I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about All That It Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri. Thank you to Zephyr Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
‘I’m going to tell you exactly how everything happened. Baba always says, Mati mwana’ngu, I love a good story but I don’t have time for a long one, so make it short.’
When Mati and her two siblings travel from London to Zimbabwe with their father, they are forced to confront the knotty family dynamics caused by the loss of their mother. Along for the trip is Meticais, a fabulously attired gender-neutral spirit—or ghost? or imaginary friend?—who only Mati can see and talk to.
Guided by Meticais’s enigmatic advice and wisdom, Mati must come to terms with her grief and with the difficulty of a life lived between two cultures, while her family learn to forge their way in a world without their monumental mother.
Publication Date: 2nd November
TW: grief, death, death of a parent, misogyny, physical violence, car accident
My Thoughts:
All That It Ever Meant is a touching and textured tale about family, grief and something a little bit beyond. It is a layered and gorgeous story that I devoured.
There is something just so emotionally rich about this story. That feeling of hopelessness and rootlessness that comes from the death of a loved one is like nothing you can ever truly describe or depict but Musariri comes damn close. The depiction of grief is so multi-faceted, with each character experiencing many aspects of it and showing that difference is impactful. No one really experiences grief in the same way but some elements are universal. Musariri’s writing just captured this so well. It sparked with wonderful phrasing and a ring of authenticity to these depictions that really hit home for me.
The voices felt authentic and distinctive, with each emerging as their own three-dimensional person. From the very start, Mati had such an arresting and vulnerable nature. I fell in love with her and I know so many other readers will as well. Also, I have to admit my soft spot for Meticais. Their fabulosity enriched every scene they appeared in, as did their kindness and wisdom. It was like a burst of colour appeared into Mati’s life suddenly. When everything feels dull and you are numb, that spark of hope and life can be what helps pull you through the day. I thought this was a brilliant way for Musariri to bring in more fantastical elements, but also a way of merging the two cultures that have defined Mati’s life and this sudden uprooting. Narratively, it just soared.
All That It Ever Meant was an extremely compelling and heartfelt little gem of a book. Let Musariri take you by the hand and guide you through this rich and surprising landscape.
Also, I’d like to delve into People to Follow by Olivia Worley. Thank you to Hachette Children’s Group for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ten social media stars think they’re about to join the cast of a hot new reality show.
But the production crew never shows up, and the influencers find themselves stranded on a deserted Caribbean island with no contact with the outside world – except for messages from the mysterious ‘Sponsor’, who is threatening to expose their darkest secrets.
When one of them winds up dead, things start to get more real than they bargained for . . .
With the body count rising, the influencers must figure out who is trying to get them cancelled – like, literally – before their number one follower strikes again.
Publication Date: 2nd November
TW: death, murder, violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, grooming, bullying
My Thoughts:
People to Follow is a sun drenched scorcher of a book. Its glamorous facade soon crumbles into a nightmarish dose of reality in this thrilling take on influencer culture and reality television.
I was sold as soon as I heard And Then There Were None meets Love Island. Worley’s mystery delivers suspense by the bucketload, with mostly horrible characters and incredibly creative reveals that are very timely.
There is just something so surreal about writing about this book while Big Brother has returned to our screens. You see these people on a screen and they become the fascination of the world. I cannot imagine in today’s climate that feeling of being cut off but also on display simultaneously. Worley captures that reality obsession with stock characters and produced storylines and dials it up to eleven here. That sense of isolation and paranoia is executed perfectly, with a throughline about ‘cancel culture’ that is thoughtful and asks what consequences some actions truly deserve.
Worley really takes aim at the artificial narratives that drive our lives in today’s culture. This ranges from the social media gloss over everyone to the overly produced reality TV scenario. Of course, nothing is really as it seems here and these falsities are brought down in spectacular fashion. Within this, a lot of our central characters are deeply unlikable people. They are vain, shallow and self-serving, with some much darker natures hidden beneath. This is a book that goes there in terms of intense content, so please check trigger warnings. However Worley always imbues them with some sense of humanity and those we spend more time with are resolutely more three-dimensional and nuanced.
People to Follow is a creative, compelling and conniving YA mystery that pulls back the curtain on the curated reality of media for today.
A Short Book Lover 
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