Reviews

& This Is How to Stay Alive by Shingai Njeri Kagunda

hanaspages's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.0

kaceymarie's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

km4e's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Suicide, and Death

andicbuchanan's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad

4.0

Not the easiest read, but an important and worthwhile one. Time travel as I haven't read it before. I appreciated the moments of humour and the very real relationship building amid the trauma and self-realisation. 

tracyreads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia

casperlindsey's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

nini23's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

4.0

This novella set in Nairobi Kenya is deceptively short but has hidden depth.  I must admit I underestimated it, I thought it was a relatively straightforward story about a young lady Nyokabi who's lost her brother Baraka to suicide and is given a potion to go back in time to change the outcome. The author starts playing with language and words, fragmenting sections of the narrative.

Haraka haraka,
  haina baraka

Time dreamer, time speaker, time carrier.

Lots of what another reviewer has helpfully identified as Kiswahili and Sheng dialogue.  Some of the words like maitu I didn't have success translating.

We learn that in the family generations past mental illness was treated as madness. Woven into the historical tale is revolt against British colonialism led by real life Kenyan medicine woman extraordinaire Meketilili. Time becomes one of the narrators.





 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Bullying, and Homophobia

sistaharlem's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Grief

filaughn's review against another edition

5.0

This novella was gorgeously written. I wasn't expecting such a meditation on loss, grief, and time in a 100-page novella. It's the kind of book you may need to re-read in order to fully appreciate.

heatherqooi's review

reflective fast-paced

3.0