Blood on the Brain

by Esinam Bediako

An impulsive, madcap, and newly concussed young woman comes of age as she navigates her Ghanaian American identity, her relationships, and the muddled landscape of history, memory, imagination, and delusion.

Twenty-four-year-old Akosua is easily knocked off her feet. When she falls and hits her head, she’s too preoccupied with her latest dramas to fully absorb the shock. In the span of three months, she has broken up with her boyfriend Wisdom, discovered that her deadbeat dad has moved back to the States from Ghana, and dropped so many classes that she believes she’s the only history grad student in the history of grad students to be registered for just one partial-credit class. Instead of facing her problems, Akosua seeks distraction in Daniel, a “good Ghanaian man.” But as her head injury worsens, she questions whether she can continue to run away from her father any more than she can keep ignoring her brain and its traumas. Vibrant, funny, and bittersweet, Blood on the Brain is a novel about the complications of family, romance, and culture—and how coming of age can feel like a blow to the head.

Genres: Fiction

248 pages, Paperback

Published September 17, 2024

Reviews

[Lit_Vibrations · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to the author and @redhenpress for my gifted copy‼️

I read this a few weeks ago and enjoyed it way more than I expected. I’m actually surprised I haven’t seen more people mentioning this book. Akosua was a special kind of character and her taste in men was blah. The way she was pining over Daniel annoyed me so bad. It’s almost like she was blind to rejection and everyone around her could see the red flags. But of course she ignored them until something happened that she wasn’t comfortable with. Only then were her eyes opened to the scum he really was.

I also felt her poor choice in men might’ve had something to do with the broken relationship she had with her father. Although Akosua was 24 years old she was a little naive for her age. She had no clue how to process her feelings and instead of dealing with problems in her life head on she filled her time with distractions. I couldn’t even take her getting back with her ex Wisdom seriously because she let him back in to easy. The guy literally said in so many words sis wasn’t Ghanaian enough for him. In the process of everything she ends up with a concussion that might’ve knocked a little sense back into that brain of hers.

Overall, this was a decent read filled with drama, culture, finding yourself, forgiveness, and learning to accept things as they are. The book title was also clever to me as it could pertain to her head injury or the fact her family specifically her father was always on her mind and a common topic of discussion. If you enjoyed Maame or Queenie I think you’ll enjoy reading this book.

[sophie ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars rounded down.

This novel follows Akosua, a Ghanaian American grad student, finding herself facing recent life fallouts from romantic, familial, and academic setbacks. After a head injury, she's forced to confront her tumultuous past and uncertain future. As a head injury and recent traumas resurfacing cloud her judgment, Akosua navigates a landscape of family complexities, cultural identity, and the harsh realities of growing up—all while facing the blurred lines between history, memory, and imagination.

For the most part, I enjoyed this novel. It has a summary that I found very interesting and something that could be creatively taken in many directions. There were a lot of touching, beautifully touching parts of the story, especially towards the end.

However, the execution of this concept just wasn't very enjoyable for me. The plot felt lackluster and the storyline often felt like it was going around in circles. The book didn't truly pique my interest until about the 85% mark, where the plot picks up. Up until that point, though, I found it hard to pick the book back up and continue reading.

That said, I am glad I stuck it out as I did enjoy the ending more than the rest of the book.

EXPECTED RELEASE DATE: 9/17/2024

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not my kind of genre so I was a bit slow, but I overall liked the book. The ending felt like the middle of the story (but It could be a problem with the download since it’s an ARC).
If you like non-fiction with hints of romance, Bipoc and the life of a normal girl, you’ll enjoy the book.

[Lauren Eales · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt very slow, but the content was good. Just a slow book

[Chyanne Diaries · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can say that I enjoyed this book. It was not what I expected it to be but it was an interesting book nonetheless. I wanted more backstory from certain characters because I felt as though it started but then it stopped. Maybe there will be a second book coming soon so I can figure out more of everyone's stories instead of just Akosua.

[Tessa1316 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

The book starts out simple; girl falls in a bathtub and that causes her life to spiral in a similar way her head feels. This was an interesting concept that I haven’t seen before and I thought it was executed well. There is also a focus on Ghanaian culture which was interesting to learn some basics about. Though this book was a little too focussed on the romance aspect I still thought that it was good. The end also gives potential for a sequel, but the story can fully work on it’s own.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most well-written book I’ve read in a long time. I sailed through this thoughtful, coming-of-age novel while relating to the complications of family and romance. It was interesting to learn about the not-so-subtle cultural differences a Ghanaian American must navigate to feel included in both worlds. Bediako's storytelling skills are truly remarkable, and I eagerly anticipate more of her voice in the future!

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: An impulsive, madcap, and newly concussed young woman comes of age as she navigates her Ghanaian American identity, her relationships, and the muddled landscape of history, memory, imagination, and delusion.

