Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A strong and insightful debut memoir, Owusu's book is beautiful, the writing is wonderful almost lyrical to me. It tells of her struggles to find her place within the world, she bares her soul and pain in this book and covers the impact this struggle has had on her emotionally. It’s emotional, some parts will have you in tears, the book was very influential on me, one that stays with me for life and I think it will be a very influential memoir.one that is definitely important

This took me two months to read but I'm so glad I took my time with it, despite meaning that I missed the Book of Cinz book club discussion.
I swear I wrote notes already for this, but can't find them, so apologies if the review is not as together as I would like it to be.

This was phenomenal. It's a biography blended with history, identity (and what that is for Nadia), grief and madness and so much more.
The way Owusu uses the concept of earthquakes to symbolise her life and the experiences she has lived through was so clever and lyrical, if at times a little stetched and pretentious. I do feel like the way she crafts her words, made this more than just a biography. It was sculpted so wonderfully that I forgot that this was someone's life. I think if I'd have lived through half of what she had I would never have been able to find the words to express it all.

The fractious relationship she has with her family was heartbreaking to read but the love she has for them was inspiring. It wasn't perfect but it was relatable and it was interesting to read how it affected Nadia's life.

There was a section where Nadia discussed an alternate scenario involving her brother's life which near about had me in tears. It shook me so much, and I can only imagine how she'd have felt had that been true but also how she must have felt with that being something that could have been made a reality.

I appreciate that Nadia came to a realisation in her youth that, despite all her hardships, she has had a very privileged life, such as access to education, living in a safe area within the land, travelling to lots of different places, but it was still sad to hear that although she had lots of amazing experiences and could always count on people like her sister and brother and dad, the loses were strong too, such as the lack of a stable home and identity, the feeling of abandonment and not knowing what to do when the only people you want to be there (your parents) aren't there for you by choice or can't be there for you.

The one thing I struggled a little bit with was the non linear storytelling. There was a lot of jumping back and fourth between timelines and events that got a little disorientating, but if it made sense for her to tell her story in that way then who am I to complain?

Overall, I feel like I can't fully capture how it is this book made me feel, but it's one that will stay for me for a very long time.

A strong and insightful debut memoir, Owusu's book is beautiful, the writing is wonderful almost lyrical to me. It tells of her struggles to find her place within the world, she bares her soul and pain in this book and covers the impact this struggle has had on her emotionally. It’s emotional, some parts will have you in tears, the book was very influential on me, one that stays with me for life and I think it will be a very influential memoir.one that is definitely important

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

3.5 rounded down

A strong debut memoir on identity, Owusu's memoir tells of her struggles to find her place within the world and the impact this struggle has had on her emotionally.

Owusu's background and childhood is diverse: born to a Ghanaian father and Armenian American mother, her mother left the family when she was very young and her father passed away when she was in her early teens. (She is also later raised by a Tanzanian stepmother.) Her father worked for the UN which meant postings all across the world, however her formative years were spent in Italy, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and the U.S.

An enjoyable read, rating rounded down as I found some later sections a bit drawn out and/or repetitive.

‘We know aftershocks are coming, but we don’t know when exactly. We don’t know how many. And we don’t know how long they will last’.

This strikingly unique memoir, of a life told through the metaphorical construct of an earthquake...its main shocks, fault lines, tremors and aftershocks...is brilliant in both concept and execution.

Beautifully written, and emotionally expressive, Nadia Owusu bares her soul, her vulnerability, fragility and pain in the pages of this book.

Through reflections and memories of her upbringing, Owusu carries the reader across the many miles and lets them into the relationships that have contributed to and continue to impact on her sense of identity. She explores how each of our moments and experiences, can have lasting impact .

Owusu explores the meaning of identity, and the impact that language, voice and accent, skin and appearance, lineage, and our geographical footprint can have on our sense of self, of worth and belonging.

Whilst there are difficult themes in this memoir, which do not make for a light-read, this memoir cannot be told without them...and Owusu handles them thoughtfully and sensitively through her own voice and reflections. I will add trigger warnings for struggles with mental health and suicidal thoughts, terminal illness including cancer and AIDS, sexual assault including that of children, trauma and bereavement.

