.
What follows is a dazzling tale with twists and turns cleverly told in vivid, rich prose with plenty of humour and verve.
Told from the alternating POVs of Kobby, Nana, and an ancestral chorus, NODY is a genre-defying and multi-layered novel that shines a lens on Ghana, its relationship with the diaspora and much more. It is impossible not to think of the country's increasingly flagrant homophobia and hypocrisies in its context. At times severe and reckoning with the history of the transatlantic trade and colonial violence, NODY's brilliance is its ever-changing shape and clear reverence for literature, noir crime and queer grounding. Within this also is a story about contemporary Ghanaian society.
I loved its filth and gore, yet moments of tenderness shine through. The relationship between our guides is often combative, yet there's a sexual undertone; the language from its use of Twi without explaining and proverbs/folklore within. I also enjoyed its exploration of the tense relationship within a couple of the major ethnic groups - Fante and Ashanti people. Its prose isn't spare but intentional and deceptive.
Is it a crime thriller, literary fiction, or even meta (since the author lends his name to one of our main characters)? You don't know, but you'll be thoroughly entertained, educated and spent (like some of our characters) by the end.
What follows is a dazzling tale with twists and turns cleverly told in vivid, rich prose with plenty of humour and verve.
Told from the alternating POVs of Kobby, Nana, and an ancestral chorus, NODY is a genre-defying and multi-layered novel that shines a lens on Ghana, its relationship with the diaspora and much more. It is impossible not to think of the country's increasingly flagrant homophobia and hypocrisies in its context. At times severe and reckoning with the history of the transatlantic trade and colonial violence, NODY's brilliance is its ever-changing shape and clear reverence for literature, noir crime and queer grounding. Within this also is a story about contemporary Ghanaian society.
I loved its filth and gore, yet moments of tenderness shine through. The relationship between our guides is often combative, yet there's a sexual undertone; the language from its use of Twi without explaining and proverbs/folklore within. I also enjoyed its exploration of the tense relationship within a couple of the major ethnic groups - Fante and Ashanti people. Its prose isn't spare but intentional and deceptive.
Is it a crime thriller, literary fiction, or even meta (since the author lends his name to one of our main characters)? You don't know, but you'll be thoroughly entertained, educated and spent (like some of our characters) by the end.
March 6, 2024
The story to one side, I stuck with this until halfway through, when I had just had enough of the graphic sex scenes. After the fourth or fifth, I opted for skimming over them, but this didn’t really work. They prevented any coherence to the story.
I’m not a big fan of lengthy sex scenes in any book. The ‘bad sex in fiction award’, run by The Literary Review finished as the pandemic started, having run for 16 years. As far as I am concerned most fictional sex episodes would qualify; I don’t see it was a very easy, interesting, or usually relevant subject to wrote about.
For me, it ruined this book.
I’m not a big fan of lengthy sex scenes in any book. The ‘bad sex in fiction award’, run by The Literary Review finished as the pandemic started, having run for 16 years. As far as I am concerned most fictional sex episodes would qualify; I don’t see it was a very easy, interesting, or usually relevant subject to wrote about.
For me, it ruined this book.
February 25, 2024
I've finished it two days ago and I'm still trying to put my thoughts into some order because there's so much going on. There's postcolonial politics, which in itself was not only quite enough given its complexities, but also very educational for a foreign but interested reader. There's queerness, how it is lived in that part of Africa and how it relates to African diaspora and postcolonial condition. And there's the (meta)literary, clashing all sorts of genres including a warped murder mystery. If that wasn't enough, there are incredible descriptions of Accra. I sort of wish I'm there, but also not (I've plenty of heat and urban chaos where I am already).
July 27, 2025
Black queer men have been compartmentalising, proportioning their identities all their lives. Over here, we’re made to navigate our lives in ways that obliterate our queerness. Over there, your Blackness is at stake, to be swallowed and limited and constrained. In all cases, we’re practicing that dance of self-preservation, dancing, or rather, dangling at the edge of the oppressor’s canines.
I'm somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars with this one. I'm leaning towards 3, but more out of an appreciation for what this does, rather than the enjoyment I got out of it. It starts with a fairly solid premise (three queer black American men visit Ghana during the Year of Return, and their visit is shepherded by two very different guides) that kinda spirals off into too many disparate directions, imo. Another review says it well: it feels like the author wanted to include a lot of stuff in this book, every thesis and every good idea he's ever had, and I don't think it was all integrated very well. And yet, when it was compelling, it was extremely compelling; when it landed, it hit like a truck.
For most of the book we're switching between Kobby (gay, intellectual, complicated, aspiring writer) and Nana (old-fashioned, definitely being manipulated by his church). There are also some meta-esque interludes that I could have probably done without. I really liked the cultural and historical exploration, the debates about African identity and blackness in the diaspora, and how they diverge. I remember hearing about the Year of Return, but this is my first time reading about it. The POV switches were interesting, especially when, say, Kobby's chapters would suddenly start addressing Elton or another character directly as 'you'. There was a fair amount of dialogue in Twi and other dialects, and for most of it you could pick up a vibe from the context. But I still ended up pausing to google translate a lot of it, which helped me to slow down my reading a lot and absorb it more. I liked all the bookstagram details, and references to other contemporary books. (Patsy!)
But I spent a lot of this book confused, ngl. I appreciate that the book had no desire to hold my hand but damn, at least tell me where we're going. When certain things started happening with Vincent and Scott I was just like... Oh? Okay. It gets wild in a few places, and I did like it, but it also just left me a little nonplussed. The eroticism was raw and real, but sometimes just jarring. I really liked Kobby as a main character, and kinda wish we has spent more time with him alone, gotten more of his story. The epilogue... IDK. Again, I have to use the word 'jarring'; it didn't feel like it fit. It felt like something ripped from another book. I wouldn't really describe this as a thriller, and maybe that's for the best, since I don't always get along well with thrillers. But if you WANT a thriller/mystery, maybe adjust your expectations. This could have definitely benefited from some tighter editing, at the sentence level for typos et cetera, but also to make the plot more coherent.
Really interesting overall. Glad I took the time to read it, even if it wasn't everything I wanted.
July 29, 2023
No One Dies Yet is a genre-defying literary novel about three Americans visiting Ghana and the two very different tour guides who work to show them a complex place and the foreigners' strange position in the country. It is 2019 and Elton, Vincent, and Scott have come to Ghana for the Year of Return. The two narrators, Kobby and Nana, are their tour guides: Kobby, a writer and Instragram book reviewer who might be able to show them the underground queer scene, and Nana, who wants to protect the travellers from the dangers he sees with his religious beliefs and sense of tradition.
This is an epic and experimental book, told through two narrators who paint very different pictures of what happens, and whose tense relationship forms a weird centre to the narrative. There's an awful lot packed into the story, from biting critique of a range of people and actions to literary fiction jokes about what African literature that becomes popular in the US and UK has to be and who should read it. The main looming event is murder, teased from the start, but it isn't as simple as a murder story, and there's some fascinating layers to what goes on, particularly around queerness and survival. Woven throughout is Ghanian history and ideas of who tells it and what they engage with, and the book doesn't have any easy answers to its questions. Then there's the characters and their own experiences: of queerness, of race, and how they view the world.
