The Book After Lights Out, written by Kemi Owonibi, is a story of new
beginnings – the perfect interpretation of 'joy comes in the morning', after a
night (season) of weeping (disappointments).
The story centres on Anita and her relationships with Fisayo, Sofie and Tolu, three people whose past stories were essential in ushering Anita into a new season.
Being human and longing to have her dreams fulfilled, Pastor Anita, like many Christians do, unintentionally ignored the small, still and silent voice, ultimately shutting out the help of the Holy Spirit when she allowed herself to be led up her mountain of desires to be tempted.
The pages of this book will take the reader through collisions, as man's plans interfered with God's original assignment resulting in frustrating circumstances, loss of clarity and hollowness.
The writer took a risk by introducing an entanglement that could have easily ripped the story off its purpose, but Kemi skillfully wove her intention out of that entanglement, showing how relationships are meant to be repaired and maintained without bridges being burnt, especially with the help of the Holy Spirit and the promise of a new start where events of yesterday are blotted out and replaced with dawn and new dreams.
The writer also shows a recognisable crack in the church and how as Christians we forget only to cast a stone if we are without sin, we forget that our actions can cause stigma and social isolation to God's children in God's house, with the ability to permanently rip a soul off the right path and prevent another from coming onto the right path.
Kemi also wove mental health disorders into this book, showing how the right care and support can help victims of mental health disorders recover to lead a normal life.
What's more, After Lights Out, is a Christian romance fiction and the writer was bold in capturing vividly the lust and thirst as the major Christian characters yearned without any resistance to satisfy the hunger of their flesh and the ensuing consequences they had to live with until they retraced their steps back into the right paths.
By the end of this book, the reader comes off with lessons about friendship, perseverance, setting healthy boundaries, and above all faith in God.