“She’s almost always demure in nature, prodding in character and very restless in the season she seemed to be in.”
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 217
Published: December 2020
Rate: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Book Blurb
Vina Wira band is struggling. Every Thursday they play in the streets of Nairobi, outside a building that houses a recording label they hope will sign them, give them their big break. At night, they play in a shady bar overlooking a junkyard with dismembered vehicles. They are hungry to make it. But does the universe share their hunger?
“…but her heart – and Halima’s heart can accommodate many things – filled with music.”
My Take
I am not new to Biko’s writing. I remember when I was younger a trip to the salon was always exciting because I knew I’d find a copy of True Love Magazine and the minute I got it, I’d flip to the last pages to read his articles. They were my favourite. When I found out he had a second book coming out I was really excited, seeing that I missed the first, I really wanted to read Thursdays, moreso interact with his works in a full length novel as opposed to the short articles I have been consuming.
If I’m being honest, the writing didn’t click for me. I struggled with the first 100 pages which felt so wordy. I couldn’t understand why the simplest of descriptions took so long. There are a lot of characters introduced in this book and most were forgettable, aside from the band, I couldn’t care more about the rest.
The plot was interesting. Following the Vina Wira Band through their struggles and hope to make it as struggling artists, Biko touches on mental health issues especially in men. (ADHD, Anxiety, Depression) I love how he brings it out. He also touches on self harm which he did a good job.
The dialogue, between the characters, is also something I liked. After I struggled with the first 100 pages, the book became easier to get to and I started enjoying it better, until we got to the end.
All through the book we are introduced to mini sub plots that I thought would either mesh with the main plot or have their own ending, none of that happened. The book ends abruptly with loose ends. I get the idea of an open ending and I like them well enough but this one was too rushed and I was so annoyed by the last page.
In my opinion Thursdays should have been a longer book, this way the author would have room to flesh out the plot more, character development and have a better ending.
Thursdays was an okay read for me. Its not a book I’d care to read again. I didn’t hate it, it just wasn’t for me.
If flowery writing and descriptions are for you, you’ll love Thursdays. If you read the authors blog and enjoy the posts, you’ll love this one.
23/12/2020 at 9:15 am
You know how when you love an author so much and you hear someone criticising their work you take it personal. That’s me currently after reading this review. Lol. ?
Loved the review tho!
23/12/2020 at 10:13 am
Oh no… but like I said, it wasn’t for me but it definitely is for someone else. I think I’d have loved it better if it was longer.
Have you read it yet?
23/12/2020 at 12:32 pm
Thank you for the honest review!
23/12/2020 at 1:30 pm
Thank you for reading.
06/01/2021 at 3:45 pm
I love Biko’s writing in magazines and his blog but I am yet to read any of his books. Sorry to hear this one kinda missed the mark for you. Great Review!
09/01/2021 at 5:04 pm
I think I have just outgrown his writing. I haven’t read Drunk, I’m yet to hear good things about it, but Thursdays was such a let down.
20/01/2021 at 11:44 am
It took me two weeks to finish the book. I would read one chapter and not want to go to the next immediately. Especially the first half of the book.
20/01/2021 at 4:41 pm
I definitely get what you mean. I knew I had to push through with it because the thought of picking it up again wasn’t thrilling.
01/02/2021 at 5:00 pm
oh well….was looking for an honest review and now that I have seen yours I doubt I will read the book. Let me stick to his blogs which have also become a little dull – Tuesday would be an exciting day because Biko would bring life into it with something interesting… like I said. oh well…
01/02/2021 at 6:28 pm
I guess there are some books that just don’t do it for you anymore
02/04/2022 at 5:17 pm
I also found it so hard and haven’t been able to finish it, unfortunately.
02/04/2022 at 7:50 pm
I totally get that!
24/07/2023 at 7:44 pm
Admittedly, I have just began reading books by our local authors and I genuinely appriciate the wordy descriptions in Thursdays. I got a vivid sense of locations and characters and my imagination went wild with it…lol.
I agree with you on the abrupt ending though, I did not appriciate that. Thursdays ranks higher than Drunk for me, which regrettably I never got to finish and I may never.
Thank you for the review.
07/09/2023 at 9:24 am
You’re welcome! And thank you for reading. I haven’t read Drunk, and I don’t think I’ll give it a read after the reviews I have seen