My Life As a Chameleon [B1841]

2023 PB in excellent condition. Longlisted for the Jhalak Children's and YA Prize 2024. It's 1990, and Lily is a sixteen-year-old girl living in Manchester, England. It has been five years since her father's death, and she is soon to return to her birthplace in Nigeria to reunite with her mother and siblings for the anniversary. As cold rain thunders on the British streets, Lily flashes back to her childhood in Lagos. The biracial daughter of a Nigerian father and an Irish mother, Lily lives a dual reality as a child, with moments of joy existing alongside her father's increasingly erratic and violent behavior, which is due to a stage illness Lily doesn't understand called schizophrenia. As the streets of Lagos erupt in violence due to a coup, things with Lily's father reach a breaking point, and she is sent away to live with a family in England. As a confused and shy child thrust into a foreign country, Lily must deal with a new school and new friends, while longing for what she left behind in Nigeria. In the vein of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus, My Life As A Chameleon is is a powerful story of resilience and belonging across different cultures, and about how family secrets can destroy even the deepest bonds.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I thought this book was really good, it covered many important topics like mental illness, bullying, friendships, feeling good in your own skin etc."; "You know when you start a book and desperately want to dislike it yeah that's how I felt, but this book is so intricately and beautifully written. Didn't think I'd love it so much."; "Really enjoyed this YA coming of age book. The life style of Nigeria and how Lily adapted to moving to Manchester was interesting, I really felt for her with everything she went through. I got slightly confused by the time & location changes throughout the book, but other than that it was an enjoyable weekend read."; "Richly authentic, nostalgic read. This was a lovely book depicting a teenage girl reflecting on her experiences living in her native Nigeria, as well as part-time living in Manchester, England. This is a nice book for a young adult to read, as well as a comfy/nostalgic read for us adults."