JAMB Novel 2023: Introduction to “The Life Changer” for UTME Candidates

Latest: JAMB Novel 2023: Introduction to “The Life Changer”

Introduction:

Author: Khadijat Abubakar Jalli

“The life changer” explores several narratives of life on campus. The text uses the voice of Ummi to narrate various campus challenges. The narration follows the adventures of Salma and her roommates in the university as they journey through social and academic upheaval.

The life changer explicitly cuts across the changes that follow a person’s life in the university. The university is known to be a mystery to people who have never experienced it. This text shows the need for parental guidance and counselling in a new world where freedom is tied to many complexities such as temptation, lies, distrust, betrayal, bad association, crime, bribery and corruption, abuse of social media etc.

The entire novel consists of nine (9) chapters and contains 72 pages.

***Please note that we only provide you with chapter by chapter summary, to help with revision, so candidates should ensure they read and understand the entire novel before the exams***

NOTE: Also added to the novel are the following;

– Background, Language/Structure of the novel: The Life Changer
– Theme of the novel (inside chapter 9)
– Settings of the novel (inside chapter 9)
– Characterization (inside chapter 9)

Earlier: JAMB Novel 2019: Summary of “Sweet Sixteen” for UTME Candidates

JAMB Novel 2019: What is the JAMB recommended novel for 2019? Candidates preparing to write the 2019 UTME will be tested on the book “Sweet Sixteen” by Bolaji Abdullahi. Sweet Sixteen by Bolaji Abdullahi is for UTME candidates and “The Last Days at Forcados High School” by A.H. Mohammed is for Direct Entry Candidates. You can see the summary and review of the JAMB novel for Use of English Language below:

Summary of “Sweet Sixteen” | 2019 JAMB Novel

This is to bring to you the summary of the book to give you a hint on what the book is all about. Candidates are to note that irrespective of your course of study or method of testing, you will be tested on this book. Also the book will be given to you at your registration centre. 

Book Description and Brief Summary:

Title: Sweet Sixteen
Author: Bolaji Abdullahi
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback
Dimension: 5.5 x 8.5
Number of Pages: 157
Publication Year: February 1, 2017
Publisher: TND Press Limited
ISBN: 978-978-546-375-0
Available At: Bookstores nationwide and JAMB authorized registration centres

“Sweet Sixteen” is about a girl called Aliya, who is usually referred to as ‘My First Lady’ by her father. Aliya is the protagonist of the novel and constantly reminding her father that she is no longer a child but ‘a young adult’, but her father does not always agree with her. This fictional novel contains 157 pages which should take you a few days to complete depending on how many hours per day you give to the book. The novel was written by Bolaji Abdullahi and published on February 1st, 2017.

Aliya has to constantly remind her father that she is not a child but ‘a young adult.’ He does not always agree with her.

But now that she is turning sixteen, he is sitting up and taking notice. The expected birthday card from him is replaced by a present and no holds barred letter – a page for each year she has lived. It chronicles the lessons he has tried to teach her and the wisdom he has attempted to pass to her. It unburdens the burning questions she has about life and sometimes show through the cluelessness of parental units. Aliya questions who she is and why she is; with her father as a guide on this journey of discovery.

An engaging coming of age guide on life and loving for the teenage girl.

Book Review By Wale Okediran:

Here is a summary of the book based on a review by Wale Okediran:

IN Bolaji Abdullahi’s Sweet Sixteen, the protagonist, 16-year-old Aliya, whom her father refers to adoringly as ‘My First Lady,’ bombards her father with questions, some of which threw her journalist father off balance. ‘’Okay Daddy, what does HAK and KOTL mean?,’’Aliya asked. And when the father expressed his ignorance of the acronyms, Aliya gleefully supplied them; ‘’HAK means ‘Hugs and Kisses’ while KOTL means ‘Kiss On The Lips’. And when she added that some students were caught on the school’s basket- ball court at night having ‘’53X’ (s3x), Mr Bello almost fainted. ‘’But…how do you know all these?,’’ he asked almost in consternation, to which Aliya replied: ‘’Come on Daddy, everybody knows these things.”

In his debut fictional work, Bolaji Abdullahi, who has written extensively over the years on politics, policy and development, laid bare in an absorbing page-turner, murky truths and hitherto unspeakable issues in the ever-challenging world of teenagers and young adults.