It feels a bit meta to be writing an online review of a book that is by and about an online book reviewer, but the book also has some jokes about that world mixed in, with plenty of dark humour amongst the issues it explores. It is a book trying to subvert your ideas about what it is, whilst also questioning why you had those ideas in the first place.
This is an epic and experimental book, told through two narrators who paint very different pictures of what happens, and whose tense relationship forms a weird centre to the narrative. There's an awful lot packed into the story, from biting critique of a range of people and actions to literary fiction jokes about what African literature that becomes popular in the US and UK has to be and who should read it. The main looming event is murder, teased from the start, but it isn't as simple as a murder story, and there's some fascinating layers to what goes on, particularly around queerness and survival. Woven throughout is Ghanian history and ideas of who tells it and what they engage with, and the book doesn't have any easy answers to its questions. Then there's the characters and their own experiences: of queerness, of race, and how they view the world.
It feels a bit meta to be writing an online review of a book that is by and about an online book reviewer, but the book also has some jokes about that world mixed in, with plenty of dark humour amongst the issues it explores. It is a book trying to subvert your ideas about what it is, whilst also questioning why you had those ideas in the first place.
June 13, 2024
Kobby and Nana were a brilliant pairing as narrators. While slow and truly beautifully written, there was a mystery at the core of this work which kept me hooked, even as I struggled to keep up with what was going on.
Focusing on The Year of Return in Ghana and its ramifications, there were elements of magical realism which harked back to Achebe's "Things Fall Apart". None of these characters were likeable, but a fully-fleshed-out character rarely is.
Kobby Ben Ben is a true master with his prose. To think that this is a debut is mindblowing and I can't wait to see what this author dreams up next.
Focusing on The Year of Return in Ghana and its ramifications, there were elements of magical realism which harked back to Achebe's "Things Fall Apart". None of these characters were likeable, but a fully-fleshed-out character rarely is.
Kobby Ben Ben is a true master with his prose. To think that this is a debut is mindblowing and I can't wait to see what this author dreams up next.
June 6, 2024
GO. GET. A. COPY.
July 30, 2023
2019, The Year of Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors. No One Dies Yet recounts the visit of three Americans, Elton, Vincent, and Scott, mostly narrated by their two guides, Kobby and Nana. This is a murder story unlike any other, in which no-one can be trusted.
No One Dies Yet is an ambitious, sprawling, and genre-bending book, which has a hook that is impossible to resist, but then never quite takes the reader where I was expecting to go. The characters are vividly created, each flawed in their own way, and I love how Kobby Ben Ben constantly challenges the things they say and do. I love a book where I don't know who to trust, and I really liked the way Kobby Ben Ben used this trope, which I associate with crime fiction, to question the characters' views on race, gender, and sexuality (amongst other things). There is a lot going on in this book, which deals with some hard-hitting themes, and makes a lot of thought-provoking points. However, I sometimes felt like No One Dies Yet was trying to do too much. This was a three-star rather than four-star read for me, because, despite the brilliant hook, I found it a bit of a drag at times. The epilogue, in particular, was too much for me (in terms of both length, and additional content).
No One Dies Yet is a book unlike anything else I have read, and I know it will stay with me for some time, but I personally found it a little long and unfocused.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europa Editions for an advance copy. No One Dies Yet is out on 31 August.
No One Dies Yet is an ambitious, sprawling, and genre-bending book, which has a hook that is impossible to resist, but then never quite takes the reader where I was expecting to go. The characters are vividly created, each flawed in their own way, and I love how Kobby Ben Ben constantly challenges the things they say and do. I love a book where I don't know who to trust, and I really liked the way Kobby Ben Ben used this trope, which I associate with crime fiction, to question the characters' views on race, gender, and sexuality (amongst other things). There is a lot going on in this book, which deals with some hard-hitting themes, and makes a lot of thought-provoking points. However, I sometimes felt like No One Dies Yet was trying to do too much. This was a three-star rather than four-star read for me, because, despite the brilliant hook, I found it a bit of a drag at times. The epilogue, in particular, was too much for me (in terms of both length, and additional content).
No One Dies Yet is a book unlike anything else I have read, and I know it will stay with me for some time, but I personally found it a little long and unfocused.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europa Editions for an advance copy. No One Dies Yet is out on 31 August.
February 14, 2025
I thought this book was absolutely beautifully written !!!!! the author got a bit caught up in the main character’s schizophrenia but it was still a great undertaking to see !
Read
July 28, 2024I finally finished this one this month—I’ve been reading it since February—and Reader, I have really complicated feelings about it.
First, the good: this is really powerful writing exploring Ghana’s “Year of Return” through the story of five men who become entangled in shenanigans. Vincent, Scott and Elton have arrived in Accra from the US, and engage Nana as their guide. Nana knows his way around, but he’s a homophobic “Christian” (more accurately, he belongs to a prosperity gospel sect). What Nana doesn’t realise at first is that Vincent and Scott are married. Elton meets Kobby, a local writer, on a gay site, and Kobby joins the group as soon as they arrive, to Nana’s jealousy and disgust. Nana suspects Kobby of all kinds of things, and hates his elite, educated ways. He figures out very quickly that Elton and Kobby are involved. Kobby also suspects Nana of stuff, and is not unaware of Nana’s feelings about him.
So, that’s the basic story. It’s told from two perspectives, those of Nana and Kobby, and I like how clear and distinctive their voices are throughout the book. I also enjoyed the twist that shows that the characters are not what they seem, which all comes out when the group visits the castles as part of their Year of Return tour. Things get surreal: murders happen, there are hauntings, there are rituals, and the whole tone of the book changes—all of which makes for wonderful reading.
But. This book has really, really brutal sex scenes, and they’re very off-putting. I believe the writer meant for them to be, to make their point, but I found them so unsettling that I don’t think I could recommend the book. It’s a pity, because Kobby Ben Ben has lots to say about homophobia in Ghana—something so important and topical right now—and there’s so much advocacy in just telling these stories. So it leaves me feeling very torn, because I know readers like me would be just as put off by those scenes and miss the import of the rest of the message.
As I think about what the book was trying to say to the reader, homophobia in Ghana is only one of the things. Perhaps others are how the Ghanaian government is encouraging foreign investment at the cost of locals; how Black American “returnees” are sometimes dismissive of the locals, of actual Ghanaians, and create separate enclaves—making themselves elites, and even neo-colonisers; and also the position of Ghanaians themselves on the Atlantic slave trade, whether they were complicit, and to what degree. Those, too, are important things this novel attempts to explore—maybe to its detriment, even, as it possibly tries to do too much.
So, yes. Complicated feelings. In some ways Kobby Ben Ben’s No One Dies Yet reminds me of Marechera: the same kind of mind-bending surrealism; the same disregard, really, for the feelings of the reader. That’s a great thing in literature. However, the flip side of it is whether it alienates the reader to the degree that they reject the entire message. That’s the fine line I’m left pondering.
Many thanks to Europa Editions and to Edelweiss for access to a DRC.
