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With Love, Miss Americanah
Sisi Americanah—the Young Adult contemporary romance debut from Jane Igharo—sees a teenager move from Nigeria to America and navigate her senior year with the help of classic teen movies and a new crush, while working through grief and the rigid expectations of her mother.
17-year-old Enore Adesuwa doesn’t dive into things, she wades in very carefully. So when she and her mother and sister move from Nigeria to America shortly after her father’s death, she wants to be as prepared as possible for attending an American high school. Her cousin, Adrian, doesn’t have time to explain the ins and outs to her but, luckily, he recommends the perfect research teen movies.
Still dealing with grief but armed with a list of rules of survival (including no drawing attention to herself) gathered from these beloved movies, Enore is ready as she’ll ever be for senior year. But when she meets Davi Santiago, it may be much harder than she thought to keep to her rules. Because not only is he super thoughtful (and okay, very good looking), he encourages Enore to share her incredible singing voice. She prefers the background but it just might be time for her to take center stage, even in spite of her mother’s own strict rules and desires for her.
With help from Davi, some new friends who don’t quite fit the roles she expects them to play, and her younger sister, can Enore get through senior year with a new passion, new boldness, and new love?
17-year-old Enore Adesuwa doesn’t dive into things, she wades in very carefully. So when she and her mother and sister move from Nigeria to America shortly after her father’s death, she wants to be as prepared as possible for attending an American high school. Her cousin, Adrian, doesn’t have time to explain the ins and outs to her but, luckily, he recommends the perfect research teen movies.
Still dealing with grief but armed with a list of rules of survival (including no drawing attention to herself) gathered from these beloved movies, Enore is ready as she’ll ever be for senior year. But when she meets Davi Santiago, it may be much harder than she thought to keep to her rules. Because not only is he super thoughtful (and okay, very good looking), he encourages Enore to share her incredible singing voice. She prefers the background but it just might be time for her to take center stage, even in spite of her mother’s own strict rules and desires for her.
With help from Davi, some new friends who don’t quite fit the roles she expects them to play, and her younger sister, can Enore get through senior year with a new passion, new boldness, and new love?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
13 people are currently reading
940 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 22, 2024
Sedemnásťročná Enore sa presťahuje z Nigérie do Ameriky, kde ju čaká stredná škola. Enore netuší, ako to na amerických stredných školách vyzerá, a tak si obsesívne naštuduje každý tínedžerský film, na ktorý narazí. Takže som si povedala: "Vau, bude zaujímavé vidieť knihu, v ktorej autorka ukáže prstom na všetky klišé a povie nám, ako to vyzerá v realite."
Nielenže sa to nestane, ale táto kniha je nejaký divný power-fantasy-tínedžersko-romantický trip o tom, ako sa hrdinke dejú samé super veci (okamžite spozná sexy chalana, narazí na kopu priateľských spolužiakov, ohúri ľudí v kostole super spevom, získa hlavú rolu v muzikáli...), ale ona ich zadubene odmieta (budem chalana ignorovať, nebudem sa s nikým baviť, v prvý deň cvičenia sa na muzikál vykašlem, lebo mám hrozný život, fňuk).
Zároveň je to jedna z tých kníh, ktoré začnú na silnú nôtu, ale potom autorke dôjde šťava a od 30% sa príbeh iba mŕtvolne vlečie. Jedna z "drám", ktoré sa na začiatku nastolia, je fakt, že hrdinkin love interest má bývalku, ktorá celú strednú školu hrávala hlavné roly v muzikáloch, ale teraz jej hrdinka prebrala kariéru aj priateľa - ale potom jedna z postáv hrdinke povie, že a bývalka sa zrazu v celej knihe vôbec nerieši. Niekedy v polovici som si uvedomila, že takýmto spôsobom vyšumelo všetko zaujímavé, čo kniha ponúkala, a ostal iba totálne tuctový a zabudnuteľný príbeh plný klišé momentov.
Ako tie tínedžerské filmy.
Nielenže sa to nestane, ale táto kniha je nejaký divný power-fantasy-tínedžersko-romantický trip o tom, ako sa hrdinke dejú samé super veci (okamžite spozná sexy chalana, narazí na kopu priateľských spolužiakov, ohúri ľudí v kostole super spevom, získa hlavú rolu v muzikáli...), ale ona ich zadubene odmieta (budem chalana ignorovať, nebudem sa s nikým baviť, v prvý deň cvičenia sa na muzikál vykašlem, lebo mám hrozný život, fňuk).
Zároveň je to jedna z tých kníh, ktoré začnú na silnú nôtu, ale potom autorke dôjde šťava a od 30% sa príbeh iba mŕtvolne vlečie. Jedna z "drám", ktoré sa na začiatku nastolia, je fakt, že hrdinkin love interest má bývalku, ktorá celú strednú školu hrávala hlavné roly v muzikáloch, ale teraz jej hrdinka prebrala kariéru aj priateľa - ale potom jedna z postáv hrdinke povie, že a bývalka sa zrazu v celej knihe vôbec nerieši. Niekedy v polovici som si uvedomila, že takýmto spôsobom vyšumelo všetko zaujímavé, čo kniha ponúkala, a ostal iba totálne tuctový a zabudnuteľný príbeh plný klišé momentov.
Ako tie tínedžerské filmy.
June 5, 2024
- This book follows Enore who moves from Nigeria to America you see her navigate her senior year in a country + high school.