Divided into seven sections; The Letter, The Drive, Work, The Gandhi Test, Dating, Stereotype and Beauty, Sweet Sixteen’s central focus is a series of conversations between Mr Bello and her 16-year-old intelligent and precocious daughter on the ‘facts of life.’ These are topics which the book’s editor, Molara Wood, referred to on the book’s cover jacket as ‘’everything a teenage girl ever wanted to know but was afraid to ask.”

Another part of the book’s blurb referred to it as ‘’a parenting manual and a guidebook for young adults.”

The above notwithstanding, sociologists, educationists and policy-makers, as well as parents and guardians are still divided on how much ‘sensitive’ information, especially on s3x education, should be divulged to teenagers.

For example, in a recent UK survey, more than half of parents do not think s3x education should be taught to children at school. According to a poll by baby product website babychild.org.uk; ‘’Many think it is inappropriate to teach children about s3x, whilst others think it should be a parent’s choice to inform their own children.”

However, on the other side of the coin, it is believed that, just as Aliya put it in Sweet Sixteen, most teenagers are already aware of what adults seem to be hiding from them. According to one expert; ‘’Comprehensive s3x education doesn’t encourage kids to have s3x. Just like abstinence-only programmes, good comprehensive programmes teach students that abstinence is the only surefire way to prevent pregnancy and STDs. The difference is that these programmes also give students realistic and factual information about the safety of various s3xual practices, and how to improve the odds.’’

In writing Sweet Sixteen, Bolaji Abdullahi, a former Nigerian Minister of Youths and Sports, among other previous jobs, must have critically weighed the above positions before taking on a smorgasbord of young adult topics that ranged from bullying, dating, stereotype, ethics and s3x education, among others. In pushing out his themes, the author finds a good ally in Aliya Bello, a teenager with a curious, fascinating and inquisitive mind and a devoted as well as responsible father. Mr Bello, as expected of any good father, took responsibility for the education of his daughter, including the tricky but very important aspect of s3x education. Aliya is, therefore, fortunate to have a father who does not leave her to struggle alone with the demons that usually torment teenagers when awash in a flood of hormones and the pull of peer pressure.

The result is a compelling tale, loaded with morality and textured with a rich lyrical prose and young adult lingo…story-story, my bestie, OMG among others. The storyline has an upper middle class flavour with luxuriant meals, leisurely Saturday drives and a Mrs Bello, the nurse, often distant from father and daughter. But in the hinterland between fact and fiction, the author is able to deftly sift the core values from the emotion, the treat from the trick and for this, parents and guardians will for ever be grateful.

Summary of “The Last Days at Forcados High School” | For DE Candidates

Brief Description:

“The Last Days at Forcados High School” by A.H. Mohammed tells the story of Jimi Solade last days in senior secondary school. A combination of African family values and western influence on children.

Characters:

1. Jimi Solade:

He is the main character in the novel. He is intelligent and very good in sports. He is also the health prefect, athletic club captain and best footballer. He won prizes such as the best Chemistry student and the best athlete.

He is a member of Tiger house. He won the 100m race and also won a scholarship to study Electrical Engineering.

2. Wole Solade:

He is the brother of Jimi Solade. He behaved in a very bad manner. He engaged in the sale and use of hard drugs. His father disliked him because of his bad behavior.

He dropped out of school because of his bad behaviour. He broke into the school laboratory and stole the new microscope and other stuff.

3. Mrs Solade:

A soft spoken woman and mother of Jimi, Wole and Femi Solade. She died of ovarian cancer. She took side with Wole when her husband made bad remarks about him.

4. Mr Solade:

Father of Femi, Wole and Jimi.

5. Efua Coker:

A tall, slender girl with large eyes and long eyelashes and a masculine voice. She went further to study medicine. She was a member of a group EGG whose aim was to cater for women and children.

Her classmates nicknamed her ‘’The Witch’’. Jimi Solade nicknamed her ‘’baby doll’’. She was a close friend of Miss Agbenenovi; a youth corper posted to Forcados High School.

She wrote a controversial letter to Miss Novi. She stood up for Jimi when everyone taught he masterminded the stealing of the new microscope and other stuff. She was expelled from St. Catherine’s.

6. Nene Ekpo:

A plump girl with short plaits and a round gentle face. A good friend of Jimi, Ansa and Efua. She leaked Efua’s controversial letter to Jimi.

