"In every reflection, the goal was not perfection. It was honesty." 18 Reflections: Divides, Epidemics and the Generation Caught in Between is Jose-Maria's debut book, written to articulate the complex realities faced by his generation as they grow up amid social, environmental, economic and health challenges. Through eighteen chapters, Kimburi explores the divides and epidemics that are shaping his generation. These include mental health, identity, faith, burnout, inequality, disconnection and the deep, quiet ache of always having to be "okay". This is a letter. To those growing up in systems they didn't build but are expected to navigate.A space for contradictions - joy and grief, doubt and hope, silence and protest. Each reflection moves from the personal to the political, uncovering the invisible weight many of us carry - and naming the forces that placed it there.18 Reflections exposes not just the divides and epidemics we face, but the resilience beneath them. This book is for the ones who scroll through crisis after crisis, wondering if they're the only ones who feel like they're falling behind.This book is for the ones pretending to be fine because vulnerability feels unsafe.This book is for the ones those who feel unseen, unheard or unsure whether they're allowed to take up space.It's also for those who've never had to think about it - the ones whose lives were built on good housing, good health, the benefit of the doubt. Not to shame, but to invite reflection.And it's also for the teachers, parents and adults who want to understand, really understand, what young people are carrying. Kimburi does not write with the voice of someone looking back. He writes from inside the moment, asking the questions many are too afraid to voice aloud. Because 18 Reflections isn't just about the issues we face. It's about the possibility of building something better. This is the book many of us needed when we were fourteen.It's the one many of us still need now.