- You see her work through the grief of losing her father and everything that comes with it
- This book is a great representation of immigrating to a new country and having to restart but also having the possibility to invest yourself/ finding yourself
- Enore watched a bunch of movies and rom coms to prep for high school but obviously it is not what she expected, It was so interesting to to see her handle everything and find herself
- She meets a cute guy, when I tell you I felt like I had a crush again
- This book is light and fluffy, but also has drama. This book is also heartfelt and raw.
- This book really made me feel seen as a black women, I would’ve loved reading this book in high school. This is a book I can’t wait to share with my kids.
- The way she describes the different seasons of the weather but also the seasons of life is so beautiful
- I absolutely recommend this book wow. The audiobook made me feel like i was on the phone with Enore while she gives me tea on her life 🤣♥️
- I feel like i’m besties with Enore lol
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- You see her work through the grief of losing her father and everything that comes with it
- This book is a great representation of immigrating to a new country and having to restart but also having the possibility to invest yourself/ finding yourself
- Enore watched a bunch of movies and rom coms to prep for high school but obviously it is not what she expected, It was so interesting to to see her handle everything and find herself
- She meets a cute guy, when I tell you I felt like I had a crush again
- This book is light and fluffy, but also has drama. This book is also heartfelt and raw.
- This book really made me feel seen as a black women, I would’ve loved reading this book in high school. This is a book I can’t wait to share with my kids.
- The way she describes the different seasons of the weather but also the seasons of life is so beautiful
- I absolutely recommend this book wow. The audiobook made me feel like i was on the phone with Enore while she gives me tea on her life 🤣♥️
- I feel like i’m besties with Enore lol
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 22, 2024
With Love, Miss Americanah follows Enore after she moves from Nigeria to America, starting her senior year of high school in her first American school. She’s grieving the loss of her father and confused about how to fit into this new society. Her cousin gave her 60 teen movies to prepare: Mean Girls, Sixteen Candles, The Heathers, Reality High, High School Musical, Love Don’t Cost A Thing, etc. She makes rules for herself based on the teen norms in movies and breaks them promptly when she meets a cute boy who convinces her to try out for the school musical. I loved this one so much! It had the musical element that was so fun but went so much deeper, and the narrator was phenomenal!!! She went above and beyond to voice the different characters and accents.
June 18, 2024
This novel was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed reading this YA of a girl discovering who she really is. The author did a great job at covering the difficulties of being an immigrant living in America and the perceptions of what an America school is life based on movies.
August 16, 2025
lara jean & peter if they were a theater kid and a soon to be politician
(this was a little cliché but very cute)
(this was a little cliché but very cute)
July 5, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Jane Igharo, and Joy Ofodu (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of With Love, Miss Americanah in exchange for an honest review
With Love, Miss Americanah is a debut novel by Jane Igharo exploring Enore's experience with moving from Nigeria to the United States for her senior year of high school. With themes of dealing with loss and finding one's voice, this is a resonating, diverse novel for a contemporary teen reader.
Enore's Transition to America
17-year-old Enore Adesuwa moves from Nigeria to America with her mother and sister after her father's passing. Wanting to navigate her new American high school smoothly, she turns to research teen movies recommended by her cousin Adrian for guidance. Enore approaches this transition cautiously, armed with a set of rules gathered from these films, including the importance of not drawing attention to herself.
Challenges and New Connections
Despite battling her grief, Enore enters her senior year feeling somewhat prepared, thanks to her list of survival rules and the arsenal of American teen movies she is able to reference as needed. When her DVD player breaks, she goes to an electromics store to get it fixed (a thoroughly enjoyable start to the novel), where she meets Davi Santiago, complicating the very rules list she has made for herself. Davi, who is a kind and attractive Hispanic boy, pushes Enore to step out of her comfort zone and showcase her remarkable singing talent. This newfound attention challenges Enore to reconsider her preference for staying in the background and offers her an opportunity to challenge what her mother wants her to become in favor of what Enore wants for her own future.
Navigating New Waters
As Enore explores her evolving confidence and growing feelings for Davi, she also contends with her mother's strict expectations and desires for her future. Alongside Davi's support, Enore finds solace in unexpected friendships and her younger sister, yet another connection she has with Davi as she can tell how much he adores his own younger sister as well. Together, this newfound network of relationships provides Enore with the encouragement and courage she needs to face the challenges of senior year in an unfamiliar place.
Embracing Change and Possibilities
With Davi's encouragement, Enore embarks on a journey of self-discovery, embracing her passions and newfound boldness for singing and performing on stage. As she navigates the complexities of senior year, Enore learns to balance her mother's expectations with her own desires and aspirations, trying all the while to not disappoint her mother, as she too is still struggling with grief, complicating the family dynamic. Enore explores new opportunities, embraces her talents, and discovers the transformative power of love and self-expression.
Final Thoughts
Shout out to the narrator, Joy Ofodu! I loved the accent she had for the character reading, as it is in Enore's first person perspective. It really added to the cultural allure of the character. The comparisons between school in Nigeeria and school in the United States was rather interesting to me. I liked that Enore was able to feed her need of knowledge, even after moving, as well as finding her passion with theater. I am not a huge fan of people pushing others to do something they don't want to do, but sometimes we all need that push to try something new. It's this push that brings Enore to find her true passion and what she wants to do with her life. I thoroughly enjoy a good follow-your-dreams story, especially when it takes courage to stand up to family in order to follow one's own path.
This novel is really such a thrilling and fun debut for teen readers. It demonstrates how grief can affect family dynamics and the importance of being able to talk about loss with someone outside of the family too. It also expressed the importance of finding and using one's voice to establish their own desires, as opposed to the wants pressed upon them by others. This is truly a brilliant novel perfect for classrooms and libraries, a gem any teen reader will enjoy.
With Love, Miss Americanah is a debut novel by Jane Igharo exploring Enore's experience with moving from Nigeria to the United States for her senior year of high school. With themes of dealing with loss and finding one's voice, this is a resonating, diverse novel for a contemporary teen reader.
Enore's Transition to America
17-year-old Enore Adesuwa moves from Nigeria to America with her mother and sister after her father's passing. Wanting to navigate her new American high school smoothly, she turns to research teen movies recommended by her cousin Adrian for guidance. Enore approaches this transition cautiously, armed with a set of rules gathered from these films, including the importance of not drawing attention to herself.
Challenges and New Connections
Despite battling her grief, Enore enters her senior year feeling somewhat prepared, thanks to her list of survival rules and the arsenal of American teen movies she is able to reference as needed. When her DVD player breaks, she goes to an electromics store to get it fixed (a thoroughly enjoyable start to the novel), where she meets Davi Santiago, complicating the very rules list she has made for herself. Davi, who is a kind and attractive Hispanic boy, pushes Enore to step out of her comfort zone and showcase her remarkable singing talent. This newfound attention challenges Enore to reconsider her preference for staying in the background and offers her an opportunity to challenge what her mother wants her to become in favor of what Enore wants for her own future.
Navigating New Waters
As Enore explores her evolving confidence and growing feelings for Davi, she also contends with her mother's strict expectations and desires for her future. Alongside Davi's support, Enore finds solace in unexpected friendships and her younger sister, yet another connection she has with Davi as she can tell how much he adores his own younger sister as well. Together, this newfound network of relationships provides Enore with the encouragement and courage she needs to face the challenges of senior year in an unfamiliar place.
Embracing Change and Possibilities
With Davi's encouragement, Enore embarks on a journey of self-discovery, embracing her passions and newfound boldness for singing and performing on stage. As she navigates the complexities of senior year, Enore learns to balance her mother's expectations with her own desires and aspirations, trying all the while to not disappoint her mother, as she too is still struggling with grief, complicating the family dynamic. Enore explores new opportunities, embraces her talents, and discovers the transformative power of love and self-expression.
Final Thoughts
Shout out to the narrator, Joy Ofodu! I loved the accent she had for the character reading, as it is in Enore's first person perspective. It really added to the cultural allure of the character. The comparisons between school in Nigeeria and school in the United States was rather interesting to me. I liked that Enore was able to feed her need of knowledge, even after moving, as well as finding her passion with theater. I am not a huge fan of people pushing others to do something they don't want to do, but sometimes we all need that push to try something new. It's this push that brings Enore to find her true passion and what she wants to do with her life. I thoroughly enjoy a good follow-your-dreams story, especially when it takes courage to stand up to family in order to follow one's own path.
This novel is really such a thrilling and fun debut for teen readers. It demonstrates how grief can affect family dynamics and the importance of being able to talk about loss with someone outside of the family too. It also expressed the importance of finding and using one's voice to establish their own desires, as opposed to the wants pressed upon them by others. This is truly a brilliant novel perfect for classrooms and libraries, a gem any teen reader will enjoy.
June 25, 2024
Yay! A case where my unbelievably high anticipation for a book actually pays off lol
I have loved everything Jane Igharo has written. There’s something wonderful about her writing style that I’d never be able to describe.
This book is her first YA and she has given us another wonderful story.
Enore has moved from Africa to the US with her mom and sister right before Enore’s senior year. Her father died unexpectedly and tragically about two months before their move.
Enore is overwhelmed with what to expect high school to be like in the US and she’s deeply grieving. So is her mom. So is her sister.
Enore prepares for high school by borrowing her cousins’ movie dvds about high school. She gets quite a schooling over the course of 60 movies. She even makes a list of her lessons which involves not hanging out with anyone popular, not making enemies, staying under the radar, etc etc. but she starts breaking her rules almost immediately when she meets Davi.
Davi is such a sweetheart. He bonds with Enore over home cooked meals at lunchtime.
I don’t want to say anything more and risk spoilers. I just loved this book and everyone in it. I’d definitely recommend reading it.
I have loved everything Jane Igharo has written. There’s something wonderful about her writing style that I’d never be able to describe.
This book is her first YA and she has given us another wonderful story.
Enore has moved from Africa to the US with her mom and sister right before Enore’s senior year. Her father died unexpectedly and tragically about two months before their move.
Enore is overwhelmed with what to expect high school to be like in the US and she’s deeply grieving. So is her mom. So is her sister.
Enore prepares for high school by borrowing her cousins’ movie dvds about high school. She gets quite a schooling over the course of 60 movies. She even makes a list of her lessons which involves not hanging out with anyone popular, not making enemies, staying under the radar, etc etc. but she starts breaking her rules almost immediately when she meets Davi.
Davi is such a sweetheart. He bonds with Enore over home cooked meals at lunchtime.
I don’t want to say anything more and risk spoilers. I just loved this book and everyone in it. I’d definitely recommend reading it.
August 9, 2025
I liked this. I’ve an enormous soft spot for when the popular high school kids have depth. Enore's gift for singing plays a huge part in propelling the story forward.
While the story touched on the racial dynamics and major cultural changes Enore’s move from Nigeria to America caused, no one bullies her or is ignorant about her being Nigerian/African. The cast of characters is generally well-adjusted, kind teens. The real antagonistic force is the struggle with pursuing a love that’s not bankable.
There were also too many pop culture references for me, but Enore had consumed a diet of American teen movies, so it had an objective reason to be there.
