“This Book Betrays My Brother” by Kagiso Lesego Molope
Publishing Date: May 15, 2018
Genre: YA, Fiction
Page Length: 185 pages (electronic review copy)
Synopsis:
“Basi is as special as raindrops on dying crops. I say this not with jealousy but with apology, really; an honest, heartfelt and heartbreaking apology coming from a sister’s guilt. It is my way of explaining him and what he did lest you judge him too harshly after you listen to what I am about to tell you …”
All her life, Naledi has been in awe of Basi, her charming and outgoing older brother. They’ve shared childhood laughter, secrets and alliances, the quirks of their parents, and stories of the adventurous boys from Kasi. At thirteen, Naledi is beginning her own adventures: Kitsano asks her to the matric dance, and she revels in a flurry of excited anticipation. Then, unexpectedly, Naledi sees Basi in an act that contradicts everything she believes about him
Set in the shifting South African landscape of the mid-1990s, this nuanced coming-of-age story explores the bonds of sibling love and loyalty, and a young woman’s role in a complicated world. (description from Goodreads)
Review:
This Book Betrays My Brother follows the narrative of a teenage girl name Naledi. The story is told from Naledi’s perspective and focuses on her older bother Basi. They live a relatively good life in a nice house, but Naledi reminiscences about the older days when things were different. Basi hangs out with Kgosi, a boy who their mother thinks is not from a good crowd. On top of that, her brother’s brash actions cause trouble for the family.
As we see Basi and Naledi get older, they also somewhat drift apart from each other due to the small age gap and them spending less time with each other. Basi hangs out more with Kgosi and friends and Naledi feels a bit left-behind as the secrets grow between the two. She doesn’t understand why her brother won’t confide in her anymore. The title stood out in my mind has the reader shrouded in a bit of mystery during the entire story wondering, what will Basi do?
When you finally find out the truth, you learn that what Basi does is unforgivable. I understand why the title book is the way it is and how the structure of the story was set up. It was written almost like a diary of events and I was constantly wondering what would happen next. Naledi looks up to her bother so much but her image is shattered after she witnesses something horrible. I also like how the author brings up issues violence against women, sexism, masculinity, prejudice, and racism among other topics. The book is quite heavy in subject, but has very important narrative and brings awareness to social issues.
Trigger Warnings: rape, death, sexual harassment/abuse
Final Verdict:
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Mawenzi Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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