Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

25 reviews

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

This collection of essays by Alicia Elliott did not let me catch my breath for one moment. I feel like I highlighted so much throughout the book, probably every other page, if not every page 😭

Alicia comments on and asks questions about so much: colonization, capitalism, racism, misogyny, desire, selfies, “reality” tv, truth versus opinion, familial dynamics, indigenous practices, and so much more. 

I desperately want a print copy of this now, as it was such an important read. Capitalism and colonization has brought so much horror to the world, and the solutions will not be found with them. I look forward to reading more from Alicia Elliott and I am so grateful that I read this book. 

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ivi_reads_books's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

This book is a good mix of memoir and history and stats on indigenous people in Canada and the US. The author describes growing up with a bipolar mother in precarious environments and how their suroundings influenced their behavior.
The author doesn't tell the reader what to do or think. She rather observes what happens and what doesn't happen. What gets said and what doesn't and thus encourages readers to self-reflect on their own behavior

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paperbackportals's review

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A moving series of narrative and informative essays that explore not only Elliott’s life but the effects of racism and colonialism. 

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isabeldotml's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5


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iambartacus's review against another edition

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medium-paced

5.0


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eve81's review

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challenging funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0


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remimicha's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75


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ltulisiak's review

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This was a fascinating and heartbreaking essay about discrimination, abuse, mental health, racism, and family dynamics. There were several sections of this essay that were incredibly educational for me, a cis, hetero, white woman who grew up in a very safe, wealthy, and supported environment. Other sections of this book- especially those tackling mental health- resonated with me and helped me to look introspectively about my relationship with myself and with others and how it impacts my mental health. I would highly recommend this essay! 

Additionally, the author is originally from Buffalo, NY, and was partially raised in the greater Cleveland, OH, area, so I felt a geographical connection with her, as well. 

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gnosila's review

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

In this series of essays, Elliot fluidly blends memoir with data to discuss her experiences with mental health, abuse, and poverty in the context of the systemic abuse and genocide perpetrated against indigenous people in the US and Canada. The essays are both  thought-provoking and informative.

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raelin's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

What a great book. 

This book covers so many categories, since each chapter is written almost as a stand alone essay then grouped together to make one book that does tie every chapter together into a cohesive work. It is masterfully done. 

All people represented in this work are dimensional humans, with several different facets. Her mother isn’t just a bipolar religious fanatic. Her father isn’t just an alcoholic abuser. They are also caring, loving, supportive parents. This is how real people are, but not often how people are captured in the written word. The beautiful contradictions that fill our relationships with people are so accurately described. 

This book is so much more than memoir. It is also history, inspires self reflection (by directly asking the reader to answer hard questions about their perspective), insight into the writing process, commentary on social media, self persecution, and so much more. 

A definite must read for everyone that can handle the content warnings. 

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