First, the good: this is really powerful writing exploring Ghana’s “Year of Return” through the story of five men who become entangled in shenanigans. Vincent, Scott and Elton have arrived in Accra from the US, and engage Nana as their guide. Nana knows his way around, but he’s a homophobic “Christian” (more accurately, he belongs to a prosperity gospel sect). What Nana doesn’t realise at first is that Vincent and Scott are married. Elton meets Kobby, a local writer, on a gay site, and Kobby joins the group as soon as they arrive, to Nana’s jealousy and disgust. Nana suspects Kobby of all kinds of things, and hates his elite, educated ways. He figures out very quickly that Elton and Kobby are involved. Kobby also suspects Nana of stuff, and is not unaware of Nana’s feelings about him.
So, that’s the basic story. It’s told from two perspectives, those of Nana and Kobby, and I like how clear and distinctive their voices are throughout the book. I also enjoyed the twist that shows that the characters are not what they seem, which all comes out when the group visits the castles as part of their Year of Return tour. Things get surreal: murders happen, there are hauntings, there are rituals, and the whole tone of the book changes—all of which makes for wonderful reading.
But. This book has really, really brutal sex scenes, and they’re very off-putting. I believe the writer meant for them to be, to make their point, but I found them so unsettling that I don’t think I could recommend the book. It’s a pity, because Kobby Ben Ben has lots to say about homophobia in Ghana—something so important and topical right now—and there’s so much advocacy in just telling these stories. So it leaves me feeling very torn, because I know readers like me would be just as put off by those scenes and miss the import of the rest of the message.
As I think about what the book was trying to say to the reader, homophobia in Ghana is only one of the things. Perhaps others are how the Ghanaian government is encouraging foreign investment at the cost of locals; how Black American “returnees” are sometimes dismissive of the locals, of actual Ghanaians, and create separate enclaves—making themselves elites, and even neo-colonisers; and also the position of Ghanaians themselves on the Atlantic slave trade, whether they were complicit, and to what degree. Those, too, are important things this novel attempts to explore—maybe to its detriment, even, as it possibly tries to do too much.
So, yes. Complicated feelings. In some ways Kobby Ben Ben’s No One Dies Yet reminds me of Marechera: the same kind of mind-bending surrealism; the same disregard, really, for the feelings of the reader. That’s a great thing in literature. However, the flip side of it is whether it alienates the reader to the degree that they reject the entire message. That’s the fine line I’m left pondering.
Many thanks to Europa Editions and to Edelweiss for access to a DRC.
September 9, 2023
“2019. The Year of the Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.”
-
I was so excited to be offered a review copy of Kobby Ben Bens book No One Dies Yet. A perfect blend of mystery, history and thriller, NODY explores the way queerness, traditional conservative religious values and the returning African diaspora all connect and affect each other. Kobby cuts no corners in showing the gritty way that homophobia in Ghana has created an underground queer scene. Where people’s sexuality can grind up against traditional values leaving them vulnerable to violence and rejection. Elton, Vincent and Scott who are also gay do not see how American homophobia and Ghanaian homophobia differ and don’t take Kobbys insistence to be discreet seriously. Their privilege in that regard show how within the same community situations and settings can have drastically and devastating outcomes when local customs and warnings are not heeded.
-
The book gives insight into how people who have been long removed from their country or origin can be seen as outsiders and how their encouraged return affects the country they return to. I think this was so well done, again showing privilege and expectations that often clash.
-
Nana and Kobby are perfect narrators to show how different the two worlds of Ghana can be. And yet at times they overlap and connect in understanding of Ghana where our American friends can not. In places of traditionalism and knowledge of what Ghana is, rather than what the returnees expect.
-
Kobby shows knowledge of racism, sexism and classism and how they all rub up against one another and hold each other up. He has this raw and gruesome yet beautiful way with words that feels honest and genuine even when you’re left wondering who is doing what, with who and why.
-
Three things I need to point out:
-Bookstagram is mentioned a lot and that made my heart so happy. Like I GO THERE. 🤣
-a well loved bookstagrammer is included and I loved that
-I actually SCREAMED at the end.
-
Kobby took a witty and stressful crime book and actually gave me an “I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING” moment numerous times. I didn’t feel that there was a bunch of easy to figure out cliche plot points and rather Kobby gave us actual mystery and confusion.
-
Kobby has written himself (?) into the book and while often this can be a tacky and egotistical move, it worked so hard for this book. I was always thinking how much of this is you Kobby, and how much of this is written into existence? It nearly felt autobiographical at times and you’re actually left side eyeing the author like damn… good for you! Lol.
-
Lastly this book is written by a Ghanaian author, about the queer Ghanaian experience with Ghanaian people in mind. Set away from the expectations of western ideas and expectations we are being taken into a world that is not our own. There is no coddling and westernizing the text. Twi is included throughout, Ghanaian culture is included throughout, history is included throughout, and all of this we are expected to figure out. And I effing loved that. What good is a book that is written for the white gaze, or the western ideas when it is not our story to tell or interpret. Where do we lose authenticity when a book is glossed over for our easy consumption and understanding? Kobby, in the end, leaves us asking what happens going forward when the African diaspora try to find their roots amid a culture that clashes with their own experiences and history? What needs to be sacrificed in order to find a place when you feel like you’re disconnected from two worlds you belong in?
-
BRILLIANT! I absolutely recommend NODY and encourage you all to go read more reviews and see what others are saying about it. It drops in Canada in February and I’m so effing stoked for everyone to experience it.
-
I was so excited to be offered a review copy of Kobby Ben Bens book No One Dies Yet. A perfect blend of mystery, history and thriller, NODY explores the way queerness, traditional conservative religious values and the returning African diaspora all connect and affect each other. Kobby cuts no corners in showing the gritty way that homophobia in Ghana has created an underground queer scene. Where people’s sexuality can grind up against traditional values leaving them vulnerable to violence and rejection. Elton, Vincent and Scott who are also gay do not see how American homophobia and Ghanaian homophobia differ and don’t take Kobbys insistence to be discreet seriously. Their privilege in that regard show how within the same community situations and settings can have drastically and devastating outcomes when local customs and warnings are not heeded.
-
The book gives insight into how people who have been long removed from their country or origin can be seen as outsiders and how their encouraged return affects the country they return to. I think this was so well done, again showing privilege and expectations that often clash.
-
Nana and Kobby are perfect narrators to show how different the two worlds of Ghana can be. And yet at times they overlap and connect in understanding of Ghana where our American friends can not. In places of traditionalism and knowledge of what Ghana is, rather than what the returnees expect.
-
Kobby shows knowledge of racism, sexism and classism and how they all rub up against one another and hold each other up. He has this raw and gruesome yet beautiful way with words that feels honest and genuine even when you’re left wondering who is doing what, with who and why.
-
Three things I need to point out:
-Bookstagram is mentioned a lot and that made my heart so happy. Like I GO THERE. 🤣
-a well loved bookstagrammer is included and I loved that
-I actually SCREAMED at the end.
-
Kobby took a witty and stressful crime book and actually gave me an “I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING” moment numerous times. I didn’t feel that there was a bunch of easy to figure out cliche plot points and rather Kobby gave us actual mystery and confusion.