Her father was a pastor. Her youngest brother attended Mother’s Joy Nursery School. She was the singing lead in the cultural dance drama “oluronbi”. She went further to study Accountancy.

7. Ansa:

A good friend of Jimi and Nene. He likes painting and shared this interest with Efua. He desired to study Architecture.

He accommodated Jimi when Wole invited his bad mannered friends to Mr Solade home. He was not happy at the end of first term because he failed his exams and dreaded what his mother would say. He went further to study Architecture.

8. Mr Mallum:

A small, wiry man with an odd accent. He is the principal of Forcados High School.

9. Jolly Stephen:

A big boy, an arts student. He liked wearing chains on his trousers and trainers instead of sandals. He made photocopies of a letter Efua wrote to Miss Novi.

10. Seyi Lawal:

He is the Head Boy of Forcados High School.

11. Risikat:

Mrs Solade housemaid. She informed Jimi that his mum fainted.

12. Mama Silifat:

She sold puff-puff and akara outside the school. She was fond of Jimi and called him Akinjimi and omo mi.

13. The Rhymers:

A group of five boys. They composed Hip-Hop music.

14. Mr Izaegbegbe:

He is Ansa’s father.

15.  Icheen Igbo:

He took the second position in the 100m race.

16.  Femi Solade:

The eldest brother of Jimi Solade.

17. Mr Edet:

He taught Chemistry at Forcados High School.

18. Samu:

He owned an ice cream bar.

19.  Teacher Bade:

The students nicknamed him “cane”.

20. Miss Coker:

The music teacher at Forcados High School.

21. Mrs Alli:

Efua’s aunt.

22. Ada:

The Head Girl at Forcados High School.

23. Mrs Tanimoro:

The guidance counsellor at Forcados High School.

24. A.H. Mohammed:

The author of the novel “The last Days at Forcados High School’’.

25. Joke:

A close friend of Efua Coker. She informed Efua of the gossip student made over her relationship with Miss Novi. She also helped Efua to pick her books when Caro bumped on her.

26. Caro:

The Queen –Bee and Jimi’s girlfriend .

27. Mr Vann:

He taught Physics at Forcados High School.

28. Mrs Obange:

The principal of St. Catherine’s.

29. Mr Salami:

The English Language teacher at Forcados High School.

30. Miss Agbenenovi:

The youth corper posted to Forcados High School. She filled in for Mt Salami.

31. Jide:

The smallest boy in the class. He danced with Efua during the Mid-term Dinner.

St. Catherine’s:

The School Efua Coker was expelled from.

Oluronbi:

The cultural dance drama held at Forcados High School.

Mother’s Joy Nursery School:

The school Nene Ekpo youngest brother attended.

Summary of “In Dependence” | From 2018 JAMB

Characters:

