Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi

15 reviews

karingforbooks's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

2.5

I’m sure this resonates for others, but it’s not for me. Not least because the extensive discussion of suicide and self harm was triggering for me, so go into this having read content and trigger warnings. 
Otherwise I can’t tell if it’s just that I’m uncomfortable with someone being so confident or if I genuinely think they’re delusional in a harmless way. But none of it hit with me and I didn’t enjoy the writing style either. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Death, Dysphoria, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Blood, Car accident, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Infertility, Sexual harassment, and Body horror

peachani's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Blood, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Sexism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Racism

laurareads87's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

5.0

Dear Senthuran is beautifully written, extraordinarily intimate, and covers a lot of ground: spiritedness + spiritual life, gender, mental health, childhood, career, fame, interpersonal relationships, navigating life amidst humanity.  Extraordinary & like nothing I've ever read before (though those who've read Freshwater will certainly find some familiar content here); also a very difficult read - I'm sure I've forgotten some relevant content warnings.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Violence, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror

readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

This is the most unique, compelling memoir I've read in many years. Through letters to their close friends and family, Akwaeke Emezi discusses their experience of being trans and getting surgery, their mental health, writing, chronic pain, the publishing industry, their identity as a god or ogbanje, and their spiritual connection with this world and with death. This is a fascinating read and one that introduced me to so many new concepts and ideas. Emezi really is a transcendent writer.   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, and Medical content

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Homophobia, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Infidelity

imrereads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

I don't know where to begin with such a powerful memoir. Author memoirs are one of my favourite types of books, but I don't think I've ever read a memoir quite like this. It felt groundbreaking. Word view shifting. Oh so intimate. I won't ever forget this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Gore

becauseidontknow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

hogsandwich's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

Theyre definitely a genius. Theyre also, I suspect, very difficult to be around.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Self harm

laurenleigh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

4.5

This memoir by Awaeke Emezi is written in letters, as they explore their gender identity, their romantic and sexual partnerships, their  life as an author, and their multiplicity. The epistolary format invites the reader into an intimate space, at times voyeuristic when Emezi gets into some intense detail. Some of these details, mainly relating to suicide and gore, were hard for me to read. I am a strict completionist, but even I had to give up on the titular “Dear Senthuran” letter, which is also rightly titled “Gore.” But I understand, at least to some degree, why it’s important for Emezi to push boundaries. Their life, their embodiment in human form, and in turn, their writing, is all so raw. It’s bursting at the seams with life and intensity. I highly recommend their debut novel, Freshwater, and I especially suggest reading that before this memoir, so you have an understanding of Emezi’s multiplicity and Igbo ontology. It’s all so fascinating to me, and their work is like nothing else I’ve ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Gore, Blood, Sexual content, and Death

Moderate: Violence, Medical content, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Fire/Fire injury

maryberthelsen's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Medical content, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

gagne's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abandonment, Dysphoria, Grief, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Medical content, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Transphobia