A review by abbie_
Before We Hit the Ground by Selali Fiamanya

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC of Selali Fiamanya’s debut novel! I was really impressed by this debut, the differing POVs all kept my attention well, even if Elom does steal the show. It could have done with a bit more cohesion between the chosen time periods/perspectives, as some parts of the family’s lives felt more glossed over than others, but I appreciate that it’s a fairly wide ranging story which has successfully been contained into 350 pages. We know from the start that tragedy has struck the family, then we go all the way back to the parents, Kodzo and Abena’s, first meeting in Ghana. The pair move to Scotland where they face challenges of being one of the only Black families in their part of Glasgow. Over the years they build their family and careers, an interminable effort to carve out a life for themselves.

Of course I am a sucker for any story which deals with a character coming to terms with their sexuality. Some of Elom’s coming-of-age experiences were so bloody sad - who knew a booze-fuelled week in ‘Shagaluf’ could break my heart lol. Fiamanya did a great job of depicting all sorts of relationships in this book. He perfectly encapsulates the way some relationships in your 20s feel - like everyone else is forming more meaningful relationships and yours are all surface level.

Very moving, looking forward to see what this author comes out with next!