1. Omotayo Oluwakayode Ajayi also known as TY. 
2. Inspector Adeniyi Ajayi : Tayo’s father who was once a court servant and an interpreter in the native administration before joining the police. 
3. Mr Jonathan Richardson: Father of Venessa.
4. Mrs Elizabeth Richardson: Mother of Venessa. 
5. Mr Edward Maximilian Barker: The one who welcomed Omotayo prior to the letter given to Tayo by Mr Faircliff. 
6. Headmaster Faircliff: Tayo’s Headmaster. 
7. Mr Clark: Tayo’s Mathematics Teacher. 
8. Mr Blackburn: British empire history teacher. 
9. Bisi and Remi: Siblings of Tayo. 
10. Modupe: Tayo’s Lover before going to Oxford at age 19. 
11. Uncle Bolu also known as Uncle B: Tayo’s uncle who loved drinking and women. And women also loved him in return.
12. Uncle Oluwakayode Ogundipe: A Big Man in Lagos, who lived in a luxurious, a senior army officer before leaving for France to study Engineering. He was able to meet Venessa. 
13. Helen: Uncle Kayode’s wife. 
14. Aunty Bayo: Former girl friend of Uncle Kayode. 
15. Mr Lekan Olajide from Ogbomoso on a voyage. 
16. Mr Ibrahim Mohammed from Kaduna on a voyage
17. Mrs Isabella Barker: An attractive young Italian woman who preferred to be called “Isabella”. 
18. Mr Ike Nwade: A student of History. 
19. Mr Bolaji Ladipupo: A Law student. 
20. Miss Christine Arinze: A student of Modern language who later became Tayo’s girlfriend but had a misunderstanding with Tayo because he didn’t want a longtime relationship. She later on had Ike has her boyfriend. She died of drug overdose (Suicide). 
21. Christopher Okigbo: A poet and Omotayo’s teacher. 
22. Venessa Richardson”aka Moremi by Tayo to show her fighting spirit”: Tayo’s white Lady lover.
23. Gita from Kenya: An English student. 
24. Pat: A Physicist. 
25. Jane: A Friend to Venessa a physicist also (whites). 
26. Charlie and Mehul: (whites)
27. Simon: The president of west African Student. 
28. Francis: From Ghana who was with the idea that independence came far too early for africans
29. Maynes Keynes: Venessa’s grandpa was in the colonial service Juma and Saratu? Are they cats?
30. Lord Lugard: was once the governor of Hong kong before coming to Nigeria and he also became our governor in the year 1914
31. Nancy Murdoch and Mr Murdoch. 
32. Uncle Tony: who had s*x with Jane. 
33. Madam Pagnole. 
34. Chinua Achebe: things fall apart and No longer at Ease.
35. Nkrumah: The first president of Ghana and Senghor of Senegal Kenyatt. 
36. Tunde: the cousin of Tayo who works in the bakery. 
37. Yusuf Abubakar: who works in the hospital. HE believed white women were only meant for friendship but not for marriage with his genuine reasons. 
38. Joyce: Yusuf’s white girlfriend who said he hasn’t heard Yusuf speak Nigerian before and then Yusuf replied her: you daft one, no one speaks Nigerian. 
39. Mr and Mrs winter: across the road at Bradley
40. Joy Williams: The black WOMAN Yusuf got married to. 
41. Anais Nin: The first British erotic writer. 
42. Nigerian coup d’etat and Biafran war. 
43. Salamatou: an hairstylist in Dakar, Senegal who died in a motor accident
44. Jean Luc: A French who had promised to marry Salamatou but ran away after he got to know she was pregnant. 
45. Miriam: A nurse, whom treated Tayo’s father and got pregnant for Tayo. Got married to Tayo and gave birth to Kemi.
46. Kemi: Daughter of Tayo and Miriam
47. President Shagari. 
48. Mr Akin: A carver. 
49. Wole Soyinka: Okri the Booker.
50. Aureol: SHIPPING COMPANY. 
51. Dogun Dutse Mobile station. 
52. Samir: From Bradford. 
53. Suleiman: Salamatou’s son hence Venessa’s adopted son. A Muslim he became and a drop out from Cambridge. 
54. Abdou: The driver who was taken Tayo to the airport before an accident occur. 
55. Laurent: Kemi’s boyfriend. 
56. Danjuma: The gardener.
57. Professor John Harris: He is the man whom Kemi introduced to his father from the University.

Review:

Tayo Ajayi, a Nigerian, and Vanessa Richardson, an English lady, had their affair boiling when it began, however as circumstances have been meant to intervene, the connection went sore and it appeared nothing may ever carry them collectively.

The book (In dependence) has characters that behaved in like-patterns, like within the case of Tayo’s pal, Yusuf, who had dated tons of white English women.

He (Yusuf) ended up marrying a Nigerian Lady as predicted (Yusuf knew what he needed and appeared to get it).

Tayo additionally ended up the identical method in as a lot as his affair with Vanessa Richardson had been gleaming, though he had been out of the error of getting a younger lady (Miriam) pregnant.

And speaking of sample, the novel’s (In dependence) starting had opened up introducing Tayo’s affair with Christine, a Nigerian Igbo woman. One would suppose that Manyika needed to finish Tayo’s relationship with Christine for the sake of bringing in Vanessa into Tayo’s life, however nonetheless, Tayo needed to find yourself marrying Miriam. And nonetheless the wedding failed, giving in to the acquainted sample.

Miriam in Manyika’s novel (In dependence) represented the breeds of the Nigerians that may all the time run away to reside overseas because of the collapsing picture of their dwelling nation.

Miriam went away together with her daughter leaving Tayo behind. In as a lot as she persuaded Tayo, he wouldn’t go. She didn’t like an inconveniencing life. She needed the perfect life for her daughter.

