Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi

16 reviews

nicolaaa's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty and Infidelity

catapocalypse's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book was so bold a creation, so extraordinary an experience. It is essentially a follow up to Freshwater, this time rightfully labeled as memoir. It's their story as a series of epistolary essays. I'd recommend reading Freshwater first, since it will provide additional explanation and context for things like their ȯgbanje identity, the brothersisters, some of their relationship with Yshwa, and more about their childhood and youth (Since I had already read it beforehand, I am not certain how much may need clarification without it). Dear Senthuran touches on those things, but its focus is more on their adulthood as well as philosophy behind their identities, spiritualities, relationships, work, life, etc.

Emezi's goals were to write truly of their personal experiences and to put those ideas out there for Black readers in particular. That said, I strongly urge other white readers not to shy away. We need to read and think about these things with honest reflection. So much of how we've harmed others and ourselves comes out of operating on narrow views and letting bad ideas calcify into accepted norms. Learning that this isn't how things are or should be helps work on dismantling these cages. There is still so much in here to relate to, and a lot that we can also find freeing, if we're willing to listen and think on it.

I would advise being prepared to go into this in the right headspace. It's at least as brutal and breathtaking as Freshwater, with a lot of heavy things covered in heavy detail. There are in-depth looks at depression, suicidal ideation and attempts, death, and a small section including fantasies of cannibalism.

I took my reading slow to let things percolate and avoid being overwhelmed. It was such a rewarding experience. Emezi remains a favorite, and I look forward to their upcoming projects. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Moderate: Cannibalism, Blood, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Chronic illness, Islamophobia, and Murder

tinytrashqueen's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Death, Chronic illness, Body horror, Blood, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Ableism, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Drug use, Misogyny, Outing, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence

tenten's review

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

yeah so... i worship Akwaeke Emezi. i have been a worshipper for quite a while, but this book....phew.

it took me a year to read Freshwater. when i have high expectations for a book i get afraid because in many cases, they do not meet those expectations. Freshwater did, and did more by exceeding them. it was an incredible book. i berated myself for doubting Akwaeke's power but i vowed to never do it again. a couple of months after i read freshwater, PET came out and i was lucky enough to meet Akwaeke, to bask in their light for a while. i'm framing the photo we took together. 

Dear Senthuran can be considered a sequel or follow up to Freshwater, in which Akwaeke expands upon being ogbanje, their unwavering spirituality and faith, their journey finding success in a restrictive industry. deeply personal, yet very much a work of theory, this memoir-in-letters was truly something special. i learned so much, both about a non-human that i idolize, igbo ontologies, spirituality, and navigating the publishing industry.

obviously, as a budding writer myself, the letters to Nonso were particularly relavant to me. i admired their transparency about how they navigated the publishing industry. their experiences helped me to unlearn some beliefs i have about how i have to follow certain steps to reach my goals. i don't need to publish short stories in major journals before trying to publish a book. i don't need to complete an MFA. there are other ways.

beyond that, though, i learned about having confidence in myself and my work. about not shrinking or doubting myself when i know i'm that bitch. about the good of arrogance. about trusting the work and letting that be the key to your success. about advocating for yourself. about death.

it was so amazing to witness their maturity as a writer, too. Freshwater was already a work of art, but this was really something. the metaphors!! DAZZLING! 

their mind is so unique, their work is so groundbreaking, they are so so so incredible. i'm awed!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

5.0

 - Per usual, when I try to sit down to write about an Emezi book, I cannot find the words. Their work is simply beyond my ability to discuss. Each book bends my mind and cracks open the world a little differently.
- DEAR SENTHURAN is a look inside their brain, their heart, their soul. It's an extended discussion of how to deal with a world that does not want you, on several levels. It's the pain and joy and revenge of making space for yourself anyway.
- Even beyond the larger ideas explored, the actual writing and words of this book are expansive, visceral, horrifying and elegant. They are truly a master of their craft.
- Also, I've listed content warnings below: please take them seriously. Emezi does not hold back on some graphic descriptions, particularly about suicide and self harm. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Violence

sjanke2's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship