Leah Osakwe is the author of Nonny’s Birthday Bash: Confetti & Catastrophe, the debut pre-teen drama in the Absolutely Nonny series. The book features charming illustrations by Priscilla Bampoh which really added something to the story.
When Leah contacted us about her book, it sounded so fun we knew we needed to read it. Lily was so excited when it arrived and ended up devouring it in one day!
Synopsis
When Nonny’s super-strict mum FINALLY lets her throw a party for her thirteenth birthday, it feels like a dream come true. (No, seriously. Her mum usually says no to everything.)
For once, Nonny gets what she’s always wanted – an extravagant cake, the most stylish dress she’s EVER worn, and even one of those cool photo booths that only celebrities have! Plus, with her best friends Georgia and Nyah by her side, and her breathtaking crush in the same room as her, it’s bound to be the party of the year.
Better yet, Amber Wartsworth and Becky Ritchcraft (AKA The Witches) are NOT invited.
Nothing could possibly go wrong. Right?
Review
NONNY’S BIRTHDAY BASH: CONFETTI & CATASTROPHE is a really fun book to read! I love how everything is going okay for Nonny until the actual party came around, with all of its disastrous events.
With two evil enemies and two amazing friends, Nonny’s life is anything but boring. But Nyah and Georgia, her two besties can help her through anything (even the worst party in history.) Her absolutely crazy family didn’t even help the celebration get back on track.
I liked Nonny because she is kind and sensible. Her friends are really sweet even though one is a phone addict! The book shows the importance of having friends that you can rely on to help you in your time of need.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series because I know it will be as fun as this one.
Author interview
Have you ever had a birthday that was as catastrophic as Nonny’s?
Thankfully not; my birthday parties have been very peaceful in comparison to Nonny’s! Plus, I get embarrassed very easily, so I don’t think I would be able to recover from the humiliation.
Are any characters inspired by people you know or have met before?
I definitely took inspiration from people I know to create the characters’ personalities and make them seem real. But they’re mostly straight from my imagination! Some of the names are inspired by people I know though; for example, Georgia and Nyah are the names of two people very close to me. And not many people know this, but my middle name is Nonyelum, which is “Nonny” for short.
Have you ever had a 3 tier birthday cake like Nonny’s?
Never, but I would love one! I think it’d be very similar to Nonny’s too. The bottom tier in Nonny’s cake was actually inspired by a delicious lemon curd cake my mum used to make.
How long did it take you to write the book?
I think it took around 7 months altogether. When I first started writing it, I had to juggle it with my job too, so sometimes it would be hard to find the time. My friend advised me to try and write something every day – no matter how big or small. That helped a lot!
What was your favourite part of the book to write?
It would have to be the part when Nonny’s party descends into chaos. I tried to put myself in her shoes and imagine I was in the midst of the drama, so that made it way more fun to write!
How many books do you think will be in the series? Can you give us a hint about the next one?
At the moment, I think there’ll be 3 books in the series, but 4 is also an option! The next book is called “Nonny’s Puppy Love: Bust-ups & Boy Drama”, and all I can say is that love makes people – including Nonny – do crazy things…
What made you want to be an author?
I’ve always loved reading, and I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember. But I only realised recently that I would love to have the same impact on young readers that my favourite authors had on me. I’m happy I decided to try!
Thank you for answering our questions Leah.
To stay up to date with the Absolutely Nonny Series, follow Leah at the links below.
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