A review by smittenbystories
& This Is How to Stay Alive by Shingai Njeri Kagunda

emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-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? No

5.0

“I could hear it calling me. Not the box—the thing inside it. I could smell so many different things from within: sweet and bitter, sour, salty, honey, savoury, pungent, thick, but also soft, lingering. The past and the future.

The smell of time is heavy.” 

I lovelovelove this novella. It is magical. A beautiful book of grief and siblings told through short chapters of different characters’ points of view. Just… wow. 
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