The story was well-paced, and anything introduced gets resolved. There are also clear character arcs established. Is it predictable? Yes, but it wasn’t a bad time.
Overall, a fun, lighthearted read that deals with following your dreams and not parental expectations and grief (deals with death of a parent). At times, cheesy (but so are most teen movies), but I could see and would watch a Netflix adaptation for this.
3.5
While the story touched on the racial dynamics and major cultural changes Enore’s move from Nigeria to America caused, no one bullies her or is ignorant about her being Nigerian/African. The cast of characters is generally well-adjusted, kind teens. The real antagonistic force is the struggle with pursuing a love that’s not bankable.
There were also too many pop culture references for me, but Enore had consumed a diet of American teen movies, so it had an objective reason to be there.
The story was well-paced, and anything introduced gets resolved. There are also clear character arcs established. Is it predictable? Yes, but it wasn’t a bad time.
Overall, a fun, lighthearted read that deals with following your dreams and not parental expectations and grief (deals with death of a parent). At times, cheesy (but so are most teen movies), but I could see and would watch a Netflix adaptation for this.
3.5
July 7, 2024
Enore moves to America from Nigeria with her family, grieving her father's death. She uses teen movies to guide her through high school with strict rules, but meeting Davi challenges her to break free and embrace her talents, despite her mother's expectations.
I did not expect this book to be so full of poignant descriptions of grief and the challenges that come through grieving as a teen, but here we are! It had me tearing up and feeling punched in the stomach. But it also had me laughing and sighing dreamily and remembering my first trip to NYC. And my first broadway musical.
I love Enore’s relationship with her sister. I loved how she and Davi came together. Their meet cute was great! Her thoughts about teen movies were fantastic but I definitely felt old when people in the book didn’t know them!!
Such a sweet and beautiful story about following your dreams and taking chances.
*I was provided a digital copy of this book by the publisher for review. All thoughts are my own.*
I did not expect this book to be so full of poignant descriptions of grief and the challenges that come through grieving as a teen, but here we are! It had me tearing up and feeling punched in the stomach. But it also had me laughing and sighing dreamily and remembering my first trip to NYC. And my first broadway musical.
I love Enore’s relationship with her sister. I loved how she and Davi came together. Their meet cute was great! Her thoughts about teen movies were fantastic but I definitely felt old when people in the book didn’t know them!!
Such a sweet and beautiful story about following your dreams and taking chances.
*I was provided a digital copy of this book by the publisher for review. All thoughts are my own.*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2024
With Love, Miss Americanah is a perfect read.
Why am I crying? 🥹😂
I'm so emosh OMG
Finally! A book about a Nigerian teenager that reads like a book about a Nigerian teenager. This is so wholesome, my inner child is very pleased.
Well done, Jane Igharo.
Why am I crying? 🥹😂
I'm so emosh OMG
Finally! A book about a Nigerian teenager that reads like a book about a Nigerian teenager. This is so wholesome, my inner child is very pleased.
Well done, Jane Igharo.
Read
September 13, 2024Very sweet and almost begging for an onscreen adaptation.
I have my reservations about stories of intercultural tensions in first-gen families, but this was pretty gentle. Also, the tiny sprinkles of pigeon english were so cute, to me!
I have my reservations about stories of intercultural tensions in first-gen families, but this was pretty gentle. Also, the tiny sprinkles of pigeon english were so cute, to me!
June 24, 2025
This was such a cool YA Rom Com with a bit of family dramas and expectation.
December 1, 2024
A really lovely and moving story of a Nigerian girl finding her way in the US after losing her father; trying to please her mother AND live her own life while becoming an accidental TikTok star starts to become overwhelming for Enore, but her friends are there to help. There were also a lot of funny moments, including how she uses teen movies as a way to study American school culture!
July 14, 2025
As always, Jane Igharo does not disappoint! I really resonate with Igharo’s writing because of the way she weaves in the depth of family, culture, the immigrant experience and identity into her stories. With Love, Miss Americanah is Igharo’s debut YA romance novel that takes readers into Enore’s journey of immigrating to America from Nigeria in her senior year of high school all while navigating the grief of losing her father.
Enore’s goal is to survive her senior year of high school in America. After breaking her own rules and meeting her love interest Davi, she struggles with balancing her mom’s expectations of her (solely focusing on her studies, no boyfriends until university and becoming a doctor) and her own passions (singing, musical theatre, her romantic relationship with Davi). As someone who is a racialized Canadian, I can say that Enore’s internal dialogue through many parts of the novel really resonated with me as they felt extremely relatable to what it’s like to be a racialized woman living in the West.
I adored reading Enore and David’s love story. Although this is a high school romance, this new girl in town romance was filled with passion, depth, humour, sweetness and honesty. I love the way Davi inspires Enore to not only find, but to follow her passion and I love that way that Enore feels safe to be her unapologetic self in the presence of Davi. I also thought that their ritual of exchanging their Nigerian and Brazilian food essentials during their lunch period was adorable!
In addition to Enore and David’s romance, I loved Enore’s character development and the development of her relationships with her family and friends. I also really appreciated all the teen movie references and often found myself either laughing out loud or mentally adding teen movies to my movie list.
Overall, Igharo does a stellar job at writing books that are both swoony and filled with heart. I would recommend this novel to anyone who not only loves a YA romance novel, but also to anyone who has or is struggling with navigating their identity as a racialized young woman living in the West, coping with grief and building a life in a new country.