-
Kobby has written himself (?) into the book and while often this can be a tacky and egotistical move, it worked so hard for this book. I was always thinking how much of this is you Kobby, and how much of this is written into existence? It nearly felt autobiographical at times and you’re actually left side eyeing the author like damn… good for you! Lol.
-
Lastly this book is written by a Ghanaian author, about the queer Ghanaian experience with Ghanaian people in mind. Set away from the expectations of western ideas and expectations we are being taken into a world that is not our own. There is no coddling and westernizing the text. Twi is included throughout, Ghanaian culture is included throughout, history is included throughout, and all of this we are expected to figure out. And I effing loved that. What good is a book that is written for the white gaze, or the western ideas when it is not our story to tell or interpret. Where do we lose authenticity when a book is glossed over for our easy consumption and understanding? Kobby, in the end, leaves us asking what happens going forward when the African diaspora try to find their roots amid a culture that clashes with their own experiences and history? What needs to be sacrificed in order to find a place when you feel like you’re disconnected from two worlds you belong in?
-
BRILLIANT! I absolutely recommend NODY and encourage you all to go read more reviews and see what others are saying about it. It drops in Canada in February and I’m so effing stoked for everyone to experience it.
Read
June 20, 2024This was...interesting. Confusing, dark, brutal, whimsical but also cynical - deservedly so given what is criticized, yet I can't fully immerse myself in the kind of lit fic that seems hack away attachment to characters...idk. The ending/epilogue lost me, but the rest gave me a lot to think about.
December 28, 2025
Finally got around to reading this earlier in the year and found it impactful in so many ways - a book about the year of return, wrapped up in murder, deceit and the underground gay scene in Ghana. Kobby Ben Ben captures the different parts to the country in such a visceral way, it's impossible not to be hooked to his description. The many layers to queerness and Blackness are moving and well-written, in addition to the critique of the book's white characters. The complexity of every character makes you like and hate them all at the same time. Powerful stuff, well worth a read.
March 7, 2024
No One Dies Yet is a debut novel by Kobby Ben Ben set in Ghana in 2019 The Year of Return, a real life initiative by the Ghanaian government to commemorate the 400th anniversary of African slaves landing in the Americas and memorialize the many who died during the slave trade in Ghana. Black diaspora were encouraged to 'return' to their ancestral homelands with visa requirements waived for tourists and Ghanaian citizenship granted to certain Afro-Caribbean and African-American individuals.
In this setting, Kobby Ben Ben has written an extremely clever and harrowing complex novel with an astonishing mash-up of genres. Murder mystery thriller, meta-literary narrative, postcolonial slavery perspective, race relations satire, queer celebration and defiance novel. The narrators are two local Ghanaians Nana and Kobby as well as a chorus ghost wail of the enslaved deceased. Nana (wink nudge same first name as the Ghanaian president) is a religious Christian fundamentalist who is tasked by his pastor to entice a group of American returnees for ? nefarious purposes whereas Kobby (note the same first name as author), from a more privileged upbringing, is queer like the American returnees and introduces them to the underground gay scene in Accra. Both these social diametric opposites function as tour guides of sorts to visiting Americans Elton, Scott and Vincent, although Nana is downgraded to a resentful skulking cleaner cum cook after being mistaken as homosexual by Elton who tries to kiss him at the airport. The tension between Nana and Kobby ratchets up against the background of serial murders by the Sasabonsam Killer in the city.
To avoid confusion, in this review I will refer to Kobby the book character as Kobby and Kobby Ben Ben the author of this book by his initials KBB.
The cover jacket of Europa Edition's No One Dies Yet features an interlocking needle in the hair of a person wearing Sankofa shaped earrings. Both these items have immense significance in the story. Peppered with Twi words and phrases, Ghanaian foods such as Adaakwa, fufu and kenkey, tension between Ashanti and Fante, local accents, scenes at an underground gay club are incorporated naturally in the story and provide immersion into Ghanaian culture. KBB doesn't function as a cultural tour guide to non-Ghanaian readers though, it's up to the reader to look things up.
Kobby is an avid Bookstagrammer (just like KBB) and aspiring writer. His submitted crime thriller novels are routinely rejected however, the publishers and agents want 'African' books with a postcolonial slavery theme instead akin to Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing. This is an indictment on the publishing industry's gatekeeping, other African novelists like Mohamed Mbougar Sarr have also referred to this challenge of being published in a meta manner. So did KBB succumb and write the 'enslavement-cum-colonial narrative'? In the text, Kobby says he did but in my humble opinion, no. Although there were very emotionally affecting inclusion of Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle scenes, KBB has written a stunning genre defying novel that centers Ghanaians including the negative impact of the Year of Return initiative on the locals, the fear and wariness that gay Ghanaians have learnt in contrast to the oblivious tourist Americans, a very sharp satire on race and even a satirical Ghana futuristic ending. Kobby as the suggested writer of the novel we are reading and unreliable narrator functions as the meta ouroboros that will cause the reader to flip back to the start of No One Dies Yet. Who dies and who is the murderer? This chameleon novel is so clever and its layered cleverness is an asset.
KBB makes astute sensitive observations of human nature and characteristics. Some of the most memorable parts of this book were quiet moments like the reaction of the normally garrulous Elton after visiting Cape Coast Castle and the solemn compassion shown by the secret loc salon owner to emotionally scarred Kobby. The scenarios are vividly depicted, whether at an upscale art exhibition galley or a joyful gathering by an African American matriarch. I learnt new terms like 'hotep' and some gay abbreviation slang. Nana and Kobby are distinctive characters in speech/thought patterns and behaviour. Reading was quite the experience - my heartbeat was thrumming frantically with tension filled scenes (the wrathful anger of the writing group's leader toward Kobby, the attention on the returnees at Nana's church, the sudden violence at the army barracks), the bottomless sorrow with the haunting words of the enslaved drowned, dissolving into laughter snorts at Milly's performative white tears and the opportunistic gambits of the white European couple chalet owners, marvelling at the global overview of overseas diaspora of African heritage.
Dismayingly, the Ghanaian Parliament has recently February 2024 passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill which would imprison those who take part in LGBTQ sexual acts, as well as those who promote LGBTQ rights.
It's difficult to believe that No One Dies Yet is a debut novel. Highly recommended. 4.75 ⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Alcohol
In this setting, Kobby Ben Ben has written an extremely clever and harrowing complex novel with an astonishing mash-up of genres. Murder mystery thriller, meta-literary narrative, postcolonial slavery perspective, race relations satire, queer celebration and defiance novel. The narrators are two local Ghanaians Nana and Kobby as well as a chorus ghost wail of the enslaved deceased. Nana (wink nudge same first name as the Ghanaian president) is a religious Christian fundamentalist who is tasked by his pastor to entice a group of American returnees for ? nefarious purposes whereas Kobby (note the same first name as author), from a more privileged upbringing, is queer like the American returnees and introduces them to the underground gay scene in Accra. Both these social diametric opposites function as tour guides of sorts to visiting Americans Elton, Scott and Vincent, although Nana is downgraded to a resentful skulking cleaner cum cook after being mistaken as homosexual by Elton who tries to kiss him at the airport. The tension between Nana and Kobby ratchets up against the background of serial murders by the Sasabonsam Killer in the city.
To avoid confusion, in this review I will refer to Kobby the book character as Kobby and Kobby Ben Ben the author of this book by his initials KBB.
The cover jacket of Europa Edition's No One Dies Yet features an interlocking needle in the hair of a person wearing Sankofa shaped earrings. Both these items have immense significance in the story. Peppered with Twi words and phrases, Ghanaian foods such as Adaakwa, fufu and kenkey, tension between Ashanti and Fante, local accents, scenes at an underground gay club are incorporated naturally in the story and provide immersion into Ghanaian culture. KBB doesn't function as a cultural tour guide to non-Ghanaian readers though, it's up to the reader to look things up.
Kobby is an avid Bookstagrammer (just like KBB) and aspiring writer. His submitted crime thriller novels are routinely rejected however, the publishers and agents want 'African' books with a postcolonial slavery theme instead akin to Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing. This is an indictment on the publishing industry's gatekeeping, other African novelists like Mohamed Mbougar Sarr have also referred to this challenge of being published in a meta manner. So did KBB succumb and write the 'enslavement-cum-colonial narrative'? In the text, Kobby says he did but in my humble opinion, no. Although there were very emotionally affecting inclusion of Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle scenes, KBB has written a stunning genre defying novel that centers Ghanaians including the negative impact of the Year of Return initiative on the locals, the fear and wariness that gay Ghanaians have learnt in contrast to the oblivious tourist Americans, a very sharp satire on race and even a satirical Ghana futuristic ending. Kobby as the suggested writer of the novel we are reading and unreliable narrator functions as the meta ouroboros that will cause the reader to flip back to the start of No One Dies Yet. Who dies and who is the murderer? This chameleon novel is so clever and its layered cleverness is an asset.
KBB makes astute sensitive observations of human nature and characteristics. Some of the most memorable parts of this book were quiet moments like the reaction of the normally garrulous Elton after visiting Cape Coast Castle and the solemn compassion shown by the secret loc salon owner to emotionally scarred Kobby. The scenarios are vividly depicted, whether at an upscale art exhibition galley or a joyful gathering by an African American matriarch. I learnt new terms like 'hotep' and some gay abbreviation slang. Nana and Kobby are distinctive characters in speech/thought patterns and behaviour. Reading was quite the experience - my heartbeat was thrumming frantically with tension filled scenes (the wrathful anger of the writing group's leader toward Kobby, the attention on the returnees at Nana's church, the sudden violence at the army barracks), the bottomless sorrow with the haunting words of the enslaved drowned, dissolving into laughter snorts at Milly's performative white tears and the opportunistic gambits of the white European couple chalet owners, marvelling at the global overview of overseas diaspora of African heritage.
Dismayingly, the Ghanaian Parliament has recently February 2024 passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill which would imprison those who take part in LGBTQ sexual acts, as well as those who promote LGBTQ rights.
It's difficult to believe that No One Dies Yet is a debut novel. Highly recommended. 4.75 ⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Alcohol
July 29, 2023
AGOTADOR
Este libro trata temas muy interesantes en una época actual y en un país africano dividido entre lo moderno y lo tradicional. Así tenemos un personaje que encarnan la Ghana moderna, Kobby, y otro encargado de representar la parte tradicional y religiosa, Nana. Ambos se miran el uno al otro con recelo. Por otra parte tenemos a Elton, Vincent y Scott, que juegan diversos papeles: los americanos que vienen en busca de sus ancestros, los ricos a los que embaucar para que dejen el dinero en el país, el peligro que viene desde el exterior, … Todos ellos están muy bien dibujados, perfectamente distinguibles unos de otros, que van evolucionando a lo largo de la historia. Este desarrollo de los personajes es lo que más he disfrutado.
El resto de la historia ha sido desigual. A ratos he estado totalmente enganchada, mientras que en algún momento no sabía hacia dónde se dirigía el autor. Y es que pareciera que el autor tenía muchas ideas para una novela: el año del retorno, los asesinatos, los “blancos” que quieren sacar dinero del país, el futuro, sin dejar de lado el tema homosexual en Africa. No ha priorizado alguna de ellas, ha querido darle cabida a todas ellas, dando como resultado una lectura interesante pero agotadora.
This book deals with very interesting themes in a modern age and in an African country divided between the modern and the traditional. Thus we have one character who embodies modern Ghana, Kobby, and another who represents the traditional and religious side, Nana. Both look at each other with suspicion. On the other hand, we have Elton, Vincent and Scott, who play different roles: the Americans who come in search of their ancestors, the rich who are tricked into leaving money in the country, the danger that comes from outside, ... All of them are very well drawn, perfectly distinguishable from each other, who evolve throughout the story. This development of the characters is what I enjoyed the most.
The rest of the story was uneven. At times I was totally hooked, while at times I didn't know where the author was going. The author seemed to have a lot of ideas for a novel: the year of return, the murders, the "whites" who want to take money out of the country, the future, not forgetting the homosexual theme in Africa. He has not prioritised any one of them, he has wanted to give space to all of them, resulting in an interesting but exhausting read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Europa Editions for providing me with a digital copy for review.
Este libro trata temas muy interesantes en una época actual y en un país africano dividido entre lo moderno y lo tradicional. Así tenemos un personaje que encarnan la Ghana moderna, Kobby, y otro encargado de representar la parte tradicional y religiosa, Nana. Ambos se miran el uno al otro con recelo. Por otra parte tenemos a Elton, Vincent y Scott, que juegan diversos papeles: los americanos que vienen en busca de sus ancestros, los ricos a los que embaucar para que dejen el dinero en el país, el peligro que viene desde el exterior, … Todos ellos están muy bien dibujados, perfectamente distinguibles unos de otros, que van evolucionando a lo largo de la historia. Este desarrollo de los personajes es lo que más he disfrutado.
El resto de la historia ha sido desigual. A ratos he estado totalmente enganchada, mientras que en algún momento no sabía hacia dónde se dirigía el autor. Y es que pareciera que el autor tenía muchas ideas para una novela: el año del retorno, los asesinatos, los “blancos” que quieren sacar dinero del país, el futuro, sin dejar de lado el tema homosexual en Africa. No ha priorizado alguna de ellas, ha querido darle cabida a todas ellas, dando como resultado una lectura interesante pero agotadora.
This book deals with very interesting themes in a modern age and in an African country divided between the modern and the traditional. Thus we have one character who embodies modern Ghana, Kobby, and another who represents the traditional and religious side, Nana. Both look at each other with suspicion. On the other hand, we have Elton, Vincent and Scott, who play different roles: the Americans who come in search of their ancestors, the rich who are tricked into leaving money in the country, the danger that comes from outside, ... All of them are very well drawn, perfectly distinguishable from each other, who evolve throughout the story. This development of the characters is what I enjoyed the most.
The rest of the story was uneven. At times I was totally hooked, while at times I didn't know where the author was going. The author seemed to have a lot of ideas for a novel: the year of return, the murders, the "whites" who want to take money out of the country, the future, not forgetting the homosexual theme in Africa. He has not prioritised any one of them, he has wanted to give space to all of them, resulting in an interesting but exhausting read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Europa Editions for providing me with a digital copy for review.
