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

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

And somewhere on a different side of the city the what is is a boy, is a blessing, a blessing who is moving and breathing and feeling and loving and punching and suffocating and choosing and chasing after what it means to stay alive.

so much depth packed in so little pages! i enjoyed this exploration of grief, trauma and the struggle of feeling disconnected from family while trying to connect with your own identity. it's so important to choose to be kind whenever you can, that's what really resonated with me while reading this piece. that being said, i was definitely confused by the narrators halfway through, the fantasy element didn't completely grab me either and i wish there was a translation of the swahili passages