The Selfless Act Of Breathing

The Selfless Act of Breathing by J.J. Bola

Synopsis.

Transcendent Kingdom meets A Man Called Ove in this heartwarming novel about a Congolese-British Londoner who decides to go on one last adventure in the United States, determined to end his life once his savings run out.

As a charismatic teacher living in London, Michael Kabongo strives to alleviate the injustices he sees around him: for the students who long for better lives, in memory of his father’s tragic death, and to end the violent marginalization of Black men around the world.

But after a devastating loss, he decides to embark on an adventure in the land of the free—the United States of America. From Dallas to San Francisco, Michael parties with new friends, engages in fleeting romances, splurges on thrilling escapades, all with the intention of ending his life once all his savings run out.

As he makes surprising new connections and faces old prejudices in odd but exciting new settings, Michael alone must decide if his life is worth living after all…

The Review

If you gave yourself 90 days to kill yourself would the universe spend those 90 days trying to convince you otherwise or would it simply continue to exist as it always has, in acceptance of your fate?

Suicide is a subject that you venture into because you trust the author to take you into and out of it, safely.

The haphazard framework of this novel wherein one second I’m dying and the next I’m hopelessly living, left me feeling jarred at best.

I didn’t trust the author to take care of me through the book. I felt the subject of suicide was used to shock me into inspired page-turning, asking myself through the pages “Will he do it?” and Why?”

And what actually happened is that I began to get angry that the author was toying with me in such a way. Even the change in rhythm and prose between timeframes is jarring.

All of it!

I do not want a rocky reading experience on the subject of suicide.

DNF at 26% because I didn’t trust the author with my personal triggers.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the advanced copy!