February 27, 2024
Blurbs don't lie.
First things first — Bookstagram and books themselves are a part of the plot so do know that I had a great experience. I couldn't keep it inside before starting my major thoughts hehe!
I read the blurb; the first sentence is "this is a genre-breaking novel" and i tee-hee a little. Obviously who will hype the book if not the pub, but the genre-breaking tag should be left for the audience to judge.
BUT NO, this is really a genre-breaking novel !!
Set in 2019, the novel is told from the POV of two Ghanaians, Kobby and Nana. They act as tour guides for Elton, Vincent & Scott, who have come from America as a part of the 'Year of Return' programme where the Black diasporans worldwide come to Ghana to know the land of their ancestors, know their history & travel. Kobby is a homosexual man and Nana listens faithfully to his pastor, Vincent and Scott are a sweet couple, Elton is tempestuously ready to explore Ghana's queer scene. They're all modest liars.
Who is the most irate? Who kills whom? Has anybody died yet?
Okay, what is this novel now! A murder mystery? A horror tale? Queer lit? Examination of colonialism and slavery? Historical fic? Recitation of African folklore? Character study of contemporary political ideas? Or just a satire on the publishing industry itself? ALL of this, like literally!!! A sane mix of all of this and not once does it seem pretentious.
The character of Kobby is an avid reader so you will find mentions of John Grisham to Malcolm X to Yaa Gyasi to Margaret Mitchell in the book, sensual scenes between Elton & Kobby, narrative on slavery & social justice today, wit there is wit too and all in all I so wish this book gets more attention that if rightfully deserves.
I have shared a few quotes from the book on my broadcast channel for you folks to get an idea about how skilled the author is at the English sentence. The final verdict is - pick up a copy of NO ONE DIES YET by Kobby Ben Ben as soon as you can.
First things first — Bookstagram and books themselves are a part of the plot so do know that I had a great experience. I couldn't keep it inside before starting my major thoughts hehe!
I read the blurb; the first sentence is "this is a genre-breaking novel" and i tee-hee a little. Obviously who will hype the book if not the pub, but the genre-breaking tag should be left for the audience to judge.
BUT NO, this is really a genre-breaking novel !!
Set in 2019, the novel is told from the POV of two Ghanaians, Kobby and Nana. They act as tour guides for Elton, Vincent & Scott, who have come from America as a part of the 'Year of Return' programme where the Black diasporans worldwide come to Ghana to know the land of their ancestors, know their history & travel. Kobby is a homosexual man and Nana listens faithfully to his pastor, Vincent and Scott are a sweet couple, Elton is tempestuously ready to explore Ghana's queer scene. They're all modest liars.
Who is the most irate? Who kills whom? Has anybody died yet?
Okay, what is this novel now! A murder mystery? A horror tale? Queer lit? Examination of colonialism and slavery? Historical fic? Recitation of African folklore? Character study of contemporary political ideas? Or just a satire on the publishing industry itself? ALL of this, like literally!!! A sane mix of all of this and not once does it seem pretentious.
The character of Kobby is an avid reader so you will find mentions of John Grisham to Malcolm X to Yaa Gyasi to Margaret Mitchell in the book, sensual scenes between Elton & Kobby, narrative on slavery & social justice today, wit there is wit too and all in all I so wish this book gets more attention that if rightfully deserves.
I have shared a few quotes from the book on my broadcast channel for you folks to get an idea about how skilled the author is at the English sentence. The final verdict is - pick up a copy of NO ONE DIES YET by Kobby Ben Ben as soon as you can.
September 5, 2024
Ben Ben’s debut novel heralds his arrival as a new voice in modern African literature.
This inventive and emotionally charged psychological thriller is set in 2019 against the backdrop of Ghana’s “Year of Return”, 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America.
Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo has welcomed the African diaspora to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Three American friends, Elton, Vincent and Scott arrive in the steamy equatorial country to reconnect with their African roots.
Their activities are told by their two combative local guides: witty and self-aware Kobby, a book reviewer who might be able to show them the underground queer scene, and Nana, who wants to protect the travellers from the dangers he sees through his religious beliefs and sense of tradition.
The sinister sub-plot unfolds with a series of murders that add suspense and intrigue to the story as they threaten to unravel the relationships of the characters.
The story drags at times and is unfocused, possibly because Ben Ben tackles multiple themes, from Ghanaian history to the tense relationship within the Fante and Ashanti ethnic groups and the complexities of queerness in this society.
However, it is worthwhile persevering. While the language and use of Twi without explaining and proverbs/folklore within is irritating, the vivid descriptions of the steaminess and urban chaos of Accra are superb.
Having visited Ghana’s south coast I expected a story about castles and slavery but got a book with a hook that is impossible to resist.
At times it’s a hilarious and irreverent read and should come with a content warning.
It’s a book that illustrates the tradition and modernity of this African country and is highly recommended to anyone interested in Africa and the black experience of being gay in this continent.
Thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for the review copy.
This inventive and emotionally charged psychological thriller is set in 2019 against the backdrop of Ghana’s “Year of Return”, 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America.
Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo has welcomed the African diaspora to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Three American friends, Elton, Vincent and Scott arrive in the steamy equatorial country to reconnect with their African roots.
Their activities are told by their two combative local guides: witty and self-aware Kobby, a book reviewer who might be able to show them the underground queer scene, and Nana, who wants to protect the travellers from the dangers he sees through his religious beliefs and sense of tradition.
The sinister sub-plot unfolds with a series of murders that add suspense and intrigue to the story as they threaten to unravel the relationships of the characters.
The story drags at times and is unfocused, possibly because Ben Ben tackles multiple themes, from Ghanaian history to the tense relationship within the Fante and Ashanti ethnic groups and the complexities of queerness in this society.
However, it is worthwhile persevering. While the language and use of Twi without explaining and proverbs/folklore within is irritating, the vivid descriptions of the steaminess and urban chaos of Accra are superb.
Having visited Ghana’s south coast I expected a story about castles and slavery but got a book with a hook that is impossible to resist.
At times it’s a hilarious and irreverent read and should come with a content warning.
It’s a book that illustrates the tradition and modernity of this African country and is highly recommended to anyone interested in Africa and the black experience of being gay in this continent.
Thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for the review copy.
Read
March 16, 2024Thank you to the publishers for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This is my honest review, it’s as soft as it can get
"No One Dies Yet" is a crime thriller situated in Accra, Ghana, against the backdrop of the government's declaration of a year of return. The story revolves around two local protagonists, Nana and Kobby, whose relationship is marked by discord, and three expatriates. One thing I loved about the book which I commend the author for is his integration of Queer characters. This book starts out with a lot of potential but falls short in many ways as the story progresses. It would leave you wondering what exactly is going on.
It is written from two POVs that is Nana and Kobby. I enjoyed Nana’s narration although it was inconsistent. Nana is portrayed as someone who isn’t fluent in English, it is reflected in his narration however at some points his narration makes use of complex words and correct English which almost sounds like Kobbys narration. At this point I wanted the author to choose a side, can Nana speak English or not because i don’t understand
Yes Kobbys narration, Kobby makes use of verbose language, sort of Wole Soyinka’s style of writing which makes it tiring and painful to read.
