If you’re looking for a thrilling and exciting story, then I would highly recommend The Engagement. I read the entire book in one sitting and never once got up. I’m a big fan of Kariuki Kimuyu’s work. His poetry is out of this world. With this in mind, I knew for sure that The Engagement would not be disappointing at all. By the end of the story, I was in tears. It’s one of those books that captures you and you feel as though you are living the story with the characters.
If I were to describe the theme of the story in three words, they would be love, drugs, and relationships. It is centred around a couple that smuggles drugs and they make money out of it but then problems start to creep in.
The plot of the story is full of suspense, and that’s what I loved most about it. At almost every stage you are left wondering what’s going to happen. Will Oyunga discover that his wife Lily has an affair with another man? If he does, what will he do about it? Will Marion be murdered, or will she manage to escape from her house in time? What happened to Lily after that? Who really set the bomb in Oyunga and Marion’s car? There are so many questions, and I think that’s what keeps the readers glued to the story.
I love quotes, and perhaps this is why I tend to lean a little bit more towards self-help books than novels. The best quote that I picked from this particular book was this: Busy doesn’t always mean productive, it might mean poor planning or that you’re avoiding someone. So if you think you’re busy, evaluate whether this ‘business’ is actually productive stuff. If it’s not, you might want to take time to plan and re-strategize.
The letter at the end of the story, where Oyunga is writing to his baby-momma is one of the most emotional things I have ever read. It made me cry, and although that’s not the hardest thing, I really felt this one deeply. I could almost feel the pain that he was experiencing. It’s like you’re living through his character, and I think that’s a great trait for a writer to have. I would love to reach that level someday.
All in all, I cannot emphasize just how much I enjoyed reading this book. The vivid descriptions, the poetry, the metaphors, and the contextualization all blended together seamlessly.
You can find more of this author’s work here
Read the book review for The Secret Lives Of Baba Segi’s Wives By Lola Shoneyin