Twenty-four-year-old Akosua is easily knocked off her feet. When she falls and hits her head, she’s too preoccupied with her latest dramas to fully absorb the shock. In the span of three months, she has broken up with her boyfriend Wisdom, discovered that her deadbeat dad has moved back to the States from Ghana, and dropped so many classes that she believes she’s the only history grad student in the history of grad students to be registered for just one partial-credit class. Instead of facing her problems, Akosua seeks distraction in Daniel, a “good Ghanaian man.”

But as her head injury worsens, she questions whether she can continue to run away from her father any more than she can keep ignoring her brain and its traumas. Vibrant, funny, and bittersweet, Blood on the Brain is a novel about the complications of family, romance, and culture—and how coming of age can feel like a blow to the head.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Books about women obsessing over men who clearly do not want to engage with them, will not provide emotional connection for them, and have no interest in or intention of making any changes to step in that direction are unpleasant to me. When the woman in question is quite clearly using every means at her disposal to use that reality as a seriously maladaptive coping mechanism for the wounds inflicted by paternal rejection and neglect from childhood, my blood pressure begins to spike to dangerous levels for a reader who's already had three strokes.

Add in a literal closed-head injury as the catalyst for some nascent stabs at introspection, and we're back at the level of aggravation I felt while viewing 1945's Spellbound, or "severe with spells of acute." I've given it three stars for the very well-used and -placed Ghanaian cultural tidbits, and the flashes of humor I quite enjoyed.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Akosua—’Sue’ to the people around her who can’t pronounce her name—is already struggling at grad school and frankly, in her personal life, when she slips and knocks her head on the edge of the bath. Her man (only they’ve just broken up) rushes to her side, along with her bestie; he determines that she’s going to be ok, and she trusts him because he’s a med student. But Akosua is not okay: not only is she no longer with Wisdom, the med student, but she’s also flunking out of grad school because she’s not taking the courses she needs to, and is generally rudderless since her mom moved away. She’s also still mourning her estrangement from her father, who left them when she was a child. One of Akosua’s solutions to her mountain of problems is to pursue a co-worker and fellow Ghanaian, Daniel, who seems steady and reliable, not at all like these city boys that she always meets.

Needless to say, things do not go well for Akosua. For one, her head injury is more serious than it seemed at first. For another, that head injury might be making her even more erratic (but is it all the head injury, or is it her?). As everything falls apart in slow motion, Akosua must grapple with her sickness and each of the unraveling threads of her life, which is no mean feat. Also, now her dad’s moved back to the US: should she see him? Forgive him?

This is a novel that’s full of heart, and so much more serious than readers may think at first; not a light read, particularly when something really awful happens to Akosua. But Bediako has written Akosua’s story with such tenderness: with Akosua, readers know the pain of not being Ghanaian or American enough, her struggles in love, and that awful time in life when you want your professional direction to be clear, but can’t find what you need in yourself to make it happen. It’s about that time in early adulthood when you come face to face with yourself, and when all of your childhood chickens come home to roost. Akosua is dealing with all of this on a wonky head, the effects of the TBI complicating her days. It’s such a wonderful conceit, and Bediako has brought it to life exceedingly well.

Come for the story of a third-culture kid; stay for laughter and tears. Highly recommended; one of my favourite reads of the year. Thank you to Pine State Publicity (and Cassie!) for early access.

[thee.millennialreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read! A great coming of age story. Akosua had a lot going on. She was navigating school and multiple relationships at a time. Relationships being familial and intimate. At first, it was a little hard to get into, but I kept pushing forward because I seen the potential and I’m glad I stuck it out. It surprised me. I didn’t think she was going to hit her head that hard 😅, but I believe it did cause a ripple effect, but these events needed to take place to give her the push she needed.

I loved that the author gave me what I wanted. She made me strongly dislike Wisdom at first, but she continued to encourage Akosua to be firm with vocalizing her wants/needs and never got scared off no matter how hard she pushed. He ended up being my favorite character aside from Akosua’s mom. Very good character development there.

The mom gave us the vibes of a mom who wants what’s best for their child and tries to show tough love, but at the same time be a friend to them as the child gets older. I love those type of mom-daughter relationships. It gave me all the feels.

Akosua’s father is a whole other situation. That dynamic caused Akosua to constantly revert back to the child she was when he left which spilled over into other parts of her life as well. I think those who have been in similar situations can relate to how parental issues can cause trauma that you didn’t even know you had. The author did well digging into this.

4.75 ⭐️ rounded up

Thank you NetGalley & Red Hen Press for the ARC of this book. I know I’m late to the party, but it was worth the wait right ? 😊🤷🏾‍♀️

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed parts of this book, such as seeing Akosua interact with her relatives. She is 24, but despite being an adult, her cultural background requires much more respect and deference to elders than typical American culture. No one asks her what she wants; they just tell her what to do. Her on-again boyfriend, Wisdom, is instrumental in helping her find her voice to speak of her own needs.

What I liked best is the story line surrounding Akosua’s father. He left the family when she was young and she can only vaguely recall him but he has a very large presence in her mind. She still carries the hurt of abandonment and feels it will betray her mother to reconnect with him but she wants to, no matter how much she tries to suppress it.