I also liked that the book gave us some history, an in depth history of Fantes and Ashanti’s, it was pleasing to read and most importantly a learning curve. However what upset me is the inaccuracy of the history when it came to the people from the north. It really upset me that the author would take time to do research about the Ashanti’s and Fantes but when it came to the people from the north he didn’t care enough to research.
Kobby made a statement about how Hausas form over 70 percent of people from the north which is a lie if I am not mincing words. If he as much as just searched he would realize that Hausas aren’t even 1 percent.
And that the north consists of a lot of tribes and people who matter and need to be researched on. It’s a reflection of the total disregard for a people, a people you do not care about. We talk about how diasporas writers and writers from the west misrepresent us when they write about us, I would expect a writer who lives in Ghana know better and do better especially for a book critique. That part really got to me and almost ruined my reading experience.
One important thing this book did was show us how Christianity is used as a tool of manipulation through Nana and his supposed pastor. It reflects the status quo in our society today when it comes to Christianity.
Overall It was not an easy read for me, I was wondering the purpose of certain scenes and certain stories and quite frankly it took me so long to finish. I didn’t really enjoy it
"No One Dies Yet" is a crime thriller situated in Accra, Ghana, against the backdrop of the government's declaration of a year of return. The story revolves around two local protagonists, Nana and Kobby, whose relationship is marked by discord, and three expatriates. One thing I loved about the book which I commend the author for is his integration of Queer characters. This book starts out with a lot of potential but falls short in many ways as the story progresses. It would leave you wondering what exactly is going on.
It is written from two POVs that is Nana and Kobby. I enjoyed Nana’s narration although it was inconsistent. Nana is portrayed as someone who isn’t fluent in English, it is reflected in his narration however at some points his narration makes use of complex words and correct English which almost sounds like Kobbys narration. At this point I wanted the author to choose a side, can Nana speak English or not because i don’t understand
Yes Kobbys narration, Kobby makes use of verbose language, sort of Wole Soyinka’s style of writing which makes it tiring and painful to read.
I also liked that the book gave us some history, an in depth history of Fantes and Ashanti’s, it was pleasing to read and most importantly a learning curve. However what upset me is the inaccuracy of the history when it came to the people from the north. It really upset me that the author would take time to do research about the Ashanti’s and Fantes but when it came to the people from the north he didn’t care enough to research.
Kobby made a statement about how Hausas form over 70 percent of people from the north which is a lie if I am not mincing words. If he as much as just searched he would realize that Hausas aren’t even 1 percent.
And that the north consists of a lot of tribes and people who matter and need to be researched on. It’s a reflection of the total disregard for a people, a people you do not care about. We talk about how diasporas writers and writers from the west misrepresent us when they write about us, I would expect a writer who lives in Ghana know better and do better especially for a book critique. That part really got to me and almost ruined my reading experience.
One important thing this book did was show us how Christianity is used as a tool of manipulation through Nana and his supposed pastor. It reflects the status quo in our society today when it comes to Christianity.
Overall It was not an easy read for me, I was wondering the purpose of certain scenes and certain stories and quite frankly it took me so long to finish. I didn’t really enjoy it
October 14, 2024
1.5/5
The Ghanian government has declared 2019 the Year of Return, to commemorate 400 years since the first enslaved Africans touched down in America. The country is also encouraging the African diaspora to return to the land of their ancestors and connect with their roots. Three American friends answer the call with plans to visit emblematic sites related to their history but also immerse themselves in Ghana's underground gay scene. To do so they find themselves two wildly different guides: Nana, a more traditional and religious Ghanian, and Kobby, a more modern man with his own issues. As time passes we get closer and closer to someone dying, but who? And why?
Sometimes, when you've been friends with someone for decades, your conversations become unintelligible to people who don't share that amount of personal knowledge and similar lived experiences. This is what this book felt like, I was dropped in the middle of a conversation where both parties kept saying "exactly" and "you get it" while I kept looking around all confused and maybe understanding 10% of the whole thing. There were some good ideas in this book, but I could never finish getting it.
Here's what I did like: Both narrators had distinct voices and contributed different ideas to the plot. The description of Ghanian culture and way of living was quite vivid and I felt transported to the location. In general, there were interesting talking points in here, like the contrast and clash between these black Americans, with their cultural background marked by slavery, segregation, and institutional racism vs. the Ghanians with a wildly different experience and issues, like tribal conflicts and poverty. Same with the experience of being gay, and how different it was in Ghana. The author has thought about this a lot, and it shows.
While I liked all that the writing just flipped between those points too fast for some of them to make an impact. The writing itself wasn't to my taste, a bit too dense and flowery in Kobby's pov and sometimes silly in Nana's chapters, so that didn't help. Then the book lost me completely with its thriller aspect. The end was very confusing, not helped by that unnecessary epilogue.
How do you begin a murder story starring a curious foreigner and an opportunistic local without giving away the entire plot—who died and why? You start with the obvious villain.
The Ghanian government has declared 2019 the Year of Return, to commemorate 400 years since the first enslaved Africans touched down in America. The country is also encouraging the African diaspora to return to the land of their ancestors and connect with their roots. Three American friends answer the call with plans to visit emblematic sites related to their history but also immerse themselves in Ghana's underground gay scene. To do so they find themselves two wildly different guides: Nana, a more traditional and religious Ghanian, and Kobby, a more modern man with his own issues. As time passes we get closer and closer to someone dying, but who? And why?
Sometimes, when you've been friends with someone for decades, your conversations become unintelligible to people who don't share that amount of personal knowledge and similar lived experiences. This is what this book felt like, I was dropped in the middle of a conversation where both parties kept saying "exactly" and "you get it" while I kept looking around all confused and maybe understanding 10% of the whole thing. There were some good ideas in this book, but I could never finish getting it.
Here's what I did like: Both narrators had distinct voices and contributed different ideas to the plot. The description of Ghanian culture and way of living was quite vivid and I felt transported to the location. In general, there were interesting talking points in here, like the contrast and clash between these black Americans, with their cultural background marked by slavery, segregation, and institutional racism vs. the Ghanians with a wildly different experience and issues, like tribal conflicts and poverty. Same with the experience of being gay, and how different it was in Ghana. The author has thought about this a lot, and it shows.
While I liked all that the writing just flipped between those points too fast for some of them to make an impact. The writing itself wasn't to my taste, a bit too dense and flowery in Kobby's pov and sometimes silly in Nana's chapters, so that didn't help. Then the book lost me completely with its thriller aspect. The end was very confusing, not helped by that unnecessary epilogue.
September 30, 2025
Loved this! It was such a fun, experimental debut. A deeply literary novel, and from perspectives we don't see much of in Western fiction. Another review mentioned that this throws a lot at the wall and some sticks and some doesn't, which I agree with. The epilogue in particular, I am going to pretend doesn't exist as it feels so disjointed it's like it's meant to be part of a completely separate novel -- if it wasn't included I probably would have rated this a five star read.