Enore’s goal is to survive her senior year of high school in America. After breaking her own rules and meeting her love interest Davi, she struggles with balancing her mom’s expectations of her (solely focusing on her studies, no boyfriends until university and becoming a doctor) and her own passions (singing, musical theatre, her romantic relationship with Davi). As someone who is a racialized Canadian, I can say that Enore’s internal dialogue through many parts of the novel really resonated with me as they felt extremely relatable to what it’s like to be a racialized woman living in the West.
I adored reading Enore and David’s love story. Although this is a high school romance, this new girl in town romance was filled with passion, depth, humour, sweetness and honesty. I love the way Davi inspires Enore to not only find, but to follow her passion and I love that way that Enore feels safe to be her unapologetic self in the presence of Davi. I also thought that their ritual of exchanging their Nigerian and Brazilian food essentials during their lunch period was adorable!
In addition to Enore and David’s romance, I loved Enore’s character development and the development of her relationships with her family and friends. I also really appreciated all the teen movie references and often found myself either laughing out loud or mentally adding teen movies to my movie list.
Overall, Igharo does a stellar job at writing books that are both swoony and filled with heart. I would recommend this novel to anyone who not only loves a YA romance novel, but also to anyone who has or is struggling with navigating their identity as a racialized young woman living in the West, coping with grief and building a life in a new country.
June 19, 2024
it was good. i love the references .
descriptive and i love the dark skin nigerian girl rep and it was just a nice book overall. the author did a very good job and the book was immersive. i wish she explored enore’s life in nigeria more. and i wish the mothers grief was explored more but i can’t really complain as it’s young adult
descriptive and i love the dark skin nigerian girl rep and it was just a nice book overall. the author did a very good job and the book was immersive. i wish she explored enore’s life in nigeria more. and i wish the mothers grief was explored more but i can’t really complain as it’s young adult
July 4, 2024
Life is moving too fast for Enore. She's just lost her father, and now she, her mother, and her sister, have moved from Nigeria to New York state. They'll live with her uncle and his family while her mother tries to requalify to practice medicine in the US. Enore is cautious, and to prepare herself for her senior year at a US school, she watches a ton of teen movies and writes up some rules for herself to stay safe--like not having anything to do with popular kids, and not getting noticed. But of course, she ends up breaking almost all of them. First, there's Davi. He's gorgeous, a football player, popular, and he's clearly drawn to Enore. Enore is not allowed to date before college, but soon she finds herself telling her strict mother lie after lie after lie, helped by her younger sister, so she can spend more time with Davi. And then, after hearing her sing with her church choir, he convinces Enore to audition for the school musical--even though she's never even seen a musical. She gets a part, and now has to lie about all the time she's spending at rehearsals. She's having the time of her life, but she never stops missing her father, or thinking about what her mother would do if she knew the truth about how Enore is spending her time.
This was an unusual perspective, and I loved all the details about Nigerian culture and food, and how teenagers behave differently in Nigeria vs. the US. The details from the teen movies were hilarious as Enore tried to apply them, and naturally they were all so exaggerated that things happening to her are not quite so extreme. I liked that she generally had a good experience, and that while she did feel the pressures of having dark skin in a culture that doesn't value it, most of the people she met were nice and didn't cause any issues because of racism (I'm not sure how to phrase that--she was mostly treated well). I was on tenterhooks because of all the lying to her mother, and knowing that her mother would eventually find out and it would be bad; that part was predictable, at least. And of course I loved all the theater stuff, and wish there'd been more of that. Her sister was a great character, and Davi was sweet and had layers. The audiobook narrator used a Nigerian accent (I'm assuming) that really gave the book a lot of flavor. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
This was an unusual perspective, and I loved all the details about Nigerian culture and food, and how teenagers behave differently in Nigeria vs. the US. The details from the teen movies were hilarious as Enore tried to apply them, and naturally they were all so exaggerated that things happening to her are not quite so extreme. I liked that she generally had a good experience, and that while she did feel the pressures of having dark skin in a culture that doesn't value it, most of the people she met were nice and didn't cause any issues because of racism (I'm not sure how to phrase that--she was mostly treated well). I was on tenterhooks because of all the lying to her mother, and knowing that her mother would eventually find out and it would be bad; that part was predictable, at least. And of course I loved all the theater stuff, and wish there'd been more of that. Her sister was a great character, and Davi was sweet and had layers. The audiobook narrator used a Nigerian accent (I'm assuming) that really gave the book a lot of flavor. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
September 8, 2024
Enore, her sister Esosa, and their mother moved from Nigeria to the United States after the girls’ father died. They’re living with their father’s brother while managing their grief, and the girls’ mother is studying to get her medical license in the United States. On top of it all, the girls have to figure out how to thrive in an American high school.
But Enore has a plan: she spends the weeks before school starts watching as many teen movies as she can, creating a list of ten rules to follow in order to be successful in high school. But when she meets the hazel-green-eyed Davi before class even starts on the first day, she’s well on her way to breaking Rule #1: Avoid interacting with or befriending anyone who is popular.
When Davi convinces Enore to try out for the school musical, Rule #3—Don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself—is demolished, and between Davi and the musical, the rest of the rules (especially the one about no boys) are quick to follow. But by being cast in the musical, Enore discovers a passion for musical theater that she’s desperate to follow, despite her mom’s determination that she become a doctor.
It’s not long before Enore’s hiding a lot of things from her mom, and it’s only a matter of time before it all catches up to her.
This was such a charming read full of teen movie tropes—it’s got romance, reflection on the concept of race in America, and a lot of encouragement to pursue your passions, even if you have to break some rules to do it. There are a couple instances of profanity, but we’d feel comfortable recommending this breezy read to a wide range of students.
Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Feiwel and Friends for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.
But Enore has a plan: she spends the weeks before school starts watching as many teen movies as she can, creating a list of ten rules to follow in order to be successful in high school. But when she meets the hazel-green-eyed Davi before class even starts on the first day, she’s well on her way to breaking Rule #1: Avoid interacting with or befriending anyone who is popular.
When Davi convinces Enore to try out for the school musical, Rule #3—Don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself—is demolished, and between Davi and the musical, the rest of the rules (especially the one about no boys) are quick to follow. But by being cast in the musical, Enore discovers a passion for musical theater that she’s desperate to follow, despite her mom’s determination that she become a doctor.
It’s not long before Enore’s hiding a lot of things from her mom, and it’s only a matter of time before it all catches up to her.
This was such a charming read full of teen movie tropes—it’s got romance, reflection on the concept of race in America, and a lot of encouragement to pursue your passions, even if you have to break some rules to do it. There are a couple instances of profanity, but we’d feel comfortable recommending this breezy read to a wide range of students.
Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Feiwel and Friends for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.
November 25, 2024
There were things I liked about this: it was super readable, I liked the teen movie/high school rules shtick, the relationship between the sisters felt real, and the negotiating the divide between American norms and an anxious Nigerian parent had relatable potential for teens caught between two cultural worlds. Ultimately most of this book and the issues in it felt really shallow to me, though. And it has my least favourite realism romance feature: meeting a cute boy fixes her problems and defines her happiness.
Supposedly Enore is grief-stricken over her father's death, but we rarely see this, and it seems to be totally solved when she starts dating Davi, who sometimes functions as a stand-in for her father? Her mom is super strict, but doesn't seem to be paying much attention, so this isn't much of a factor. Enore's father apparently wanted the family to move to America specifically so that Enore could follow her passion of singing, but no one (including her uncle, father, and mother) bothers to tell Enore that, which seems a bit strange. Enore seems to go from being the good, obedient daughter to being REALLY rebellious almost immediately, starting to skip school, date, make out with a boy, travel to New York, lie to her mom, go to parties, and drink, with no significant guilt or consequences. It just didn't feel realistic to me. The conflicts/challenges didn't really feel significant. The reader was TOLD there were these high stakes, but none of them really seemed to affect Enore's life at all, except .
Supposedly Enore is grief-stricken over her father's death, but we rarely see this, and it seems to be totally solved when she starts dating Davi, who sometimes functions as a stand-in for her father? Her mom is super strict, but doesn't seem to be paying much attention, so this isn't much of a factor. Enore's father apparently wanted the family to move to America specifically so that Enore could follow her passion of singing, but no one (including her uncle, father, and mother) bothers to tell Enore that, which seems a bit strange. Enore seems to go from being the good, obedient daughter to being REALLY rebellious almost immediately, starting to skip school, date, make out with a boy, travel to New York, lie to her mom, go to parties, and drink, with no significant guilt or consequences. It just didn't feel realistic to me. The conflicts/challenges didn't really feel significant. The reader was TOLD there were these high stakes, but none of them really seemed to affect Enore's life at all, except .
January 8, 2025
Jane Igharo has done it again! I actually think Jane should pivot to just writing YA. I need to read two more of her books to confirm, but she has a knack for making young characters feel so very full of life and multidimensional in a way that society doesn’t always allow them to be. I always find myself choking up by the end of the books feeling ever so connected to the young character she’s presented. I often find myself wishing fictional characters, the very best and hoping that they made it work well into their adulthood ha ha ha. And I actually did that in With Love, Miss Americanah. The conflict that Enore is going through as a young teen who’s not only grieving a parent, but moving to a whole new country and trying to adjust to the culture of that country, city, and high school is a story that is timeless and more relevant than ever before. I found myself really reading it and seeing every word in my head and how it would play out. I cannot wait to see what Jane right next she always captivates me with her writing. You can tell if she’s driving from her own experiences and making a translate so beautifully to fit the contemporary era in which she’s writing. With this book, my love for YA novels grew even more, most, especially the ones with little black girls at the front of the stories. Because as Jane makes so very clear in this book, we need more of that! Thank you, Jane!
June 19, 2024
With Love, Miss Americanah, is a book written by Jane Igharo. The main character, Enore, recently moved to the United States from Nigeria, and is now living with her mother and sister, as well as her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Enore is going through a lot of changes, moving, and dealing with the recent loss of her father. The summer before starting her senior year in high school, Enore spends her time watching her older cousins collection of high school movies to help her prepare for high school in America. While doing so, she creates a list of rules that she hopes to not break based on the movies. But this becomes hard when she meets Davi Santiago, who challenges her grow in ways she didn't know were possible.
I loved the characters in this book, the strength that Enore showed, and the development that her mother had as well. I enjoyed seeing how things looked to Enore when she moved to the United States, and the cultural differences that she pointed out between her two homes. I also feel that it is important that Enore recognizes the need for more POC in high school movies, literature, and theatre. I definitely recommend this book! Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher, and NetGalley for a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the characters in this book, the strength that Enore showed, and the development that her mother had as well. I enjoyed seeing how things looked to Enore when she moved to the United States, and the cultural differences that she pointed out between her two homes. I also feel that it is important that Enore recognizes the need for more POC in high school movies, literature, and theatre. I definitely recommend this book! Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher, and NetGalley for a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2024
Such a cute book! From an educator perspective, this one can easily be added to book club units that include The Poet X, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, and any other coming-of-age books that include teens navigating high school and culture clashes between their immigrant family and the US. I loved that the main character tried to understand American culture through the lens of teen films from the 80s-00s. Not only was it a nice dose of nostalgia for me, but it also connected with my own experience as a child of immigrants. I especially loved that she noted that most American teen movies are limited in their representation, and that this book actually shows a teen-movie-worthy story with a "dark skinned girl with box braids and a non-American accent" as the star.