Although I liked these aspects of the book, overall it moved at a slow pace. The repeated hiding in bed to avoid her problems became mundane. Sometimes the book feels like a comedy, sometimes like a drama. Neither are done to an extent to feel purposeful and instead reads like the book didn’t know what genre it wanted to be.

[Brianna Gilliam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit late but thank you to the author for the ARC.

Likes: The storyline in general was interesting. The author really takes us into the main characters head, showing her thoughts and emotions clearly. I also enjoyed how the author showcased the complex nature that sometimes comes from being from two cultural backgrounds.

Dislikes: The pacing was a lot slower than I'm used to. It seemed that the "action" or plot didn't start to pick up until about half way. Because of that, it felt like the main character didn't learn or grow much (perhaps a bit at the end).

Neutral: It felt realistic with the amount of detail that described the characters struggles with identity, but maybe was mentioned too many times.

All in all, I think it was a decent story. Several times I wanted to punch the main character, not because I hated her, but because I was hoping she'd get everything she wanted/needed but seemed to block off for herself. Good job Esinam Bediako!

[Andrew Colom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and sensitively written story of coming-of-age, Blood on the Brain updates the romantic tradition of Jane Austen, Henry James, and Samuel Richardson for a new generation. Like Pamela and Clarissa, Bediako’s novel uses the familiar architecture of romantic desire—not for escapism, but as a vessel for deeper cultural critique. Beneath the protagonist’s emotional uncertainty lies a more urgent meditation on immigration, generational tension, and identity in the shadow of the American myth.

The absent father becomes more than a personal loss; he symbolizes the immigrant’s dream of belonging in a country defined by indifference and extraction. As the young narrator navigates both the heart and the nation, the story reveals its real subject: the lie beneath the American promise, and what it means for a new generation to confront it face to face.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Akosua, the 24-year-old daughter of Ghanian immigrants, is a grad student in NYC, too busy to pay attention to headaches following a fall in the shower until she wakes up in the hospital. She has a lot on her mind - her long estranged father is back in the states, her new crush isn’t getting the message, her old boyfriend keeps coming around, and she might lose her scholarship. This is a sweet and thoughtful story about identity, making adult decisions, and choosing how to live in a confusing world.

I was honored to interview the author for an NBN podcast - https://bookshop.org/p/books/blood-on...

[Vanita Borwankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't my usual genre, and it wasn't exactly what I expected, but I really did enjoy this book. I really enjoyed following the FMC Akosua (Sue) as she overcome her head injury while dealing with romantic, academic, cultural identity, and family struggles. This book was beautifully written albeit a little slow, but everything came together in a very satisfying way by the end. I recommend this book for those who enjoy diverse reads that center cultural identity and a search for personal meaning and growth.


Thank you to NetGalley, Red Hen Press, and Esinam Bediako for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[J Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating novel that masterfully intertwines themes of family, identity, love and growth. The main character Akosua is a Ghanian American graduate student whose story becomes a journey through life; enduring both physical and emotional pain. She must form her own reality by piecing together events from her past, cultural influences and struggles of a modern American woman along with the hostile elements. Through her quest the reader explores the themes of resilience, empathy, and growth. A very enjoyable and thoughtful read!

Thank you to Red Hen for providing an ARC of this book.

[Aliah Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! Part of the most wonderful things about reading books is learning something new. I learned so much about Ghanaian culture while absorbing this book about 24-year-old Akosua’s journey. Her fears, her disappointments, how she handles her memories, and her anger at her circumstances just leapt from the page. The best part was how wonderfully it ended. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next Esinam!

[Irene Yohannes · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75

[Emily Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that the main character steps into her agency by the end of the book.

[Madeline Braddon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way this protagonist was so unhinged that it intrigued me the whole way through. It captivated me that I could never predict what she was thinking.

[Denise Crittendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood on the Brain is a moving story about identity, self-awareness and self-acceptance. The main character can be a bit perplexing at times, but that's the point. She's a soul-searching graduate student who is trying to connect with her Ghanaian culture despite the fact that she grew up in the US. As it turns out, not all of her Ghanaian peers (including her own boyfriend) can relate to her. Her consequent frustration leads to bad decisions and an unfortunate accident that causes a concussion. To make matters worse, she's struggling to come to grips with the animosity she still harbors toward her father who left when she was a child. But that's not what makes this story great. Although the plot is interesting, the most alluring aspect of the novel is the author's captivating writing style. The author unravels her tale in such an intriguing manner, I often found myself on the edge of my seat, eager to read more and more. This is an excellent debut by a talented writer who, no doubt, will continue to charm readers for many years to come.

[Musicblasterkid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The romantic, academic, and family struggles and the difficulties that Akosua (Sue) faced definitely resonated with me. Even with a major head injury, Akosua was still able to navigate her family complexities, cultural identity, and the blurred lines between history, memory, and imagination.

While I did enjoy this novel, it was very touching and beautifully written, it was a bit slow and I found myself trudging through the book more than I anticipated. I definitely found myself putting down the book more often than I wanted to. However, the book did come together at the end, making it an enjoyable and memorable read for me :). Definitely read it if you get the chance!