black_girl_reading 's review for:

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn

5.0

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I actually Finished Kawai Strong Washburn’s Sharks in the Time of Saviors on it’s publication day, which was yesterday, but I needed a whole night to sleep on it, because, wow. About a family who builds their identity around one child rescued by sharks and seemingly carrying sacred abilities within his body, this book details how those expectations dull some, harm others, and divide a family and the power that would otherwise be held within that unit. About sibling rivalry, about the grinding poverty that Native Hawaiians are forced to endure in their home that is a playground to the white and wealthy, about growing up and finding yourself, about surviving loss, and about connecting to the ancestors and all of creation, this book was singular. The writing was entirely it’s own, the characters became people I loved fiercely, and the power of the text blew me out of the water again and again and again. I was voracious for this book, and I wish I could start it fresh with new eyes so I could experience it all over again. Thank you @mcclellandstewart for this review copy, I couldn’t have possibly loved this book more.