Tomorrow I'll Be Twenty by Alain Mabanckou | Book Review

Michel's a precocious young boy who lives with his parents in Pointe-Noire, a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country located in sub-Saharan Africa. Tomorrow I'll Be Twenty is told from Michel's perspective and he provides great insight into their lives. He watches his surroundings intently, internalizing everything and using his vivid imagination to fill any gaps. His opinions on everything - mosquitos, world dictators, capitalism, inebriation, and materialism - are hilarious and adorable. While he spends most of his time doing what kids do his parents try to find answers to why they can't have any more kids.

Tomorrow I'll Be Twenty was great from the very beginning and I loved it until I became frustrated with the excessive political talk. Most of Michel's knowledge about politics comes from his stepfather and it's a good read until it turns into a dull lecture on local and international politics. The bulk of the political talk was unnecessary and it should have been chopped out of the novel. Even though that soured my reading experience I still love this novel. It's very entertaining. You should read it.

[Image via Amazon]