The Unfortunates

An edgy, bitingly funny debut about a queer, half-Nigerian college sophomore who, enraged and exhausted by the racism at her elite college, sets out to find truth about The Unfortunates—the unlucky subset of Black undergrads who have been mysteriously dyingSahara is Not Okay. Entering her sophomore year at Elite University, she feels like a failure: her body is too curvy, her love life is nonexistent, her family is disappointed in her, her grades are terrible, and, well, the few Black classmates she has just keep dying. Sahara is close to giving up, herself: her depression is, as she says, her only “Life Partner.”And this narrative—taking the form of an irreverent, piercing “thesis” to the university committee that will judge her—is meant to be a final unfurling of her singular, unforgettable voice before her own inevitable disappearance and death. But over the course of this wild sophomore year, and supported by her eccentric community of BIPOC women, Sahara will eventually find hope, answers, and an unexpected redemption. 'A playful, powerful debut... A poignant reminder of how tight a hold mental illness can have' ZAKIYA DALILA HARRIS 'Chukwu meticulously and brilliantly balances tough topics like depression with biting comedy, crafting a narrative about a young woman trying to survive and help others do the same' SHONDALAND A lot is happening to Me. Will Me survive? Sahara is a student at one of the most elite universities in America – and she is Not Okay. Her grades are subpar, she's not Nigerian enough for her family, and her long-term Life Partner* is threatening to take over. When she's not contemplating killing herself or the wealthy white students around her, she's receiving an increasing number of 'Unfortunate News' emails, which inform her that the few Black classmates she has are disappearing. Will Sahara end up joining the ranks of 'The Unfortunates', or can she avoid becoming yet another statistic? Written in the style of a thesis, J K Chukwu's highly original debut is a darkly funny and biting take on the campus novel, set in the mind of a young Black woman who is losing hers. *depression