This book also deals with the loss of a parent and the grief that comes with it. It described the weight of grief perfectly for a YA book. The audiobook performance of the mother's grief was especially touching. The audiobook performance as a whole was lovely. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
This book also deals with the loss of a parent and the grief that comes with it. It described the weight of grief perfectly for a YA book. The audiobook performance of the mother's grief was especially touching. The audiobook performance as a whole was lovely. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
November 9, 2024
With Love, Miss Americanah is a beautiful coming-of-age story that masterfully blends humor, self-discovery, new love, and the trials of navigating grief. The character of Enore is beautifully constructed, and her doubts and waves confidence provide a great mirror for teens trying to figure out who they are in contrast to who their families or society may want them to be. Igharo also lightly explores the nuances of being a Black immigrant in a country where race is a pivotal part of our society and how the world interacts with Black youth. I loved the relationship between Enore and her little sister; it was built on trust, something akin to friendship, and encouragement that made for a wonderful story of two sisters learning how to rely on one another in a new country and new family situation. The romance that blossoms between Enore and Davi is also a highlight of this story; it was so sweet to watch them tentatively build a relationship that is healthy, earnest, real, free, fun, and deep all at the same time, as they navigated their own personal issues. Igharo weaves a lot into With Love, Miss Americanah and what we end up with is a beautifully rendered story.
July 9, 2024
Major props to the narrator—she did an amazing job throughout this book. This is my first Jane Igharo book, and I am definitely a fan now. The entire plot and character development were fantastic—truly chef’s kiss! This novel was thrilling and so much fun. I loved the integration of culture and the challenges of transitioning to life in a new country and school. Enore and Davi were so lovable, and Enore's rules had me laughing the entire way through, especially since she struggled to follow nearly every one of them. I also appreciated how Jane highlighted that, as young adults and even adults, we often follow our parents' vision for our lives, but I loved how Enore stepped out to pursue her own path. Enore dealing with the recent death of her father and the accompanying grief made the story feel so real and enthralling.
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is definitely a must-read!
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is definitely a must-read!
June 6, 2024
Oh my YA contemporary loving heart! Jane Igharo’s adult fiction I have adored so to be able to read an early copy of her debut YA was a treat!
A brief look at what your in for… 17 year old Enore has just moved to America from Nigeria to America with her sister and mom. They are staying with her wealthy Uncle, Aunt and cousin. To prepare for her first day of American high school she watches classic teen movies… my absolute kryptonite! Her first day and throughout the course of the book she references cult classic moments from The Craft, Clueless, She’s all That and many more. Perfection!
With all the fun and nostalgia the book touches upon grief, first love, parental approval and standing up for yourself and finding you own voice.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Thank you Feiwel & Friends
Releases 6/18
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
A brief look at what your in for… 17 year old Enore has just moved to America from Nigeria to America with her sister and mom. They are staying with her wealthy Uncle, Aunt and cousin. To prepare for her first day of American high school she watches classic teen movies… my absolute kryptonite! Her first day and throughout the course of the book she references cult classic moments from The Craft, Clueless, She’s all That and many more. Perfection!
With all the fun and nostalgia the book touches upon grief, first love, parental approval and standing up for yourself and finding you own voice.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Thank you Feiwel & Friends
Releases 6/18
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
June 19, 2024
I received an ARC of this novel thanks to Netgalley and the publishers
After reading all of Jane Igharo's other novels, I was super excited to see that she had written a new book & was extra happy when I received the approval from Netgalley to read this.
This is Jane Igharo's young adult debut novel. It centers around Enore and her move to America.
Enore's family has immigrated from Nigeria to NY her last year of high school. To prepare herself for American high school, she has watched every teen movie imaginable & made a list of rules to keep herself on the straight & narrow until graduation. However, she meets Davi Santiago & her rules get pushed aside.
Enore finds herself doing things she wouldn't have done in Nigeria; making new friends that aren't the type she would normally befriend & she finds her passion.
So I enjoyed this book, but it definitely reads like a YA novel.
It's super cute but there were parts that Enore really annoyed me; her mother annoyed me & just everything about their relationship ANNOYED me.
There were parts of the book that dragged on a bit to me, but I did enjoy the ending.
Overall, it's a super cute book & if you are a fan of Jane Igharo you'll enjoy this! & if you have never read her work, but like cute love stories (with a bit of drama) you'll enjoy this as well.
Thank you again Netgalley & Feiwel and Friends for my ARC!
After reading all of Jane Igharo's other novels, I was super excited to see that she had written a new book & was extra happy when I received the approval from Netgalley to read this.
This is Jane Igharo's young adult debut novel. It centers around Enore and her move to America.
Enore's family has immigrated from Nigeria to NY her last year of high school. To prepare herself for American high school, she has watched every teen movie imaginable & made a list of rules to keep herself on the straight & narrow until graduation. However, she meets Davi Santiago & her rules get pushed aside.
Enore finds herself doing things she wouldn't have done in Nigeria; making new friends that aren't the type she would normally befriend & she finds her passion.
So I enjoyed this book, but it definitely reads like a YA novel.
