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izzydor's review
4.0
Not your typical metaphysical crystal properties book. Jaya Saxena both takes the meaning behind certain crystals really deep in history and really deep in herself. My only complaint is there weren't more crystals included because I would have loved to read her take on their meanings. This was a refreshing read that really made me think about a lot more than just the crystals in my collection!
harrow_nova's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I bought this on a whim at a discount department store because the essay format intrigued me and the art was cute. I thought it would be a light read, something casual for reading while waiting for appointments or my partner to get off work, so I was surprised at how hard-hitting each topic was. As such, it took a moment to adjust to the author's frustrated yet hopeful tone; I have to wonder if at the time of writing she was going through some stuff, maybe an existential crisis. Her discussions on rose quartz and pearl particularly stood out to me, being focused on gender (a concept I understand in theory yet find perpetually confusing) and purity (I've heard of Catholic guilt, but have more experience with Protestant shame.) Overall, I like the somewhat agnostic approach she took to talking about crystals, examining the metaphysical properties we've assigned to them and the societal constructs like gender and capitalism which influence how we talk about crystals today. This book is raw, honest, and I think a necessary read for anyone who collects crystals based on their metaphysical properties and wants a different perspective on their common correspondences.
cmoore14's review
3.0
I really liked the way this book looked aesthetically. The layout was pretty clear and easy to read. In some instances I could see myself getting bored of the repetitious layout, but if you're only focusing on one crystal at a time then the layout wouldn't matter. It's certainly informative but only focuses on a few crystals. So, if you're looking for something that includes more, this wouldn't be it. But for beginners this is a great book to get started with!
renatasnacks's review
5.0
I've been a fan of some of Jaya Saxena's online wrings and I've been semi-ironically getting into crystals but I probably wouldn't have picked this up if I hadn't read some online reviews that were like "uh this is not a guide to crystals it's actually set of beautiful personal essays" and I was like, sick, I love beautiful personal essays!!!
Each essay focuses on one crystal and its alleged purposes/abilities but then applies that out to moments in Jaya's life/personality/whatever and they're all just really honest and #relatable and lovely. Highly recommended even if you're not into crystals. (But also it's 2021, why not get into crystals.)
Each essay focuses on one crystal and its alleged purposes/abilities but then applies that out to moments in Jaya's life/personality/whatever and they're all just really honest and #relatable and lovely. Highly recommended even if you're not into crystals. (But also it's 2021, why not get into crystals.)
fluffdragon's review against another edition
4.0
This well observed essay collection uses crystals and their assigned meanings (which, despite being a millenial woman, I don't know a great deal about) as a prism through which to look out at our society.
jenniferdc's review
This is such a waste of paper. The author would go off on tangents that barely relate to the crystal that she's theming each chapter around. This is more about her own opinions on pop culture (seriously, she talks about random movies and tv episodes) than actually being informative about the crystals that are supposed to be the focus. I could only make it to the section on pearls until I gave up.
redchippednails's review
2.0
The title of this should probably be "crystals and anxiety". I appreciate the concept of deconstructing our need to control our environment with aids such as crystals, and there were some good points, but the authors personal anecdotes of neurotic melodramas were very tiring. I ended the book wanting her to take some meds and go to therapy more than anything else.
kays_pallet's review
4.0
This book had all the excitement of finding something you want to learn more about. I've always been a rock collector and interested in these types of things, I just haven't go around to researching it. Then this book fell onto my lap at work and it feels like fate. The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars and not 5 is because the author occasionally went on these tangents that I guess were related to the rocks/ crystals. I got a little lost on how they connect at times. Other than that, I really enjoyed this and will be continuing my research into crystals.