This novel follows three black Americans as they visit Ghana during the Year of Return and attempt to visit both sites of historical significance, and infiltrate the illegal underground queer scene. To do this, they meet and enlist the help of two Ghanaians, Kobby -- a queer, vibrant journalist with a penchant for masochism, and Nana -- embodiment of the religious conservative traditional side of Ghana. This book is billed as a murder story, but I think that's underselling it. There is murder, but it is so much more literary than that.
The themes of colonialism, Western privilege, tension between ethnic groups, tension between being religious and being queer, a critique of the publishing industry, the premise that violence begets more violence, cultural appropriation -- there is so much here! Like I said, some of it works better than others but it's fun to peel back the layers and see how the unreliable narration takes shape. There's also so much music mentioned in this that you can make a spotify playlist out of the book (which I did!) so that's fun too.
This novel follows three black Americans as they visit Ghana during the Year of Return and attempt to visit both sites of historical significance, and infiltrate the illegal underground queer scene. To do this, they meet and enlist the help of two Ghanaians, Kobby -- a queer, vibrant journalist with a penchant for masochism, and Nana -- embodiment of the religious conservative traditional side of Ghana. This book is billed as a murder story, but I think that's underselling it. There is murder, but it is so much more literary than that.
The themes of colonialism, Western privilege, tension between ethnic groups, tension between being religious and being queer, a critique of the publishing industry, the premise that violence begets more violence, cultural appropriation -- there is so much here! Like I said, some of it works better than others but it's fun to peel back the layers and see how the unreliable narration takes shape. There's also so much music mentioned in this that you can make a spotify playlist out of the book (which I did!) so that's fun too.
September 1, 2023
No One Dies Yet follows the journey of three American tourists and their two local Ghanaian guides as they explore a bit of the country in celebration of the Year of the Return in 2019. That is 400 years post the start of the trans-Atlantic trade; descendants were invited to Ghana to celebrate returning ‘home’.
Raunchy, funny, and written in vivid prose, No One Dies Yet uniquely tells a story about the African diaspora, repatriation and relationship to the continent. Through multiple and complex gay characters, we get an insight into the queer community/ often underground in the country. The elements of mystery, murder, and suspense are so enthralling that if I had one critique, it would be that with so many layers and texture, it’s easy to miss details in the chaos. Still, every event and character feels intentionally crafted; there are nuances and flaws, and I loved the contrast between Kobby and Nana. This is also a beauty of No One Dies Yet, with unreliable narrators abound, things are open to the reader’s interpretation. In a murder mystery, you don’t take everything at face value, and that’s what No One Dies Yet insists readers do not do.
It’s a slow, delicious, and thrilling read with a good balance of serious moments and tongue-in-cheek social commentary.
No One Dies Yet feels seminal in its genre-bending defiance against easy categorisation, and I loved experiencing the novel in full.
Raunchy, funny, and written in vivid prose, No One Dies Yet uniquely tells a story about the African diaspora, repatriation and relationship to the continent. Through multiple and complex gay characters, we get an insight into the queer community/ often underground in the country. The elements of mystery, murder, and suspense are so enthralling that if I had one critique, it would be that with so many layers and texture, it’s easy to miss details in the chaos. Still, every event and character feels intentionally crafted; there are nuances and flaws, and I loved the contrast between Kobby and Nana. This is also a beauty of No One Dies Yet, with unreliable narrators abound, things are open to the reader’s interpretation. In a murder mystery, you don’t take everything at face value, and that’s what No One Dies Yet insists readers do not do.
It’s a slow, delicious, and thrilling read with a good balance of serious moments and tongue-in-cheek social commentary.
No One Dies Yet feels seminal in its genre-bending defiance against easy categorisation, and I loved experiencing the novel in full.
September 29, 2024
In the same way, China MelvilleThe City & the City explores how two cities can occupy the same space, No One Dies Yet portrays the two sides of Accra. We mainly inhabit the city expats and tourists interact with, but both narrators also give an insight into the Accra the majority of its denizens reside.
For me, the most interesting part of the book was an exploration and criticism of the power dynamic between expats and locals which expat characters consciously and unconsciously use throughout the book.
The plot has many twists and turns which ramps up towards the end, so you need to pay attention.
The pros are great; anyone interested in crime, decolonization lit, or modern Ghana should read it. Also, if you are or have ever been an expat, and don't mind a sometimes humorous, sometimes brutally accurate takedown of your behavior.
For me, the most interesting part of the book was an exploration and criticism of the power dynamic between expats and locals which expat characters consciously and unconsciously use throughout the book.
The plot has many twists and turns which ramps up towards the end, so you need to pay attention.
The pros are great; anyone interested in crime, decolonization lit, or modern Ghana should read it. Also, if you are or have ever been an expat, and don't mind a sometimes humorous, sometimes brutally accurate takedown of your behavior.
February 19, 2024
“Which is why I'm not a big fan of auto-fiction, you know? All these writers confessing to things that'll get them thrown in jail, or worse, cancelled. But there's auto-fiction immunity now, blanket impunity to anyone who dresses crimes as fiction. So tell me why, Kobby, do you think auto-fiction will work well in a newspaper that puts out hard facts? … All I'm saying is, if you've got a novel in you, write it, but this is not the kind of stuff we publish here…”
If I didn’t already know Kobby to be a voracious, passionate reader & story-lover, his debut novel makes it clear—not just from his effortless & flawless literary references from Austen to Baldwin, Ashanti folktales to American Psycho, among dozen of others, but his craft itself speaks to his osmotic inheritance of the kind of generational literary genius & explosive talent rarely seen more than a handful of times in a century. This is truly a book for the modern-classic-loving, literature-obsessed, “raised-by-books”, lifelong-library-lurking reader.
Click here to read my full review of NO ONE DIES YET by Kobby Ben Ben on storygraph complete with my full thoughts, further reading suggestions, and tons of my favorite quotes!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW // sexual content, racism & colorism, descriptions of slavery, murder(😱) (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)
July 3, 2024
“Sometimes funny, sometimes spicy, at times erotic, yet always outspoken and iconoclastic.”
2019. The Year of the Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country's underground queer scene. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their guide to Accra’s privileged circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle. The pair's tense relationship sets the tone for what becomes a shocking and unsettling tale of murder that is at times...............
...#RutoMustGo
2019. The Year of the Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country's underground queer scene. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their guide to Accra’s privileged circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle. The pair's tense relationship sets the tone for what becomes a shocking and unsettling tale of murder that is at times...............
...#RutoMustGo
Read
September 23, 2025This is a complicated and unusual book that requires careful and close reading. However, even with that, and given that it's a fairly long novel that often feels repetitive or like it isn't going anywhere, I really struggled to stay engaged or even follow in a lot of places. The tension between Kobby as a Ghanaian local and the visiting black Americans is interesting and the interactions with various characters during Year of Return is funny and sharply satirical in places. There seems to be a constant sense that something is going to happen, or be revealed, which I think makes it feel quite flat when things either don't happen, or happen but don't seem to matter. I thought there were some interesting ideas begun in the brief epilogue but it felt a bit odd to just have them thrown in at the end.
I don't quite know what to make of it and found it all a bit messy.
I don't quite know what to make of it and found it all a bit messy.
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