A Review of 'Lie to me Dan' by Longrin Wetten

No recent novel does a more powerful job of capturing the day to day lives of Nigerian university students than Longrin Wetten’s debut novel “Lie to me Dan”.

Maryln Zhasa, a seventeen year old  brilliant young girl meets a rogue, Dan who wants to be her boyfriend at all cost. Ignored and shunned, Dan enlist the help of Maryln’s friend to get her attention. An accident happens, Dan is taken and abducted by a rival cult and things went downhill from there.

I began reading this book without an inkling of what to expect. I had not read people’s opinion of it and the blurb did not offer much insight as it merely held an extract.

However, the prologue held me entranced as it depicts a young man in the throes of a kidnap from a rival cultist group as he tries to escape.

The writing is interesting; I particularly like the way the writer describes the physical sensations in the body; his “legs were spinning…blow to his chin…” as his panic grows. I find these metaphors evocative and visceral. I still did not know where the book was going but was enjoying the ride.

After this promising beginning. I was disappointed with the rest of the book. The birthday party, blackmailing Maryln’s friend, etc.

I'm a bit torn writing this review. Wetten is an excellent writer and I will give him that, but he is not that imaginative. The story is not original, there are many university stories with similar plots.

I still have not figured out what the over-riding thrust of this book is meant to be. I do not mind the lack of plot so much as the lack of focus. The depiction of the romance between Maryln and Dan is cheeky and excellent but there is little context or understanding of its provenance.

With that said, Wetten is a great writer. He has a natural, down to earth kind sense of humor that comes through in his story telling. He is also able to place emotion behind the character's story which easily motivates you to be on Dan's side, despite the fact that he is an heartbreaker and a Yoruba demon.

It is impossible not to admire the ambition and scope of Lie to me Dan and thanks to Mr Wetten instinctive storytelling gifts, the book leaves the reader with a visceral understanding of both the savage realities of cultism and how the rich kids with legs in the right places can get away with anything.

This book speaks not only to the disillusioned students of today who face an uncertain future, but is also relatable to those who live on the fringes of our morally dubious society. For anyone who has been the victim of campus cultists and bullies, or knows someone who has died violently, this book tells it like it is – but from the other side.

I recommend reading it, despite its flaws, as it certainly brings campus love to life and captures the dilemmas of young men and women in universities.  The character’s are familiar. We might see ourselves in the stories. We might see our friends and families in the stories, or we might just see the people we have met.

Mr Wetten created a cast of characters whose lives are so richly imagined that this deeply affecting novel calls out for a sequel or follow up that might give us more insight into Dan, Maryln, Esse and Agent Dong’s lives.

Lie to me Dan is dark, moving and romantic story that should be read not for its love story , but for the light it sheds on cultism and how it affects our youths.

Despite its shortcomings, this novel is worth reading for its glimpses of what happens in Nigerian universities. I look forward to reading the next series and hope that the next story he writes, will be a bit more original.

Not too bad for a first-time writer. I hope your next work is more enjoyable Mr. Wetten.

Ratings: 3/5

Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of Lie to me Dan in exchange for an honest review.

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