Tayo, on the opposite facet represented the crude breeds of Nigerians that felt dwelling was dwelling despite the fact that the nation was boiling in corruption. In as a lot because the failure of the nation stared firmly at his face with daggers, he selected to remain.

In direction of the late pages of the novel he needed to depart the nation underneath threatening circumstances towards his life from the ruling navy regime.

The complete novel is informed from the great days of Nigeria’s independence down into the nineties. I applaud Manyika’s ink, right here. In as a lot because the setting of this novel floated by way of England, Senegal, USA, and France, she was ready to make use of her third eye to attract out Nigeria’s journey into the more serious lanes of corruption, and hopelessness.

Religion is one other situation that Manyika (In dependence) handled. It didn’t matter to her if one was a Muslim or Christian.
Studying by way of this novel, one couldn’t inform if Tayo got here from a Muslim or Christian household however we did know he embraced extra of the Christian religion. She didn’t level out the difficulties of inter-religious marriages within the novel (In dependence), however centred extra on the difficulties of interracial marriage.

Throughout Tayo’s life as an element time lecturer in Sans Francisco, the creator used a scene to unbolt some deeper points of racism.

She identified the racist ties between the African American and the pure African. These points she raised apply in all places even inside Nigerians.

A Yoruba would check with an Igbo as a grasping cash monger and doubtful monster, and in flip the Igbo would check with the Yoruba as a unclean, loquacious and silly character who spend all he earns on events and alcohol. It needed to be understood that racism was one these existences that may reside for a very long time so far as misunderstanding between folks existed.

I captured traces which are coated with humour on this novel, however might be referred to as racial remarks. Younger black Yusuf got here clear in his dialog with Tayo. He mentioned white ladies have been for intercourse treats whereas black ladies have been for respectable relationships that would result in marriage. He added white lady regarded so previous when she turned thirty.
The worst racist on this e-book (In dependence) is Vanessa’s father who was a one time colonial grasp in Nigeria earlier than 1960.

He was towards Tayo marrying his daughter, and had refused to just accept Vanessa’s adopted half-cast son. He appeared extra racial towards half-casts earlier within the novel (In dependence) confronting Tayo about his fears for a half-cast grandchild. It was later understood that his hatred for the blacks was consequently of an affair his spouse had with a black man through the colonial period.

Manyika, whose image reveals she is probably half-cast, was capable of make a degree right here. She drew a distinction between being black and being a half-cast (brown). This could have been fairly a storm for her to jot down about as a result of of the racial wind towards the brown folks residing in whitely dominated areas. In distinction to a pure black nation, half-casts are seen lovely which Manyika didn’t level out. In reality within the black continent, the standard black man could really feel inferior to a half-cast.

Manyika was additionally capable of painting the polemic assault Nigerians obtain from all over the world nowadays. She didn’t carry this to print however the picture was represented, and I needed to determine it out. I can say it clouds across the ache felt every time an IELTS or TOEFL examination is required earlier than a Nigerian may research overseas. This doesn’t exclude a masters’ diploma. Does the world suppose Nigerians converse Latin or Greek or some sort of language referred to as ‘Nigerian’?
‘I said I haven’t heard you converse Nigerian,’ Joyce says.

Joyce is one of Manyika’s English characters. And I like the way in which Yusuf replies this. ‘Nobody speaks Nigerian, you daft thing,’.
A coincidence on this novel which I refuse to just accept was the scene during which Vanessa had simply come throughout one of her finest music, Hugh Maskela, a music that reminded her of Nelson Mandela and on the same day, not even up to two hours if I could rightly predict, her white husband is presenting her with ‘Long Walk to Freedom’, Nelson Mandela’s biography.

What a coincidence! I additionally don’t embrace the truth that Manyika noticed hope for Nigeria by way of the eyes of Tayo solely when Abacha died. There are nonetheless Abacha loyalists in Nigeria as we speak who will discover this offending. She ought to have saved the road in a riddle.

Vanessa did meet with Tayo on the finish of the novel, nevertheless it was laborious to foretell if in any respect a love relationship was ignited between them. Vanessa was nonetheless married, however Tayo wasn’t. Manyika maintained a non-adulterous plight between the 2 right here. The happy-ending-formula which most romance writers adapt was by some means blurring within the novel.