It's super cute but there were parts that Enore really annoyed me; her mother annoyed me & just everything about their relationship ANNOYED me.
There were parts of the book that dragged on a bit to me, but I did enjoy the ending.
Overall, it's a super cute book & if you are a fan of Jane Igharo you'll enjoy this! & if you have never read her work, but like cute love stories (with a bit of drama) you'll enjoy this as well.
Thank you again Netgalley & Feiwel and Friends for my ARC!
June 18, 2024
Jane Igharo's adult novels have been favourites of mine so I was excited to read her YA debut! In With Love, Miss Americanah, Enore moved from Nigeria to America with her mother and sister after her father's passing, and this story is all about how she navigated her senior year of high school and American culture vs family expectations. I found it hilarious that she prepared herself for this by watching old teen movies, and this was also a great way to bridge the gap between teen and adult audiences.. I remember so many of those movies fondly and how different things are today led to some of the funniest moments in the story. But what really is the best part of the book is the characters and their relationships with each other, Jane Igharo writes so beautifully about people and all their inner thoughts and how they express them to each other.
And these characters were also beautifully brought to life by Joy Ofodu's narration in the audiobook, she is very talented to portray so many different voices and accents and personalities so well.
And these characters were also beautifully brought to life by Joy Ofodu's narration in the audiobook, she is very talented to portray so many different voices and accents and personalities so well.
June 17, 2024
This was such an adorable read!
With Love, Miss Americanah was such a cute, easy read that I would recommend it to any teen. Due to a busy schedule, I did have a hard time getting settled in the novel, but once I did, I was able to fly through the novel quickly. The novel has such an interesting premise as it tells the story of 17-year-old Enore, who had recently moved from Nigeria to America after experiencing the loss of her father. I thought that the culture shock she experienced, alongside other moments of first love and finding yourself as a teenager were handled quite well. The side characters, such as Enore's sister, Esosa, were also developed and crafted very well, causing me to also be drawn to them. I would read this again!
Thank you NetGalley and Feiwei & Friends for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
With Love, Miss Americanah was such a cute, easy read that I would recommend it to any teen. Due to a busy schedule, I did have a hard time getting settled in the novel, but once I did, I was able to fly through the novel quickly. The novel has such an interesting premise as it tells the story of 17-year-old Enore, who had recently moved from Nigeria to America after experiencing the loss of her father. I thought that the culture shock she experienced, alongside other moments of first love and finding yourself as a teenager were handled quite well. The side characters, such as Enore's sister, Esosa, were also developed and crafted very well, causing me to also be drawn to them. I would read this again!
Thank you NetGalley and Feiwei & Friends for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
June 18, 2024
A great YA debut from best-selling Nigerian Canadian author, Jane Igharo!! I loved this book featuring Enore Adesuwa, grieving the recent death of her father and learning how to adjust to American life after moving from her home country of Nigeria.
Enore has a few rules she tries to live by and uses classic teen romcoms to learn more about American high school life. She also befriends a boy at school and auditions for a musical, winning the lead. Trying to balance a new romance and challenges fitting in while hiding what she's doing from her strict mother all start to get to Enore.
Moving, heartfelt and full of emotional depth! This was great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Talia Hibbert. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
Enore has a few rules she tries to live by and uses classic teen romcoms to learn more about American high school life. She also befriends a boy at school and auditions for a musical, winning the lead. Trying to balance a new romance and challenges fitting in while hiding what she's doing from her strict mother all start to get to Enore.
Moving, heartfelt and full of emotional depth! This was great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Talia Hibbert. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 31, 2024
This is such a lovely book! The narrator did a fantastic job as well. After moving to America from Nigeria, Enore has a set of rules that she thinks will help her to survive high school. Those rules are thrown out the window when she meets Davi and accidentally goes viral auditioning for the school musical. But these things set on her a path to realize what her true passion is.
In addition to finding herself, Enore is also struggling with grief over the fact her father passed away before they moved to America. There are so many emotions portrayed in this book that feel realistic and complex, especially as it relates to immigration and grief.
It does follow the general plot of a teen movie, but the characters are truly what makes this one. If you like teen romance that deals with heavier issues, definitely pick this one up!
In addition to finding herself, Enore is also struggling with grief over the fact her father passed away before they moved to America. There are so many emotions portrayed in this book that feel realistic and complex, especially as it relates to immigration and grief.
It does follow the general plot of a teen movie, but the characters are truly what makes this one. If you like teen romance that deals with heavier issues, definitely pick this one up!
July 12, 2024
Rising high school senior Enore has moved from Nigeria to the United States with her mother and younger sister. After the death of her father, they’re all dealing with grief, and her uncle has invited them to live with his family in upstate New York.
This is a sweet story of navigating new experiences and relationships. Just had a few too many credulity-stretching situations for me: the insta-love between Enore and Davi, her reluctant audition for the school musical that goes viral, the way she becomes Insta-famous but her mother, aunt, and uncle are all oblivious to the double life she’s living.
Still, an enjoyable story, and one that is made for anyone who loves happily ever after with sprinkles on top!
Thanks to Macmillan and Libro.fm ALC for the complimentary e-audiobook.
This is a sweet story of navigating new experiences and relationships. Just had a few too many credulity-stretching situations for me: the insta-love between Enore and Davi, her reluctant audition for the school musical that goes viral, the way she becomes Insta-famous but her mother, aunt, and uncle are all oblivious to the double life she’s living.
Still, an enjoyable story, and one that is made for anyone who loves happily ever after with sprinkles on top!
Thanks to Macmillan and Libro.fm ALC for the complimentary e-audiobook.
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