A review by bookedupandbusy
A Broken People's Playlist by Chimeka Garricks

emotional hopeful relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Short stories inspired by musical tracks. It is a beautiful yet sad book and unapologetically Nigerian. Mostly set in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, there are themes of grief, trauma, forbidden love, heartbreak and fertility, and I thoroughly enjoyed most of the stories. I didn’t expect the first story to hit me as hard as it did. It was heartbreaking but I loved how Garricks was able to show the different ways love can present itself. 

The stories are unique and the characters are diverse and relatable. Once again, I must highlight how exceptionally well this author writes female characters 👌🏾

My favourite stories were:

⭐️Lost Stars 

⭐️I’d die without you

⭐️I put a spell on you 

This book reminds me of Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah-Nelson; the musical tracks and awkward romantic connections between characters is heartwarming.👌🏾

I did struggle with one or two stories due to them being told in second person (a narrative I tend not to favour) but overall it is definitely worth the read. This is my second read by this author within a month! 

Let me know your favourite short story book ❤️