An excellent, empowering and humorous tale about life in Roman Britain for a teen girl. If you wanted a historical novel with some laughter thrown in, this is the book for you.

After reading Girl, Woman, Other I wanted to read more by Evaristo and this was the only one in stock so I picked it up and I absolutely loved it! It made me laugh out loud and somehow I managed to read it in one sitting. It’s a coming of age tale written in song and verse, and a mash up of the modern and ancient worlds. Zuleika is a modern girl living in an ancient world where only Roman men existed as human beings for everyone else to serve. She is a young Nubian girl, born poor, who has just been married off to an rich, old and fat roman (as he was the highest bidder). Life as a teenage bride is no joke but she is a born survivor and she gets by secretly hanging out with her friends in the slums when her husband is travelling. One day she catches the eye of the most powerful man on earth, the Roman Emperor with whom she starts an affair. It is her slave girls who eventually betray her when she denies their freedom. There were many times in this book where I was equally amused and shocked at the same time and I wasn’t expecting the ending which I always like in a book. Her perspective is feminist and modern, despite being in an ancient setting. It’s a quick and entertaining read and the verse is extremely playful. I’d definitely recommend this book (however not to a younger audience).

After reading Girl, Woman, Other I wanted to read more by Evaristo and this was the only one in stock so I picked it up and I absolutely loved it! It made me laugh out loud and somehow I managed to read it in one sitting. It’s a coming of age tale written in song and verse, and a mash up of the modern and ancient worlds. Zuleika is a modern girl living in an ancient world where only Roman men existed as human beings for everyone else to serve. She is a young Nubian girl, born poor, who has just been married off to an rich, old and fat roman (as he was the highest bidder). Life as a teenage bride is no joke but she is a born survivor and she gets by secretly hanging out with her friends in the slums when her husband is travelling. One day she catches the eye of the most powerful man on earth, the Roman Emperor with whom she starts an affair. It is her slave girls who eventually betray her when she denies their freedom. There were many times in this book where I was equally amused and shocked at the same time and I wasn’t expecting the ending which I always like in a book. Her perspective is feminist and modern, despite being in an ancient setting. It’s a quick and entertaining read and the verse is extremely playful. I’d definitely recommend this book (however not to a younger audience).

Let's head back in time to Londinium, AD 211 where we find a feisty, young, Nubian girl named Zuleika who doesn't realise how much her life will change when she becomes the teenage bride to a wealthy Roman man. Told in beautiful verse we follow Zuleika as she navigates marriage, friendships and maybe even some extra marital affairs after she suddenly catches the eye of the Emperor... I devoured this book super quickly, partly due to it being verse but it was also equally gripping and at times very, very sexy. The poetic narrative mashed Latin and English (both standard and street slang) into this modern tale of an older time. The entire reading experience felt so fresh and unlike anything I've read before. Novels told in verse are always hit or miss with me and this one was most certainly a hit. This is the second Benardine Evaristo book I've picked up and I can safely say she must be queen of developing the most likeable characters. Zuleika is full of wit, sass and attitude and I was immediately drawn in and became invested in her antics. Just like with Barry in Mr Loverman, Evaristo has created yet another character that celebrates an under-represented group of Black people in literature and I'm loving exploring what life may be like for these people. If you want to be thrilled and entertained then this book is for you!

Really enjoyed this. Sparky and spunky; a great read.