Blurring the Delicate Lines Between Love and Friendship

‘Seeri’ by Chiamaka Okike is a raw and firmly rooted love story that breaks idealistic tropes

Disclaimer: Please note I received a copy of the book from the author, in exchange for my honest review.

“Seeri” was the first book I read in 2025 and it felt like a Ferrero Rocher after a long weening off sugar. I couldn’t stop reading. Knowing it was a novella, I treated myself to a solo coffee date, so I could immerse myself in the reading experience. It was the perfect way to savour this book: with a cup of slightly bitter latte to complement the sweetness of the story unfolding.

“It’s nothing at all that sometimes, when Tajudeen looks at Kewa for long enough, she can still taste the red. And how the flavour coats her life, how all her days with Kewa are drenched in corn syrup and carmine.” — ‘Seeri’, Chiamaka Okike

The story follows best friends Kewa and Tajudeen, on an impulsive quest to win back Kewa’s ex boyfriend, who she had isolated while she dealt with the unbearable grief of losing her sister, Nijah, one year earlier. But while Kewa’s feelings are clearly of love, her desire to get back together with Makin might not be entirely honest.