Is it a love affair between two people from opposite worlds? Or should we call it a business trade as the title suggests? Traded by Kongo Alexis is in my opinion a tale with a vaguely familiar storyline that draws you in at the end. I believe Kongo Alexis made it deliberate to end it the way she did, so that we may look forward to the second book of the series.
Published in 2020, this debut novel by Kongo Alexis is one with a lot of family drama that brews love, hate, revenge, and secrets. We follow a relationship between our two main characters Rick Van der Camp and Aaliyah best known as Liyah. They are both in this relationship to benefit something from one another. One needs a job, while the other needs a child. One is filthy rich, whereas the other is disadvantaged. One is white and the other is black. Both these people create a magic that leaves one drooling for more.
Even though Liyah is Congolese, she grew up in South Africa but moved to New York to do a job that brings more drama than she anticipated. When her father died, she was left to assume the breadwinner position in her family and took a job from Rick Van der Camp, the rich spoilt and one with no sense of direction ‘cheeseboy’ of the VDC group. He on the other hand is meant to be heir to his sick father’s legacy but can only inherit the legacy once he has a child and a wife. These terms were suggested by Rick’s stepmother Hilda. Now, I am one with a faint interest to villains and Hilda seems to be one character in the book that I feel most connected to. She possesses a lot of power and has a lot to offer but how long will her character last?
Liyah can be described as a beautiful tomboyish woman with a sarcastic sense of humour. I hope that her character will develop better in the next book as I didn’t connect with her that much. Similarly, Rick has his own defects but one thing about these characters is that you will love and dislike them at the same time. Which is why I feel this debut novel will breed more brilliant books in the future. The author is brilliant in making the reader want more and anticipate what might happen in the future.
Kongo Alexis’ style of writing is easy to read, straight to the point and humorous, however there is an inconsistency in her use of tenses which makes the reader struggle in getting into the flow of the story.
Nevertheless, I would recommend that you read the novel as it is captivating and because I would like Kongo to release her second book. The second book will have more drama, I can feel it!
Traded by Kongo Alexis
Published by What Now Publishers
We attended the book launch for this book, and you can check out Paballo’s video here of the event.
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This book is available for purchase directly from the What Now Publishers site as a paperback and eBook.