There is so much beauty in Owusu’s strength to write this honest and important memoir. This book is truly unforgettable and will leave a permanent mark on your soul.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Sceptre for advanced copies of this book, with a request for an honest review.

In Aftershocks, Owusu puts her own stamp on the memoir format and, in doing so, opens up the possibilities of that genre. Your late 20s may seem too early to be setting out your life story but Owusu is the rare exception. She has lived more life in under 30 years than most of us will live in double that amount of time.

The central theme of this memoir (and the origin of its title) is that each of us are shaped by seismic events in our lives. These are the events that will go on to produce aftershocks and fault lines, smaller no less significant incidents, all stemming from that initial earthquake. The book starts with a literal earthquake in Armenia which brings Owusu's mother to Rome in search of the daughters she left behind. Sadly, this re-entry into Nadia's life will prove to be fleeting. Being left by her mother again and again breeds an instability and insecurity in Owusu which affects every relationship she goes on to have from that point on.

With her mother out of the picture, Nadia is primarily raised by her Ghanaian father and his wife. The nature of her father's work for the U.N. meant Nadia got to travel the world, experience a range of cultures and learn new languages. Yet she never feels settled in any one place and as a biracial young woman finds herself too black to be accepted in some settings only to benefit from light skinned privilege in others. In a way, this pendulum of experience from whiteness to blackness allows Nadia to understand the arbitrary nature of race while also accepting the benefits whiteness (or proximity to whiteness) can bring.

Though more physically present than her mother was, Nadia's father is also something of an ephemeral figure who eventually dies from cancer - although his wife at the time would later claim he actually died of AIDS - when Nadia is just 13. Her father's death raises interesting questions about the idea of a noble vs. a shameful death. Nadia interrogates her feelings about her father's death and how the idea of her father dying of cancer was somehow more palatable to her than the idea he may have died of AIDs. She also addresses the AIDS epidemic in Africa and how the measures to address it have changed over time not necessarily for the better.

The layers of meaning Owusu brings to her memoir are what really made it special for me. She tells the story of her life traumas, her depression, her complicated relationship men and with her parents but she also uses her experiences to speak to larger topics. It is a memoir that will leave you with questions about what it means to exist in the world as a global citizen and about how we might each carve out an identity for ourselves drawing from the events even the traumatic ones that come together to make us who we are.

Aftershocks is a memoir by Nadia Owusu about growing up in different cultures and her experience of her heritage. The book narrative isn't linear and the chapters are fragments of what she remembers. Nadia talks about growing up in Italy with her sister and her father who is from Ghana. She later moves to America. I found this to be a good read and quite different to what I would normally pick up. There's some traumatic events but the way they are told is careful. Would definitely recommend.

This was a really insightful and heart rendering book from Nadia. Her words are so lyrical and poetic, and so deeply moving. Her experience as a Biracial, Black and Armenian woman around cities all around the world offer a great deal of insight of what her identities mean in each place. The theme of earthquakes at the start of each chapters were really poignant. I felt i wanted to know a bit more about her mother, the ending left me hanging, wanting some closure for her. But i guess that is the reality of Nadia’s life. A moving memoir.

"Inside of you is an earthquake. And it is also outside of you."

Aftershocks is a beautifully written memoir exploring Nadia Owusu's fascinating life and her challenges with identity, particularly after being abandoned by her Mother and the tragic loss of her Father. Other topics to note include grief and globalization to race and religion.

Her story is filled with emotion and the descriptions are so poetic that the reader is immersed - whether that be rocking back and forth on 'The Blue Chair' in New York or transported back to the tree house at the UN compound in Ethiopia, watching the local children play and plotting how to be with them. I also appreciated the snippets of history such as stories of the Ashanti tribe and Owusu's experience of the 9/11 terror attack.

The final chapter had me in tears, it felt like a release after being on edge page after page, waiting to see the outcome of the days spent in 'The Chair'. I know that this memoir will be one that stays with me, it is a book that is so important right now and I imagine it will be for years to come.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for this e-ARC.

Wow what an amazing debut book by the author

I would recommend everyone reads this book that tells the story of the author life .

I would give this book 4 out 0f 5 stars

With thanks to Netgalley & Hodder & Stoughton for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review